The Awakening Aidan - By Abby Niles Page 0,53
Liam.” Such a lie, and he felt like a failure for needing to reach out to his friends to keep him from letting his beast control him.
A snort came through the line. “What’s he got to complain about? He’s waited on hand and foot by that old woman and is back at your cabin.”
“I thought he was staying at your place.”
“Yeah, that lasted about an hour, then he forced me to come here and camp out in your room. What’s Liam’s deal with my humble abode anyway?”
“Other than being small?”
“It’s not small. It’s quaint. And perfect for me.”
A small smile came to Aidan’s lips. Maybe calling was the best thing he could’ve done. The pressure in his chest had lessened, and he could finally breathe without feeling like it was through a wet paper sack. “How’s he been though?”
“Talking to that therapist everyday on Skype. But you didn’t really call from the gorgeous tropics with that gorgeous mate of yours to ask about Liam. What’s wrong?”
“Jaylin got hurt.”
“Bad?”
“No. Stung by a jellyfish.”
“The risks of going to the tropics, I guess. But why the call? Sure a sting is a bitch to deal with, but I don’t see why it’s got your panties in a wad. She’s fine, right?”
“It’s the Drall, Brit. I’m all jacked up now.”
“Hmm.” Brit gave a deep sigh. “Yeah, well, I can’t help you there, buddy. All I know is I’m glad I don’t have to worry with this shit. Watching you and Liam has made me thankful for my sentence.” There was a slight pause, then a yelled “Liam! Phone!”
Aidan rolled his eyes. Brit would gladly pass the buck to the one person Aidan really shouldn’t be baring his soul to.
A second later, Liam came on the line. “Yeah?”
“Hey.”
There was another pause before Liam said, “Didn’t think I’d hear your voice until you returned.”
“I just wanted to check in on you.”
“Bullshit. I told you not to do it.”
Aidan scowled. “You know what? Never mind. I shouldn’t have called.”
He should’ve hung up as soon as Brit had called Liam’s name. The man lived to say “I told you so” nowadays, and that was the last thing Aidan needed to hear right now. What he needed was a friend.
He went to disconnect when he heard Liam ask, “What’s got you freaked out?”
Inhaling deeply, he brought the phone back to his ear. “You actually going to listen and keep your judgmental assholiness out of it?”
“Yeah. Yeah. What’s going on?”
“She got hurt, Liam.”
Silence stretched on the other line. “You okay?”
Liam got it. Aidan breathed a sigh of relief. Someone understood what he was going through.
“I’ve never felt so helpless. It scared me. Made me realize how easily I can lose her for good, and how much I want to be Fewsed to her, and her to me.” He realized what he was saying, and exhaled a harsh breath. “Damn, Liam. I shouldn’t be talking to you about this. I’m sorry.”
“I’m better than Brit though, that’s for sure. He’s so detached from the shifter ways that he’s more human than shifter now. Listen, death is something I’ve been thinking a lot about since that meeting with the doc. We both know what will happen to me when Ava dies.”
Aidan was surprised by how easily Liam was sharing his thoughts. Normally, he went into a cruel, snarling monster when conversations like this arose. “That therapist is helping, isn’t he?”
“Trevor is teaching me to talk instead of keeping it all bottled up inside. He’s also teaching me to accept my future and live day to day. It isn’t easy, but I’m working on it. Ava will not be a part of my future. We won’t be in Anavrin together. When she dies, a part of me will also. That is what I have to look forward to.” Liam paused then cleared his throat. “I can’t tell you what to do, but before you let something like the doc getting a boo-boo push you into something you can’t take back, remember that right now you are free of her. Once you mark her, your destiny is sealed.”
“Do you regret bonding to Ava?”
“Every day of my life, Aidan, and you know how much I love her, so that’s really saying something. If I’d known what I had to look forward to, I would have fought like hell, like you are doing. Keep fighting, man. Save yourself.”
“Aidan, who are you talking to?”
He spun around to find Jaylin stepping out onto the deck, tying the sash to