and didn’t believe it. Thought I had finally gone crazy. I’ve been following her ever since, but I’m always behind, and she leaves me cocky, taunting notes,” he snarls, rubbing at his head before snapping a tree that’s in the way. “I managed to get here just in time this once.”
“Are you okay?” I inquire. It ruined him when Lilith died. Part of him died with her, and when he disappeared into the night, none of us blamed him.
He doesn’t reply, but I see his eyes close for a moment. I loved Lilith like a sister, and it wrecked me to see her. Not only that, but it was painful to see her corrupted and her body being used like that, so this must be killing him. His shoulders hunch slightly, and he speeds up as if he’s trying to escape his own demons and thoughts, so I quiet down, leaving him to it.
Haven’t I suffered with walking away from my mate to protect her? I know that pain, but at least I knew she was alive. He thought she was dead, and to find her alive after all these years, and to have that hope dashed because, surely, he knows we have to stop her…kill her… The thought seems abhorrent. I couldn’t hurt her, she’s my sister, but in those evil eyes, there wasn’t even a hint of her anymore. She was nothing more than a vessel. She’s trapped in there…so surely it would be a mercy?
But could you kill the woman you love, even to save her?
I don’t know if I could. I thought I could once, but holding Remi in my arms, I know I couldn’t. I’m not strong enough, is Atlas?
He leads us to a car at the side of the road, and without a word, he opens the back door for me. I slide in with Remi still in my arms and snuggle her close. I sit against the door when he shuts it and gets in the front seat, revving the engine as he pulls onto the road and drives away from the city. I want to ask where we’re going, but I settle back with Remi, looking down at her as I stroke her hair away from her face. I already miss those mismatched eyes and smirking lips.
“Not long now, amore. Stay with me, okay? I’m right here, feel my heart, stay with me and you can shift. Then you’ll be back to kicking my ass in no time,” I tease as I lean down and softly kiss her forehead, which is a little clammy but nothing too extreme.
I feel eyes on me, and when I glance up, I meet Atlas’ gaze in the rear-view mirror. It’s filled with a longing so deep, it cracks my heart. All he ever wanted was Lilith, and he lost her not once, but now twice. How would I handle that?
He’s a stronger man than me.
He looks back at the road then, and we drive long into the night, pulling down dirt side tracks about two hours later. It’s dark, so there’s not much to see as we pull up outside a pitch-black cottage. It’s cute, homey, and I hear the crashing waves of the ocean not too far away, over the dunes of sand just behind the house. Atlas turns off the engine, and in the quiet of the car, he sighs.
“This is home for now,” he murmurs. “You’ll be safe here.”
“What is this place?” I ask, and he looks back at me.
“It was the house I built Lilith,” he admits, and then he gets out. I say nothing as he opens my door for me. I gently lift Remi out and follow him up the cobbled footway to the bright green front door—her favourite colour—which he opens and lets me in, flipping on lights. He notices my look and winces. “I kept it updated over the years… Came here sometimes when I needed to feel close to her.”
I nod, and he gestures towards the winding wooden stairs in the corner of the dark room. “There are bedrooms up there. Pick any but the one with the double doors. I’ll get some food ready for when she wakes up.”
“Thank you, brother,” I murmur, and he nods, looking at Remi.
“Hold her close and never let her go,” he advises and then turns away, heading through a doorway to the left.
Shifting Remi closer, I head through the quaint, cosy living room with a chimney and fireplace to the