Page 81 of Whisper Woods

“And that night I justcouldn’t. I run sometimes, in the Woods, with Wolf, y’know? And I just feel free. I need it. And that night I was there, standing on the edge of the cliffs. He thought I was going to jump.” I huff a sad laugh at the memory of it, the feeling of the universe clicking into place in one glorious moment. “We… talked. Breanna tracked me and barged into the area and almost busted us.”

Seldon snickers behind me and I reach a hand back to whack his stomach playfully.

“Shut up.” But I smile, making my cheeks hurt with the effort. “After that it was like, a year later that I saw him again? And then like, once a year after that. Sometimes the year was short or long. Every time it was an accident, we justfoundeach other, and everything just feltright. But it was always just one night. And then one of us would have to go. It fuckingsucked. Iknewhe was hiding something, but my instincts… they told me to let it go. To justbewith him.”

“I was able to walk away every time. It hurt, but I could do it because I knewit was the way it had to be. The tiny scraps of him were better than nothing, even when it hurt. But now everything has changed and I feel like I’ve just lost a piece of myself and I don’t know how to get it back.”

“Why don’t you just go back to… wherever you were? Where were you?” Caelan’s voice is calm as ever, with just a hint of forced neutrality.

Talking about the love of your life in front of theotherlove of your life isreally, reallyfucking awkward. I’m not the type of guy to write off what Caelan and I had just because of Rafe. It was real as shit. I fuckinglovedhim. But Rafe is different. Just like Tor is for Caelan.

Even Caelan feels a little uncomfortable about it all, clearing his throat and putting his hand on Tor’s shoulder. The fae squeezes Caelan’s hand reassuringly, while they do their bonded mate mind meld thing.

I expel a harsh breath and rap out a quick beat on the table. The room is tense. Everyone’s waiting for me to answer. Gonna say, Imuchprefer when everyone’s looking at me for my hot bod, rather than my talking.

“Because he actually comes from this sick ass magical city called Tathys that walled itself off from the Whisper Woods, and it's like the world was fucking centuries ago, but the magic is crumbling and it’s all to do with Marieth and the Woods being sick and your magic is linked in somehow too, Theo, but I don’t know how really because they kept talking about all these big things and I didn’t get it because I was really fucking tired but they call this the Mundane and I met thequeenexcept they don’t call her the queen, they call her the High Eminence and I met Brydon who is really cool and another dragonkin like Rafe, only he’s green and is, likeobsessedwith the Mundane and is wicked smart, like old Theo type smart and Ipatted a fucking dragon.”

I drag in a much needed breath after the world’s biggest info-dump and stare back at my wide-eyed friends—absolutely horrified about the potential secrets I just divulged.

“I don’t think I was meant to say any of that.” I whisper, turning to Edith, mainly because she is the only one not staring at me like I’ve gone stark raving mad and need to get trotted off to the Shifters Home.

“It’s going to be okay, Seff.” She smiles at me. And Iknowit’s meant to bereassuring, but the perpetually smudged red lipstick always ruins the effect.

“You patted adragon?”

“What the fuck do you mean Theo is involved in this?”

“What is a fucking dragonkin?”

“I want to pet a dragon!”

“I’m going to be pulling a double today aren’t I? Woodsy is going to lose his shit.” Everyone talks at once, but the last one is Mauvy, who throws a towel over her shoulder and crosses her arm resignedly.

“Fuck, no, what do you mean? That’s not—” I reach across the table to try to grab her hand in apology, but she laughs and pats me gently, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses.

“Seff, darling, I’m kidding. I don’t mind. And neither does Woodsy. I can’t speak for him, but I’dmuchrather be here on the home front than doing the adventuring. And, this may shock you all to learn, but I do have a life outside of all your dramas.” Her round face splits with a smile when she chuckles. Mauvy’s small hand tightens around my much bigger one, squeezing it until I look her in the eye. “And most importantly, Seff, you’re family. We look out for each other.”

“Like a pack.”I don’t mean to whisper it, and embarrassment heats my ears before I can rein it in.

“Too fucking right, like a pack. Maybe that’s why you never fit in with the Everfyr. Your pack is right here. I knew I started collecting you all for a reason.” Edith rubs my thigh, and now that I’m obviously no longer losing the plot, she gives a little gropey squeeze. It’s an oddly reassuring gesture—surely if Edith is up to being mildly inappropriate, things are going to be okay.

I feel exhausted, though, completely and totally wiped from all my crying, and from that burning in my chest feeling like someone took a red hot poker and just shoved it in there.

“We’re going, right? To the magic city thing?” Tor looks around to everyone just to make sure we’re all on the same page.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea if they think Theo—” Roan starts but is cut off by a venomous—yet somehow still loving—look from Theo.

“Boss Daddy, I swear to the Gods if you try to go all protective modeI’ll—”

“Gross, don’t call him that.” Tor fake gags dramatically.

“Oh get over it, like I haven’t heard you guys going at it a thousand times already.” Theo scoffs, making Caelan blush violently under his beard. Mauvy chortles at our idiot friends, whacking Edith on the shoulder with a “what are we going to do with them” eye roll.

“Howdareyou leave me as the last single man standing with these disgusting loved up couples?” Seldon murmurs affectionately in my ear, leaning in for yet another hug. I manage to laugh with him, watching the others go at it, even while it twists the knife in a little bit deeper.

“Guys, it doesn’t matter. We can’t go anyway.” I cut them off when Theo calls Tor a name from their childhood and the gloves come off. “You can’t just… go there. Even with the borders gone, I have no idea how to actually get to Tathys. And even if I did, the Woods that far south can’t be crossed. They are too dangerous.” Maybe it was a reaction to the magic of Tathys’s walls, but the southern most sections of the Woods have always been too dangerous for beings to cross.

“Then how’d you get there and back in two days?” Mauvy asks, tucking her long braids behind her shoulders.

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