appearing confused.
“Aric?”
“I know,” he said, sounding more bewildered. “I don’t even know where that came from.” He glanced down at the tile floor and swore. “I’m trying to make sense of this—all of it. I know I felt anger toward Misha, and fear about anything happening to you. Then everything faded away.”
I squeezed his arm, afraid he was the one fading away. “You felt yourself leave me?”
He nodded, agreeing, but clearly upset. “From what I can make of it, my emotions seemed to trigger the separation from my wolf. It’s like everything I felt magnified and taunted me until I lost control.”
Aric was the most powerful pureblood were in known history, not some mindless beast. “You lost control of your wolf ?”
Aric’s face darkened. “No. I lost control over my human side.”
Neither of us moved for a long time.
“What’s happening?” I finally asked.
“I don’t know. But considering how crazy I get over anything happening to you, maybe it was enough to cause this disconnect.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Aric’s deep timbre was laden with guilt and sadness. “Celia, when our son died, a part of me died with him. You’ll never be the same, I know you won’t, but neither will I.”
My eyes welled and a painful lump claimed my throat. Aric would never know what it felt like for a mother to lose her baby. But I never considered what it was for a father to lose his child.
The connection that was briefly lost between us resurfaced and pulled us together.
We held each other for what seemed like forever. “I’m sorry,” he said at last.
“I am, too.”
He stroked my back. “Will you…will you think about staying out of this thing with Shah? Celia, I can’t handle you getting hurt again.”
I understood his fear, and all the incidences that had reinforced them. That didn’t mean I was ready to walk away from what I knew was right. “I don’t know, Aric.”
He bowed his head. “Will you at least give nursing another try? If you want a thrill, try working in the Emergency Department. Maybe it will be enough to satisfy your need to help, and your desire to make a difference.”
But it wasn’t the same and he knew it.
Aric waited for me to answer. When I didn’t, he passed his hand through his thick hair. “Just please think about it, love. I can’t stomach the thought of losing you.”
I didn’t want to think about it. But marriage and matehood were about compromises so I nodded. “I’ll think about it. But I want you to think about letting me play a role in finding Shah, too. Okay?”
“All right,” he agreed, but I could hear the hesitancy in his voice.
I didn’t want us to part on a sour note, especially since this would be his first day away from me in a long while. So I welcomed his kiss like the peace offering it was.
“I have a lot to do today and may be late,” he said. “Will you come to the Den and have lunch with me?” He seemed sad then. “I don’t want to wait until tonight to see you again.”
I had planned to stop in, but knowing he wanted me there meant a great deal, especially following his outburst. “Why don’t we have lunch at that small bistro?”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll meet you there so you don’t have to drive all the way up to the Den.”
“Okay.” I waited a beat, considering what I needed to ask. “Will you do something for me?” He nodded. “Will you ask Martin about what happened just now? This can’t be good, Aric.”
“No. It can’t be,” he agreed.
My hands splayed along his chest when he seemed lost in his thoughts. “You don’t want to ask him, do you?”
Aric shook his head. “It’s not that. I just don’t want Martin questioning my ability to lead. The moon sickness inflicted upon me was supposed to lead to insanity before killing me. If he thinks I’m unstable, it might cause us problems we don’t need.”
“I know you’re finally in a good place with your
“Aric?”
“I know,” he said, sounding more bewildered. “I don’t even know where that came from.” He glanced down at the tile floor and swore. “I’m trying to make sense of this—all of it. I know I felt anger toward Misha, and fear about anything happening to you. Then everything faded away.”
I squeezed his arm, afraid he was the one fading away. “You felt yourself leave me?”
He nodded, agreeing, but clearly upset. “From what I can make of it, my emotions seemed to trigger the separation from my wolf. It’s like everything I felt magnified and taunted me until I lost control.”
Aric was the most powerful pureblood were in known history, not some mindless beast. “You lost control of your wolf ?”
Aric’s face darkened. “No. I lost control over my human side.”
Neither of us moved for a long time.
“What’s happening?” I finally asked.
“I don’t know. But considering how crazy I get over anything happening to you, maybe it was enough to cause this disconnect.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Aric’s deep timbre was laden with guilt and sadness. “Celia, when our son died, a part of me died with him. You’ll never be the same, I know you won’t, but neither will I.”
My eyes welled and a painful lump claimed my throat. Aric would never know what it felt like for a mother to lose her baby. But I never considered what it was for a father to lose his child.
The connection that was briefly lost between us resurfaced and pulled us together.
We held each other for what seemed like forever. “I’m sorry,” he said at last.
“I am, too.”
He stroked my back. “Will you…will you think about staying out of this thing with Shah? Celia, I can’t handle you getting hurt again.”
I understood his fear, and all the incidences that had reinforced them. That didn’t mean I was ready to walk away from what I knew was right. “I don’t know, Aric.”
He bowed his head. “Will you at least give nursing another try? If you want a thrill, try working in the Emergency Department. Maybe it will be enough to satisfy your need to help, and your desire to make a difference.”
But it wasn’t the same and he knew it.
Aric waited for me to answer. When I didn’t, he passed his hand through his thick hair. “Just please think about it, love. I can’t stomach the thought of losing you.”
I didn’t want to think about it. But marriage and matehood were about compromises so I nodded. “I’ll think about it. But I want you to think about letting me play a role in finding Shah, too. Okay?”
“All right,” he agreed, but I could hear the hesitancy in his voice.
I didn’t want us to part on a sour note, especially since this would be his first day away from me in a long while. So I welcomed his kiss like the peace offering it was.
“I have a lot to do today and may be late,” he said. “Will you come to the Den and have lunch with me?” He seemed sad then. “I don’t want to wait until tonight to see you again.”
I had planned to stop in, but knowing he wanted me there meant a great deal, especially following his outburst. “Why don’t we have lunch at that small bistro?”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll meet you there so you don’t have to drive all the way up to the Den.”
“Okay.” I waited a beat, considering what I needed to ask. “Will you do something for me?” He nodded. “Will you ask Martin about what happened just now? This can’t be good, Aric.”
“No. It can’t be,” he agreed.
My hands splayed along his chest when he seemed lost in his thoughts. “You don’t want to ask him, do you?”
Aric shook his head. “It’s not that. I just don’t want Martin questioning my ability to lead. The moon sickness inflicted upon me was supposed to lead to insanity before killing me. If he thinks I’m unstable, it might cause us problems we don’t need.”
“I know you’re finally in a good place with your
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