Page 37 of Saint

Nix frowned, but Briant wasn’t done.

“You and Branwen. Even when you were little. If something was uncomfortable, you two would cover it up with humor. Here’s the thing though, Nix, you’re no longer a kid, and this isn’t a laughing matter. Getting into bed with Club Essential is serious. Look what happened the second one of them thought you’d betrayed them?”

Briant had witnessed Yejun lose his shit and was understandably worried for him. Truthfully, Nix was somewhat worried for himself too, but not for the same reasons.

“I…care about them.” Admitting it out loud felt like a shortcoming, and he had to glance away, unable to maintain eye contact as he continued. “They aren’t as bad as they seem, at least, not to me. Sometimes they’re even really kind.”

“That sounds like Stockholm syndrome. A good cousin would get you out, no matter how much you protest.” Briant sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “But we both know I’m a coward. I’d never have the stomach to go up against the Demons. I’ve never been brave, not like you and Branwen. You can look down on me for it all you want—”

“I don’t,” Nix said. “I’ve actually always looked up to you. You’ve always known exactly what you want. Now I know what I want. It’s this. Them.”

“Your parents are going to hate this.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged. “Tough.”

Sometimes people had to accept things they didn’t like, he knew that better than anyone.

“And that?” Briant motioned to his neck. “That doesn’t hurt?”

“West patched me up right after. I can’t feel a thing.” The second skin coating ensured nothing could get into irritate or infect him, and aside from some mild discomfort if he moved his head too quickly, he hardly even noticed it was there.

It was a major difference from the time Lake had bitten him, that was for sure, something that hadn’t gone unnoticed by the Imperial either.

Lake had been acting distant ever since. If he were more insecure, Nix might have believed that was due to the fact he’d been forced to share his mate with West. But he knew better. After all this time together, he had a pretty good grasp on the Demons and their inner workings.

Lake wasn’t avoiding him because of anger. He was doing it because he felt guilty. What Nix had shown him wasn’t how good intercourse could be. It was how good a mating could go. How different things were when consent was on the table and one actually took the time to care for their partner.

At least he’d gotten the message. That meant what Nix had gone through hadn’t been in vain.

He could proceed with the next part of his elaborate—over the top—plan to get the four of them on track. A united front, that’s what they needed. His cousin was definitely right about the Stockholm syndrome, but putting a label on it didn’t change Nix’s circumstances.

Especially now that he had two claiming marks instead of just the one.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the bus station?” Nix had bought the ticket as a way to ensure his cousin actually went, knowing Briant was the type who hated wasting money and wouldn’t toss a paid for ticket. But he’d been a bit taken a back when he’d been told Juri would see him off.

“I know how busy you are,” Briant said. “Not only is it your first year at Foxglove, but you’re also trying to assimilate into a completely different world from the one we’re used to. It was too much for my sister. The last thing I want is to get a call saying you’d made the same choice that she did. Which is why,”he rested a hand on Nix’s shoulder, “you have to promise me something.”

“Okay.”

“If things start to get too tough to handle, you call me, all right? I’ll come get you. I might be a coward, but if push really comes to shove, I’ll come through for you. I don’t want to lose anyone else I care about. Deal?”

“Yeah, I promise.”

The sound of the door to the hospital room opening drew his attention, but Nix found himself caught up in a strong hug from Briant before he could properly greet an entering Juri.

“Put yourself first, cousin,” Briant whispered, as though not wanting Juri to overhear. “None of the Essential can be trusted. They’ll always look after themselves. You do the same. Be selfish. Be conniving. Be whatever it is you need to be. Since you’ve decided to play this game, you have to play it by their rules.”

He pulled away and took a step back. “You’ve always been a good kid, Nix.”

But good kids got eaten by bad demons all the time.

He didn’t have to say that last part out loud, Nix could read it loud and clear in his eyes. Their family had always avoided club members and anything directly linked to them. It’d sort of been an unspoken rule when they’d grown up. Briant and Branwen’s parents hadn’t been pleased when she’d chosen Foxglove Grove, the university known best for being at the heart of it all, but they hadn’t been able to convince her to choose somewhere else.

“I’ll tell my parents when I’m ready,” he told Briant, hoping his older cousin kept his word and Nix’s secret. The paperwork was signed and submitted, which meant he and Lake were officially mated in the eyes of the law. It wasn’t like his parent's disapproval could change that, but it wouldbe a nuisance to deal with in a time where they were already drowning in issues.

He hadn’t confessed that last part to Briant though, had only confessed that he was now an official member of Club Essential.

“What happened to your neck?” Juri must have only just noticed since he’d been trying to give them space, but now that he had, he moved toward them, boldly pinching Nix’s chin between two fingers to tip his head to the side and expose his throat. “What the hell. Did Lake do this?”

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