Warrior (Relentless #4)(117)

Then she slapped my cheek hard. “Nikolas, snap out of it! You’re breaking my hand.”

The pain in her voice penetrated the red haze in my mind, and I released her hand. But if I didn’t touch her I’d go insane. I enfolded her tightly in my arms and buried my face in her hair, breathing in her warm scent like it was oxygen to my starved lungs.

Her arms wrapped around my waist, and I sighed as her hands rubbed my back gently.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m here,” she said softly, her touch and voice a cooling balm for the rage burning through me.

It took a while for my Mori to calm, and for the rage to recede enough for me to realize what I’d done. Shame settled like nausea in my gut as I thought about what I’d put her through and how close I’d come to losing control completely.

I looked over her head at the group who stood frozen, watching us. Their shocked faces told me they knew exactly what had just happened and why.

Sara was the only one here who still didn’t know about our bond, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long. I had come home tonight intending to tell her everything, but not like this. This was the worst possible way for her to learn the truth about us.

I released her as Tristan approached us. She took a step back and looked up at me with eyes full of tender concern.

My stomach knotted. Would she still look at me that way an hour from now?

“Nikolas, we need to get Sara and the others home.”

I nodded at Tristan.

Sara’s searching gaze moved from me to Tristan, and I knew she was waiting for one of us to tell her what was going on. But this was not the place for that conversation. I’d take her home so she could get cleaned up, and then I’d explain it all to her.

When neither of us spoke, she let out a soft sigh of frustration and stepped around me to walk to the driveway. I fell in behind her, intending to ride with her in one of the vehicles. Someone else could take my bike home.

She approached the second SUV and climbed into the back seat. I moved toward the other door until Tristan laid a hand on my arm.

“I think you need to let me do this,” he said quietly.

“She should hear it from me.”

Tristan might be her grandsire, but Sara and I shared a bond and a history. It was my place to tell her about us.

“Before tonight, I would have agreed with you. But she’s been through too much with the vampire attack and now this.”

The rage threatened to surface again. “Is she hurt?”

“No. They were young vampires, and Sara and Jordan killed them. The blood you saw on her is the vampires’.”

I unclenched my hands. “I have to be with her.”

“Nikolas, listen to me. You are both overly emotional right now. Sara is confused and upset, and you just went into a full rage. You know you’re not in the right frame of mind to talk to her about something so delicate. And she will be even more upset if we make her wait until tomorrow to hear the truth.”

He sighed heavily. “I know this is hard for you, but given the situation, I’m probably the best person to talk to her.”

I opened my mouth to object, but the words died on my tongue. He was right. I was still worked up, and the last thing I wanted was to upset Sara, though it killed me that she was going to hear the truth from someone else.

Tristan laid a hand on my shoulder, and then he walked to the SUV and got inside. A minute later, Seamus and Niall climbed into the front.

I strode to my bike and moved it aside so the SUV could back out of the driveway. I stayed behind them for most of the drive back to Westhorne, but I went on ahead when we reached the main gate. I wanted to be there when she arrived, to reassure her I was in control and she didn’t need to fear me.

The SUV pulled up in front of the main steps, and Tristan got out. He reached in to assist Sara from the car.

She emerged, looking pale and exhausted, and I had to force myself to stay where I was. She looked at me before Tristan led her up the steps into the main hall. It was enough for me to see the apprehension in her eyes, and I cursed myself again for doing that to her.

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked around, at a loss as to what to do now. It was going to be a long night.

I was still standing outside ten minutes later when Chris arrived.

He gave me a wry smile. “You look like hell.”

“You heard?”

“I saw. I was in the barn when you decided to have your meltdown.”

I grimaced. “How bad was it?”

“Bad, but it could have been a lot worse. You got it under control.”

“Because of her,” I admitted, remembering Sara’s arms around my waist as she’d talked to me. Even after I’d frightened her, she’d come to me, comforted me.

“Well, it won’t do you any good to stand around here. You’re only going to get worked up again. I’d suggest a good sparring session, but in your mood, I might not come out of it with all my parts.”

He pointed to the garage. “Let’s go for a ride.”

I shook my head. “I can’t leave. Sara might –”

“Tristan will take care of Sara, and she’s not going to talk to you tonight.”

I scowled at him.

“You know that’s how she copes with change. She avoids dealing with it until she can handle it. She’ll talk to you when she’s ready.”