Page 179 of Gift from the Nexus

“No. Whatever is upsetting her, she needs to tell us so we can work it out,” I argue.

A sight we haven’t seen in quite some time sends all of us into silence.

My Primary sobs.

Not like the relieved ones she let out over finally being free from that piece of shit rapist father, but uncontrollable sobs she used to do when she needed one of us. They’re so fucking brutal the ground quakes hard and she wraps herself so tightly around Corentin, I’m surprised she isn’t suffocating him.

“Something is wrong with me…something happened when all my power burst free.” She hiccups over and over as the tears continue to pour.

“Are you hurt? What do you mean something happened?” Corentin asks.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but every bit of balance I felt after me and Caspian bonded is gone. I feel seconds away from snapping to pieces and I don’t just mean my emotions. I literally mean me. It’s like I’m having to put effort into holding my body together. What if he did something to me?” she asks, pointlessly wiping the tears away that just come back in floods.

The four of us share worried glances. I didn’t see his power hit her directly, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t. When it all exploded around us, it very well could’ve wrapped itself around her.

“Hey, hey. Look at me, little wanderer,” Draken purrs. “Nothing is wrong with you. It’s just been a lot these past few days. Calm down for me, okay?”

Taking a shaky breath, she does just that as she locks onto his eyes, begging him to sate her tears.

“Why don’t we go practice your new gift in the pool? We’ll swim around, relax, and practice. Nothing else today. How does that sound?” His eyes flash to slits as the purr permeates the air around us and I even slump a little, falling into the trap of his plan.

That’s all I want to do. Swim, relax, and practice.

“Yeah…I’d like that,” she says as she pushes herself off Corentin’s chest.

“Good. Get changed and we’ll meet you in the pool.” He purrs once more before leaning in and giving her a kiss, then standing back as she hops off Corentin and heads to the pool without a backward glance.

When her outfit fades away to a bathing suit and she steps into the water, whatever hazy spell my mind was trapped in snaps.

“What the fuck was that, dragon?”

“She needed to calm down. She’s fine now,” he says with a shrug of his shoulders.

“She’s not fine, Draken. Something might be wrong, and you just masked it with your fucking purr. Not only that, but you also…you purred us as well.” I sneer.

How the hell did he do that to me?

“My bad about that. Didn’t know it would affect you guys as bad, but nothing’s wrong with her. The Summum-Master’s power didn’t affect her. Just using that much power is speeding up a process that was supposed to take time.”

“What does that mean?” Tillman asks, cocking his head to the side before his eyes widen. “How are you blocking me out like that?”

“Sorry, T-man. If you all haven’t figured it out on your own, I’m not telling. When she figures it out, you all will as well,” he says with another shrug before jogging off to the pool to join Willow.

“How does the dragon know something we don’t?” I ask, turning to the other two and throwing my hands up.

“Something’s going on with him and her. It’s some weird dragon thing, must be,” Corentin says, pushing out of his chair.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“To the pool, obviously. If she needs to swim, relax, and practice, then that’s what we’re doing,” he says, kicking his shoes off and walking through the green.

Tillman follows suit behind him and I sit here for a moment longer in my aggravation before giving up on it. Whatever it is that the dragon knows that I don’t, I’ll figure it out.

Coming up to the pool, her element glides across my body and today, she’s dressed us in purple matching bathing suits that has her smiling from ear to ear. The look is a rapid change from what it was not even ten minutes ago, and despite the itch in my mind that’s dying to know what’s going on, my shadows settle beneath my skin and my racing thoughts slow.

She’s a damn temptress.

“Feeling better, Primary?”

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