Brynna (Stone Society) - Faith Gibson Page 0,46
since there were two large males sitting in the back with them. Brynna laid her head on his shoulder, tears wetting his neck. Travis didn’t know what to say since he didn’t know why she wouldn’t stop crying. All he could do was hold her and tell her how much he loved her and how glad he was she was safe. After a while, the tears subsided, but Brynna wouldn’t stop shaking.
When they arrived home, Brynna climbed off Travis’s lap and rushed into the manor. She ignored Marcie’s outstretched arms and went straight to their bedroom. Travis met the others’ worried faces. “I’ve got her.” He followed Bryn to where she had stripped out of the strange clothes and was already in the shower. Steam was billowing out of the enclosure, and Travis knew he was right. Brynna was reeling from what she’d had to do to escape. He removed his own clothes and stepped in behind his love, wrapping her in his arms from behind.
“I can’t,” she muttered, letting the scalding water beat down on her body. Travis adjusted the tap so it was a more tolerable temperature.
“I’m here for you, and I love you. I do know from experience it helps to talk about it. Keeping it in isn’t healthy. The longer you hold onto the trauma, the more it festers. No matter what happened, what you had to do to escape, I’ll still love you, and so will your family.”
“What if I didn’t have to do it? What if I made the wrong choice?”
“You’re here with me. Safe at home. I’d say you made the right choice. Even if you killed your captors, to me, that was the right choice.”
Brynna turned in his arms and curled up against his chest. “Will Banyan see it that way? Will Uri? You’re my mate, so you’re always going to take my side.”
“If I recall, Banyan killed Uri’s husband, did he not?” Brynna nodded. “And that wasn’t in self-defense. Do you hate your brother for that? Or think differently about him?”
“No. He was enraged because his mate chose someone else.”
“Right. And that wasn’t life or death. That wasn’t self-preservation. That was nothing but a rage killing. So why do you think any of us will look at you differently for getting away from those who kidnapped you and set Urijah up to be arrested.”
“I… I’ve never taken a life before, and now, I’ve taken two.”
“Do you think they wouldn’t have killed you?”
“I don’t know. But I had the upper hand because I’m a Goyle.”
“Were they unarmed?”
“No.” Brynna rested her cheek on Travis’s chest, and Travis ran his fingers up and down her spine.
“Then you really didn’t have an advantage. Bryn, I know you’re strong, but you aren’t immune to weapons the way the males are. To be honest, I’m glad you killed them. That’s two less people who can come after you again, and maybe whoever they were working with or for will think twice about targeting you again.”
Travis reached down for the shampoo and poured some out in his hand. He then washed Brynna’s hair, taking extra time massaging her scalp. After the foam was rinsed out, he slathered her locks with conditioner, then gently bathed her, looking her over as he did for signs of wounds. The spot where she’d been stabbed was already scabbed over. “That’s amazing,” he muttered.
Brynna looked down, ghosting her fingers across the puckered flesh. “I’m lucky I’m from an Original bloodline. I don’t think I’d have healed as quickly if I weren’t.”
“Original?”
“Yes. Our family goes back to the first Gargoyles put on earth. There are papers somewhere in Banyan’s office showing our lineage. It’s why B’s blood helped Lilly save Desmond Rothschild.”
“I heard that story, but I didn’t realize it was Banyan’s blood she used.”
“An Original’s blood is potent. I’m pretty sure being my mate has healed all that ails you. Not that I’ve given you my blood, but because we’re now connected through the mating bite.”
“Just another positive from being with you.” Travis rinsed the conditioner from Brynna’s hair, then turned the water off. “Let’s get you dried off.” Travis grabbed a fluffy towel and wrapped it around her hair before using another to dry her body. He then tucked that one around her before directing her to sit on the closed toilet lid. Travis gently combed out the tangles in her hair, then turned the dryer on. He waved it back and forth until most of the moisture was gone. “Down or