Guy
“You want to…what now? I'll need you to repeat that because, what?”
I needed her to repeat herself because it sounded like she wanted to go dig up the grave of her child. No, she didn’t say those exact words but hell…this was fucked up.
Please, goddess, let me be wrong.
Sapphyra’s wings flexed in short, jerky bursts. She'd stopped moving and turned back to me, mouth set like she's about to chew me out.
But then she didn't. Her eyes darted around the area outside the bar.
“Dammit.”
Right. We're still being watched by Theia. Anything we do just gets sent to Rupert in real time.
But then I had an idea.
My arms opened, not that she didn't need a hug but now probably wasn't the best time for one. She put herself in my chest anyway, sighing once my arms circled her waist.
“I have a plan.” My lips pressed into her thick coarse hair. Maybe if Theia can't see our lips moving she won't figure out what I'm doing.
“I'm all ears.”
“If you go there, Rupert will know. He's watching you specifically.”
She bristled at my words but nodded.
“So what if you sent me there instead? Alone? Think that could work?”
I tried to ignore her gasp. When she raised her head I tucked it back down with my chin.
“Careful. We're trying to hide the plan, remember?”
“Plan? What kind of plan is this?”
“I'll take suggestions if you've got them.”
Her silence spoke volumes. She wasn't comfortable with this. Who would be? But if she had reservations about this, then it seemed like the only option.
“I can't ask you to do that for me, Guy.”
“You aren't. I'm offering. Besides, if what you're saying is true, then I doubt you would be in the right frame of mind to end this after seeing his grave. Agree?”
She huffed out some air as if I'd offended her. If that's what it takes to keep her mental health in check, then so be it.
My soul didn't matter if it could keep hers from shattering.
“Fine…just be careful, okay?” She pressed her trembling hands into my chest and let out a shaky breath.
“I promise I will be. You don't have to worry about ‘ol Guy,” she couldn't see my smirk but she could damn sure hear it, “I can take a lickin’ and keep on kicking…but you'd know all about that—”
“Guy!” I laughed at her embarrassment.
My lips still tingled with the memory of her taste. Sweet and spicy, just how I like my mate. Whoops. Gotta be careful or I'll end up popping wood at the worst time.
Again.
“He's buried beneath Beacon. There's a hydroponics farm with an artificial sun…or at least there was before the power went out.” She shakes her head, frustrated.
“I don't know what you'll find down there–”
“I'll handle it, whatever it is. Don't worry about me.”
“Impossible…” she hesitated.
“What's wrong?”
“I wanna kiss you right now, but if you're going off on your own, we should probably make it believable.” That means no PDA.
I nodded. “That's true. Wouldn't make sense for me to dip out on you after that Goddess awful trial.”
I wrinkled my nose at the mere mention of it. While it was good to get the truth out about Wyatt, if it even was the truth—it did more harm than good, it seemed.
Because—and I'm not the sharpest fang in the mouth, but I'm still wondering why the hell he would go so far for a woman he claimed not to care about?
“Do you trust me?”
I’m starting to hate it when she asks me that.
“Absolutely.”
“Okay then. Whatever comes out of my mouth next, just know it's not how I really feel. Okay?”
Oh, I'm liking this less and less.
Sapphyra placed her hands on my chest and pushed me back hard enough to smack into a nearby brick wall. It came tumbling down as she stood over me, a look of contempt on her face.
“You’ll never be him.” Her breath hitched; I could tell she was struggling. “You’ll never be Wyatt. I’ll always love him, no matter what you say or do.”
I think I just heard my heart shatter like glass. It’s gotta be fake, but damn, fake hurts like hell.
Standing up, I dusted off my shoulders and pursed my lips, squinting.
“If you’d rather be with a manipulative piece of shit like him, go right ahead. Let's see how often he puts you back together.” Play it up, Guy, go for the gold.
Her eyes widened, but she bounced back.
“Wyatt is an ass, but he loves me. He knows me from my head to my soul. What are you compared to him?”
Was that sneer real? Nah, couldn’t be. At least it better not be.
There was more attitude in what I said next than I intended. I got right in her face, chest to her abdomen.
“I’m the fool who keeps coming back to fix someone who doesn’t think they’re broken.”
One step, she's walking backwards with me. Her lips parted, and she blew out a shaky breath.
“Nobody asked you to do that. You’re no better than a goddamned parasite, trying to leech off of my love for someone else,” Sapphyra clenched her jaw, standing her ground.
“You can do better than that.” I whispered to her, keeping up my angry facade. “You really gotta hurt me, angel.”
She flexed her wings out wide, giving us some cover. “You do it. This hurts too much.” The pain in her eyes was going to give it away if we didn’t think of something fast.
“I lied.” I waited for her reaction, dramatic as hell, before I continued. “I lied about us being soulmates.”
“Wait…what?” Oh shit, she had actual tears in her eyes now.
“You’re not my soulmate, neither is your bottom-bitch husband. Yeah, that’s right. I lied just so I could see what all the damn fuss was about. Gotta be honest, Sapph, I’ve gotten more pleasure out of my right hand than you.I mean, really, what makes you so special?”
I threw up my hands.
“Spoiler alert: nothing. You ain’t shit. You’re a weak-willed little girl playing a grown person's game. Hyperion beat the shit out of you, but you could have fought back. The fact that you needed me to help you with Tethys and Oceanus, two of the weakest members of the council, and for what? I thought you were the girl who punched the moon? Is she in the room with us, or did she die when they touched you back in Drakkir?”
Fuck me. Why did I bring that back up?!
Her silence and blank stare at a point behind me scared the hell out of me. I need to wrap this up quickly.
“You’re all bark and no bite. Everybody else around you hypes you up as some god-tier dragon, but I haven’t met her yet. If she were here, Rupert would be done with already.”
I leaned forward, close to her ear but with my lips in clear view for Theia to see.
“If you were really all that, then your son would—”
All I heard was a smack so loud that it rattled my teeth. The next thing I knew, I got knocked through building after building, toppling them like they’re nothing. My body doesn’t stop until I splash across the water like a stone, landing in front of Beacon.
She probably broke every bone in my body.
“Mm, what a woman. She sure can pack a punch…er, slap, I mean.” My cheek still had her hand's imprint on it.
I groaned and watched my bones reset themselves. At least I’m far enough from Theia that she can’t see me.
Mission accomplished, at least?
By the time I had finished fully healing, I’d almost dozed off underneath the orange sky. The only thing that woke me up was the sound of a deep growl. Inhuman, yet familiar. I rolled onto my belly and sprang up onto my feet quickly.
A pair of amber eyes and black fur met me.
“Wait…you?!”
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