Warrior (Relentless #4)(81)

“After everything that’s happened, it’s hard to believe she’s really here.”

“I know what you mean.” I was half afraid I’d wake up and find myself back in my hotel room in New Hastings, still wondering if I’d ever see her again.

“Thank you for bringing my granddaughter home, Nikolas,” Tristan said in a voice thick with emotion.

“You don’t have to thank me. I’d do anything for her.”

“I know you would.” He seemed distracted for a moment. “I wish I didn’t have to leave tomorrow for India. I hate not being here for her.”

I understood his reluctance to leave, but I knew he’d never shirk his duties. “You’ll only be gone a week, and it’s not like Sara will be alone. I’ll be here, and I think Chris is sticking around for a week or so.”

He patted the arm of his chair. “You plan to stay at Westhorne for a while then?”

My brows drew together. “My mate is here.”

“She doesn’t know she is your mate.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Not yet. I’ll tell her when I think she is ready.”

Tristan pursed his lips. “And until then?”

I didn’t know where he was going with these questions, and I didn’t like the direction our conversation was taking. “Until then, I’ll be whatever she needs me to be.”

“Sara is going to need help from all of us to adjust to her new life. I don’t mean just you, me, and Chris. She will have training and studies, and she’ll get to know the people living here.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Are you going to be okay with that, with her being around other males?”

My Mori shifted restlessly.

“I can see the answer in your expression.” Tristan clasped his hands and gave me a searching look. “What happened outside earlier with Callum?”

“What do you mean?”

“I couldn’t be there to greet my granddaughter, but I was able to watch her arrival on the security cameras. You became aggressive with Callum for speaking to Sara.”

I scowled. “I was not aggressive. And I was expecting Claire to be there, not a male I barely know.”

He shook his head. “You became territorial, moving in front of her and forcing him to take a step back. You may not have noticed, but everyone else did. And it upset Sara.”

I started to argue but stopped, remembering Sara’s face and her asking if everything was okay.

“As for you not knowing Callum, there will always be males you don’t know. I understand how it feels to be bonded, trust me, but you can’t growl at every male who gets near Sara. We have four male trainees here, and she’ll be studying with them. Will you get angry when they talk to her or when they have to touch her in training exercises?”

I had no answer for him because he was right. I was feeling possessive. I’d just gotten Sara back after the worst three weeks of my life, and I didn’t want to share her with anyone, least of all another male.

But more than that, I didn’t want to upset her or to make the transition to her life here more stressful than it already was. I’d taken her from what she knew and thrust her into a completely different lifestyle. She hadn’t said it, but I could see in her face and her subdued behavior since we left Maine that she was feeling overwhelmed.

Tristan leaned back with a heavy sigh, and I knew I was not going to like what he said next. I was right.

“I think it would be best for Sara and you if you give her some space for a few weeks, maybe a month. Let her have time to settle in here and adjust, and to get to know people without any…complications.”

My body stiffened. “You want me to leave her for a month? Do you know what you’re asking?”

“I do,” he said apologetically. “And I understand why you’re angry. I remember how hard it was to be away from Josephine before we completed our bond.”

“And yet you ask this of me.”

He rubbed his jaw unhappily. “I don’t want to, and the decision is up to you. But can you honestly tell me you’ll be able to act normally when other males go near her? Will you be able to keep your feelings hidden until she is ready to learn the truth?”

The anger drained out of me. “I don’t know.”

“Believe me, Nikolas, if I thought there was a better way to do this, I’d suggest it. You’re one of my closest friends, and I hate to cause you pain. But Sara is my granddaughter, and her well-being must come first.”

I ignored the weight on my chest and the outrage pouring from my Mori. “You’re right. Her happiness is all that matters.”

“A month is all I ask.”

I took a deep breath. “I want to be kept updated on how she’s doing. And when I return in a month, I will take over her training.”

He didn’t try to hide his surprise. “You’ve never wanted anything to do with training.”

“This is different.”

“I suppose it is.” He smiled. “Well, if anything, it’ll be interesting to watch.”

“Who will oversee her training while I’m gone?” I was hoping he’d say Claire, though I knew she handled more administrative tasks these days, helping Tristan run Westhorne.