by Marcy Jacks
If Molly heard his footsteps, there was a chance she would knock on the door to check up on Miles.
Assuming she was awake.
“I have nothing to offer you. I am nothing. You don’t want that.”
But he did.
“So what do you suggest?”
Renford rubbed his jaw. “You should try to break off the mating. I hear that’s possible if you try hard enough. Supposed to be less painful for the one doing it.”
Again with that painful, clenching feeling in his stomach.
Miles didn’t like this. He didn’t want to hear any of this.
“You don’t want me to break this off. I wouldn’t even if I knew how anyway.”
“I know how.”
“Then you do it. I won’t.”
Renford growled a little. Miles didn’t care. He wasn’t afraid of anything anymore except for how much he would hurt if Renford decided he didn’t want him.
“I’ve never broken off a mating either. I only know the theory of it.” Renford put both hands on his hips. “Even if I could do it, I wouldn’t want to put you through that.”
“But you would have me hurt you?”
“It shouldn’t matter to you.”
“But it does.”
Miles got out of bed. He went to the other man, wrapped his arms around Renford’s waist and held on tight.
And he made a decision, right then and there. “I don’t care what you did. I barely get along with Arty anyway. Take me with you.”
Renford snorted.
Miles pressed his face between Renford’s shoulder blades. “I’m serious.”
“You’ll regret it.”
Miles’s heart slammed. He could hardly think. “I’ll regret it more if I let you walk out of here, or if something happens and you get caught because I wasn’t there.”
Miles held on to his mate even tighter. Desperate to get the message through his thick skull.
“I know you wouldn’t want me, being a warlock, but I can help you. I can keep them off our tracks. I can help you fight if they try to capture you. I believe you. I know you didn’t have anything to do with Alistair’s death.”
“What makes you think I care enough to want you around?”
Miles swallowed. “You care. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come into my room and kissed me.”
He was right. He knew he was right when Renford tensed.
That dream hadn’t been much of a dream. Maybe something between sleeping and awake.
Miles couldn’t smell details the way shifters could, but his lips had buzzed when he woke up alone yesterday. His bed had been empty and cold, but he’d felt as though someone had been there, watching over him.
Kissing him.
“Take me with you. I’ll just follow you if you don’t.”
Renford’s head fell back. He stared up at the ceiling.
Then he turned in Miles’s arms, wrapping up Miles against him, and held on tight.
They didn’t move. The quiet of the room, of the world around them, seemed too damned peaceful, and if he was honest with himself, Miles was terrified he would say the wrong thing and Renford would change his mind.
“You should have better. I can’t…I can’t forget about him, baby. He’s never going away.”
Miles smiled, relieved. He touched Renford’s face, feeling the rough scratch of his cheek, taking in the scars, the crow’s feet at his eyes. “You can hold on to your first mate forever if you want. I can share you.”
Renford released a small, injured sound as he leaned in, kissing him hard on the mouth.
And Miles never felt happier in his entire life.
* * * *
He wrote another note to his sister. A handwritten one, this time. Nothing that used spells. He wanted it to be a bit more personal.
Miles hoped she would be in a forgiving mood. She might be mad at him for making her worry, but he was certain she would eventually forgive him.
He let her know he was sorry, that he couldn’t stay, but that he still believed in Renford’s innocence.
For whatever that would be worth to the coven, Miles wanted them to have it, but he and Renford were leaving.
They might come back, they might not, but Miles made sure to pack only what he needed so it wouldn’t slow them down.
The dragons would know what happened. Miles hoped they wouldn’t try following their scent again, but considering what Marek had said, Miles doubted it, and when he took to the sky with his mate again, kissing under the stars as Renford held him, flying away, not knowing when they could come back, Miles had to admit that it was kind of romantic.
THE END
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