Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,64

I wait for Eldrin to say whatever has him so wound up. Something in his face changes when he sees he hasn’t scared me off with his rage. “I don’t trust him,” he grinds out, and I nod my head.

“I know,” I agree, reaching out and taking one of his hands in mine, squeezing it tightly. “But I do.” His eyes flick over my face, and he realises I’m still going.

“Don’t go.”

My heart breaks a little at the vulnerability in his voice, and I know this isn’t about the fact that Grayson’s a mage and Eldrin’s an elf. He’s asking me to choose him, but I can’t choose, and I thought he already knew that.

“Eldrin, this doesn’t affect how I feel about anyone else, but he’s my mate. I have to go.” I beg him with my eyes to understand, to hear the double meaning in my words. That I choose him just as much as I choose Grayson. His gaze hardens, and for a second, my heart feels like it stops as I think he’s going to reject me, but a determined expression settles on his face and he nods, crossing his arms and retreating to the treeline.

The others have been watching in silence with varying expressions of confusion. Naril regards his brother with a raised eyebrow before turning to look at me with an accusing spark in his eyes. He knows. He’s worked out that whatever relationship Eldrin and I share has moved on to something far deeper than friendship.

Tor is standing by my side with a frown, but he doesn’t seem as concerned as the others. Placing my hand on his arm, I look at him with a question in my eyes, pleading with him to trust me.

“I’ll go with her,” Tor announces. I begin to protest, I don’t need anyone to come with me, but he stops me with a finger on my lips. “Only as far as I need to so I can see it’s him and that you’re safe, then I’ll leave,” he placates, then turns to the others. “I’ll keep her safe.”

I realise that although I don’t need a bodyguard, it will make everyone else feel better if Tor comes with me, so I bite my tongue and nod my head. With a few murmured goodbyes and a quick kiss from Vaeril, we depart without much of a fuss.

As we leave the campsite behind us, a sense of guilt settles over me, like I’m drawing a line and leaving the elves behind, but I push it aside. Grayson is my mate, I’m not doing anything wrong. Tor walks silently beside me, and I watch him from the corner of my eye. He’s standing close as usual, his arm swinging as he moves so it brushes against mine occasionally, but his gaze is trained ahead, his eyes scanning the forest for threats. For a race that’s known for its brutality and ferocity in battle, of all my mates, Tor has always been the peacekeeper, and I think that’s one of the things I love most about him.

“Thank you.” I don’t explain why I’m thanking him, I don’t need to, he can feel it through our connection.

Pulling his gaze from the trees, he meets mine with an unusually serious expression. “I will always help you where I can, Clarissa. Always, never doubt that.” If I hadn’t already loved him, that would have changed my mind. His eyes stay locked with mine for a second longer, then he looks ahead, scouring the forest for any potential threats once again. He leaves me speechless, but thankfully, he isn’t waiting for me to respond. “He’s your mate,” he states, and it takes my brain a few seconds to realise he’s talking about Grayson. “He obviously needs to see you alone for some reason, and the elves weren’t going to let you go by yourself.” I hum my agreement but don’t say anything, not wanting to open conversation about ‘the elves,’ or more specifically, one elf in particular. I know we will have to have this conversation at some point, but now is not the time.

We fall into a companionable silence as we walk deeper into the forest. It’s almost completely dark now, so we’ve had to slow down, but just ahead, the orange glow of a small fire comes into view. Reaching for Grayson’s bond in my chest, I gently stroke it, gasping at the jolt of feeling that’s sent back to me in return. Tor curses next