as if there’s never been any tension to break up the night. “Gray warned us that shifter ways aren’t ours. Maybe this is part of the learning curve.” Then he turns his focus to Gray, who looks honestly shocked that I’m upset.
Seriously?
Paxton takes the lead. “Gray, when you took yourself out of the commune, it told us that you didn’t want to be here anymore. You didn’t leave a note. You didn’t tell us where you were going. You didn’t let us know if you would be coming back. In fae relationships, that translates to you wanting to leave us in a heartless way that disrespects the connection we’ve fostered.”
Even in the middle of a relationship fight, Paxton talks like a politician.
Gray’s eyes widen. “Why would you think that? Obviously I want to be with you. I’ve been busting my butt, trying to find a pack who would take us in.”
Paxton nods once, his face impassive, with no trace of a quarrel. “Yes, but how were we to know that?”
“Because you know me! You know I would never leave the two of you. Do you know how many packs offered to take me in without you two, and I turned them down?”
“I can only guess, because you haven’t communicated any of that. We had to resort to Charlotte’s tracking method to have any clue where you were.”
Gray opens his mouth, but then closes it, his face souring. “I guess I didn’t think of it like that. So much of pack life is intuitive. You seriously thought I left you?”
I can’t hold back another second. “Of course we did, because you left!”
Gray softens, and for the first time, I take in how ragged he looks. His clothes haven’t seen a washing machine in over a week. His hair is greasy and layered with dirt. He’s got dried blood in spots, and the mark of a broken spirit about him.
“I’m new at fae relationships,” Gray admits. “I didn’t know I should have told you where I was going. Shifters don’t own their partners, and that’s an ownership thing.”
Paxton shrugs. “Well, you’re dating two fae, so some things you’re going to have to learn, even though they seem strange to you. If you’re leaving for more than an hour or two, leave a note. Tell us when you’ll be back. It’s not about ownership, it’s about showing respect to the people who love you. Gray, you could have been dead, and if not for Charlotte tracking your movements, we would never know.”
Gray shoves his hands in his pockets. “I guess I didn’t think of it like that.”
Paxton draws Gray into a hug. “I’ll go get Jen. You look like you need a nurse.”
Gray grips Paxton, his eyes squinching shut as if his internal pain is turning physical. “It’s late, and I’m fine. There’s nothing that’s broken. It’s just a few bites and bruises. Sleep would do me a world of good.”
Paxton kisses Gray’s cheek. “Let’s get you washed up, then to bed. You look exhausted, brother.”
And just like that, Paxton’s compassion breaks Gray down. He sags in my prince’s arms, shuddering out a few tearless sobs. “I tried so hard to find a pack for us! I’m so disappointed in my own people, I can hardly stand it! I thought we were better, but we’re not. We’re just as judgmental and selfish as the fae.”
Paxton rubs Gray’s back. “To be fair, the fae deserve to be hated by the shifters. We’ve been utter prigs to you lot.”
Gray manages a soundless chuckle. “Still, my word should count for something. If I vouch for you four, then that should get us into any shifter territory there is.” He rests his head on Paxton’s shoulder. “It’s like they think I’m tainted now. I’ve spent too much time around fae in the prison. Don’t they understand I didn’t have a choice? I was incarcerated! But now it’s like I’m diseased. My own people were only willing to take me in if I didn’t bring my family, and if I agreed to break it off with you two.”
I don’t want to feel compassion for Gray’s plight after all he’s put us through, but it swarms up in me all the same. I turn and trot up the steps, fishing out clean pajamas for him and setting them atop the bathroom sink. The blue and charcoal flannel is soft. I hope it’s a comfort to him, even though I’m not sure where I’ve landed, as far as forgiveness goes.