Wolf Endangered (Willow's Forbidden Pack #2) - Avery Song Page 0,177

relationship. It doesn't mean I won't go with the flow. It just means I take the opportunities that come my way."

"You're okay with Neo and Onyx then?"

"Neo's chill," he assured me as he seemed pleased. "Onyx will probably kick my ass and throw me out the window with his obvious jealousy, but I think he just needs to understand I'm not going to steal you away."

"He didn't act like that with Neo," I voiced.

"Neo doesn't seem like a threat to him because Neo knows what he wants in all areas of himself. He's confident in his art, his abilities, his personality. Many love to judge him because he's blind or what they would mock as disabled, but to Neo, his lack of sight only benefits him, and it's not something he can't override if he's in a dangerous situation," he explained. "I'm not as confident as them. I guess because I look at you and internally question how the fuck this happened. How did I land with such a powerful woman? Maybe I'm slightly afraid because my ex-mate projected that level of confidence, but she was a stranger compared to you, who I've actually known for some time. It still delivers a hint of uncertainty, and maybe that's what bothers him."

He began to walk to the door before he paused and looked over his shoulder to give me a wide grin. "I'll make him accept me eventually. Besides, I can take a pounding or two."

Looking away, he headed to the door. "I'll keep a good lookout. Have fun at dinner tonight and relax."

"Bye, Saint."

"Bye, Blossoming Flower," he replied and opened the door.

His exit left me quietly sitting there as I processed the shared moment of openness. I couldn't even grasp a childhood like that in those realms of manipulation and abuse. It was one thing to be physically hurt or mentally strained with words that degraded every part of you, but there was just something about sexual abuse that tagged all three areas and destroyed you. It made you question so many things, like what could have been done differently or if you were really in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The problem I had with Saint's case was that he endured that again and again until he thought it was the only way he'd obtain freedom.

That struck a chord within me.

The scent of coffee drifted to my nose, and it took me an added moment to see the Starbucks cup of steaming, hot coffee on my desk. The sight was blurry, and it made me huff as I blinked away my tears. A few rolled down my cheek before I could stop them.

I tried to lift my hands to wipe them away, but arms wrapped around me from behind, and I couldn't help but huff in annoyance.

"You're such a snooping stalker," I whispered, more tears falling as I tried to just let the tight feeling in my chest fade away.

"Sorry." There was that vulnerable, deep voice of my Bulky Fucker. The voice of the man who still regretted that one moment that was completely out of his control. It made me realize how similar Onyx and Jayce could be. They both relived and beat themselves up over an incident that their victims forgave them for.

I held no resentment towards Onyx, and these tears weren't because of the pain the past delivered to me. I guess I was mourning how such a moment in time fought hard to destroy us, to destroy what was now a blessed union from Mother Moon herself.

If we'd drifted away and held grudges over the incident that wasn't in our control, we never would have found each other again.

Even if destiny brought us together once more, we'd be enemies.

A whimper escaped me, and I was soon in Onyx's arms as he lifted me right out of my seat and embraced me.

"It's not...you." He had to know this reaction wasn't because of his arrival or the past actions that I'd forgiven him for many times over.

"I know," he whispered. "I understand."

I was sure he felt my emotions that I was fighting to keep between us. He lowered us into my desk chair and held me as I sobbed. It was just one of those cries that I needed to let out of my system, and once it was done and the tightness faded away, I would feel better and calm enough to work on drinking my coffee.

Onyx kissed me after I finished half of the