Page 85 of Gift from the Nexus

No, he has to know.

“I see the decision in your eyes, princess, so tell me what you need, and I’ll do it,” Corentin says with a small, sad smile.

“I need to see him.”

“We’ll plan that. I’ll call him and ask him to come to the academy in a couple days to discuss what our plans are for the forest,” Tillman says, but I’m already shaking my head.

“No. I don’t want to bring him here under false pretenses and then spring this on him. I want to go to him, to his home where he’s comfortable. Now,” I declare softly.

I’d be furious if I was lured into thinking I was going somewhere for a meeting, then have a bomb of this magnitude dropped on my head somewhere I’m not comfortable. Granted, it may be different for guys. Lyker’s more than likely not going tohave a panic attack like I did over this news, but I don’t foresee him taking it easy either.

“Please, Tillman,” I say when he’s getting ready to deny me this. I know it’s from a place of protection. Him wanting to protect me as much emotionally as he does physically, but I need to do this. I’m not going to be able to let it go now. I’ll obsess and fixate on it to the point I’m ill if I don’t.

“Okay, little warrior,” he breathes, pulling his communicator out of his pocket.

Turning in Draken’s lap so I’m no longer craning my neck around to see everyone else, he pulls me in close, wrapping his arms around my body. I sit quietly, soaking up his warmth, and let my fingers run through Caspian’s shadows nervously as they twist around my wrist like bracelets while we listen to the rings of Tillman’s call.

“Tillman, what can I do for you?” Lyker answers and I suck in a sharp inhale. There’s nothing different about his voice. He’s using the same tone he always would when talking to any of my guys, but I hear it differently now.

“We’re coming for a visit. Willow would like to speak to you,” Tillman says calmly.

Lyker chuckles through the communicator and my heart lightens a smidge until he says, “Elementra knows that can’t be good. Fortune teller’s coming to ruin my day, huh?”

I know he’s teasing, but still my chest cracks open because that’s quite possibly exactly what I’m coming to do.

“We’ll be there in a few,” Tillman says before hanging up without another word spoken, not even giving Lyker the chance to deny or accept our visit.

“Thank you,” I say, holding my hand out for him to pull me up with him as he stands.

“Of course, Will, but are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“I’m sure. Can everyone come? Vince can take care of the academy for a little while, right?” I ask, turning to look at Corentin, who winks at me because he’s already on the communicator.

“I’m sorry for overstepping, Willow. It wasn’t my place at all to do that, but I couldn’t let go of the feeling it needed to be done,” Jamie says sincerely.

The genuine apology is evident in his tone, but it’s his words that stick out to me the most.He couldn’t let go of the feeling.

Elementra, I swear.

Before he said it, I was most certainly a little upset with him for crossing a boundary and doing that without speaking to us first, but what he said changes it all and the hurt instantly evaporates.

“It’s okay, Jamie. There are no coincidences in Elementra. You did exactly as you were supposed to do, you just didn’t know you were supposed to do that. This was a piece of my puzzle that needed to fall into place, and it wouldn’t have if you hadn’t rerun my blood.”

His mouth gapes open and closed like a fish gulping for air before he decides on a small, acknowledging nod. It doesn’t erase the guilt that’s still evident in his eyes, but he doesn’t keep trying to apologize for his choice.

“Take your own advice, child. Everything happens as it needs to,” Gaster says quietly, pulling me into a hug.

“I know. It just sucks when it’s always happening to me,” I complain, but as I breathe in his pine-needle scent, my nerves calm and my mind eases. At least I have an amazing support system to back me every time shit hits the fan around here.

“Let’s get going. Transport to the front of the Alpha house. Gaster, you’re with us,” Tillman orders as he comes up behind me, laying his hand across my stomach.

Just like the first time I saw the community center, it’s buzzing with activity, and although that time I still thought it was beautiful, despite being run with Mastery, now there’s a brilliant distinction.

The children’s laughter rings louder, more freely. There’s such a positive vibe in the air, it’s visible to me. Everyone seems more comfortable being themselves and it’s bleeding into the atmosphere around them.

Craning my neck so I can peer over the massive Alpha house, the trees and mountain ranges that tower in the backdrop are more vibrant and thicker than they were. As if the taint from the ward that kept Aria locked in that cave has freed the forest so it can flourish as it’s meant to.

The sounds of the door to the house opening draw my attention away from the gorgeous scenery and I smile at the sight coming down the stairs. Right smack in the center of Lyker, Kyan, Zane, and Lennox, Aria is fussing at them, telling them to hurry up. Once they’re close enough, she breaks through them and ambushes me in a hug.

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