Page 25 of Forbidden Bonds
You claimed him, too, didn’t you?
He still walked out of the room.
Depression has been a constant companion since I was taken, a familiar and unwelcome guest that slips into every corner of my life. Banishing it is impossible, but sometimes I can ignore it. What I’m feeling is nothing new.
Done, I switch the water off, step outside, and find a fresh towel. I dry efficiently, then wonder what to wear.
There’s a hamper at the side of the shower. Hanging out of it is his T-shirt from yesterday. As I pick it up, his scent moves through the air. I bring it to my nose and sniff, then pull it over my head. Soft against my skin. Comforting. It falls almost to my knees.
I finger comb my hair as best I can. There is a new toothbrush in a packet, so I make use of it.
Finally, I look at myself in the mirror. A little flush to my cheeks, my eyes brighter than usual, although my cheeks are hollow. My fingers slide down my throat, settling on the bruise. I depress the skin, welcoming the achy feeling.
His mark, one of many… I put my share of marks on him, too.
Back in the bedroom, my gaze drifts to the nesting material. Even among the Uncorrupted, a nest offered me some comfort. A place I would go to forget and hide.
The urge to make one now is strong. The bedroom is spacious and imposing, with the bed occupying the center of the room. No part of this room entices me to nest. It’s far too open. I return to the lounge and similarly reject the area.
There are two more doors on the other side. One is locked. The second one is a guest bedroom. I’m about to walk back out again when I notice the dressing room.
No windows. Small. Contained. And Empty. Yes. This is exactly what I need.
It takes several trips to carry everything, but I build my nest in the corner of the dressing room: pillows, blankets, cushions, even the quilt from the guest bed. I shape a little wall around me, adjust and readjust until it starts to take shape.
I try not to think about the time passing, about where he is, about whether some beautiful beta with perfect lips is hanging on his arm.
Wouldn’t I know if he betrayed me?
Not that it would be a betrayal, considering we barely know one another, and he owes me nothing.
Tears come. I ignore them. There is no place for pity here. Instead, I focus on the mechanics of making the final adjustments to my nest.
I rock back on my heels to admire it. It’s done. I crawl inside, pulling a blanket over like a tent. It’s hot and stuffy, but it feels safe. I curl around a pillow.
Tired. So tired.
My stomach rumbles, but I ignore it.
My chest aches from his absence.
He’ll come back,I tell myself.He has to.
And when he does, we’ll talk. And maybe things will be better.
I’ve escaped the Uncorrupted. I’m in Chimera, home again. The nightmare is over.
Only, some nightmares are never over because their echoes linger in your mind.
Time passes. It might be minutes or hours. But something rouses me from the nest. I push out, flushed and a little confused, but an invisible pull draws me into the lounge and all the way to the foyer where the elevator is.
My fingers touch the doors.
I can feel a faint vibration.
I jump back just as they spring apart.
Rhett
