Page 90 of Sweetheart: Part One

The silence itself was an assault on my senses, every instinct a crescendo of rage within the nothingness, demanding I fix it. Demanding I take back every lie I’d told her, to hold her close and purr for her until she believed me.

And I couldn’t.

It was wrong, but I just had to make it one night. She’d never come back, I was sure of it.

I don’t know when I fell into restless dreams, but, as promised, when I woke she was still there. It was early—far earlier than I would usually wake—but I wouldn’t be getting back to sleep. Afraid that she would follow through with her threat, I’d turned the temperature of the room up enough that she wouldn’t get too cold. Still, when I examined her from where I still lay, she was shivering.

I sat up, placing my feet on the cool marble floor, knowing the room hadn’t been warm enough to offset that.

Fuck.

Fighting the urge to sink down beside her and make sure she was alright, I cleared my throat. “Come here.”

I didn’t want to look at her, couldn’t bear the idea of meeting her eyes with the guilt heavy in my chest. But she was shaking, and I wouldn’t have a Sweetheart getting sick in my house. I wouldn’t have her getting sick forme.

Vex got to her feet, each movement stiff and mechanical. Her frame was small, and she looked more fragile than ever as she stepped up before me, only having to lower her gaze a little to meet mine, even when I was sitting.

She didn’t look angry or hurt. Instead, her beautiful eyes were blank, as if she’d long buried her feelings. How could she still be breathtaking, like this?

Waves of silver-brown tumbled to her waist, framing freckled cheeks, much too pale. It was a war not to reach out and draw her into my arms, to cuddle her beneath my blankets until the tremor in her fingers was gone entirely.

“You won’t do this again,” I said.

She didn’t argue, but neither did she nod.

Tell me you won’t do this again. I wanted to beg it of her, but it wouldn’t do either of us any good. She had to believe I was asking her to leave because I didn’t care, not because I did.

“You won’t offer anything to my pack until you’ve warmed up and got some rest. I have no intention of hosting a sick Sweetheart.”

I hoped she’d listen to that. She’d claimed her right as a Sweetheart to push me like this, but she’d also acknowledged my authority of my pack, even if she wasn’t a part of it.

Her nod was just the slightest shift of her chin, but the tension in my chest eased a bit. If she listened to that, maybe she’d accept a hot tea before she slept?

I shoved the thought away. Too much.

“You can go.”

Again, she nodded, then she took a step back. Her lips pressed together for a moment, as if she were going to say something, but then she turned, walking toward my door and leaving me alone at last.

TWENTY-FIVE

VEX

Ebony never arrived for the date.

I’d arrived in the foyer half an hour earlier than expected in a simple black dress, unsure of what to expect.

I was relieved he didn’t turn up—mostly, anyway. He would probably have made the date hell, but something had changed for me after the maze. It was the knowledge that no matter how awful Ebony Starless was, he was deadly when it came to my heart. I found him completely fascinating, and the kiss we shared was burned into my mind, surfacing in dreams when it had no right to. I wondered if it was the same for him…

Still, I realised that he wouldn’t be showing up once I peeked into the garage to see his Lamborghini missing. As long as I could claim I’d done everything I could, I was happy to duck back into my room and text Drake for company.

* * *

The rest of the week was just as bad as the start.

I’d finally received the information about their pack from a rather astounded Rob. I sifted through it in the office, taking in everything I could. Balancing them was now my job, and I couldn’t fail at it. I remembered what that stupid Sweetheart textbook Alastor had eventually forced me to read had said.

Sweethearts must have empathy, a good attention to detail, problem solving skills, and a willingness to learn and adapt. Clients are unique individuals with a range of needs and there are no set rules that will apply to all. Sweethearts must be open to the possibility of physical intimacy which, among other solutions, is a common need for unstable alphas.

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