Chương 93: 093

"Later, after I was removed from her care permanently, I had a chance to live with a wonderful couple." My throat tightened, but I pushed through.

"They would've accepted me. Made me feel safe. Loved." A beat.

"I told them to choose someone else. A girl who, without me, would've been adopted by a disgusting, vile man. The same man who ended up adopting me instead. Just to make my life hell for getting in his way." Behind me, Dura shifted again. I didn't turn. Vulnerability crawled under my skin, itching, burning, begging me to stop. To shove it all back down and retreat to safer ground. I ignored it. I'd started this. I was finishing it.

"I understand better than most what doing the right thing can cost. And even knowing what I do now, knowing exactly what he put me through, I wouldn't change a thing." I met Dominicus's gaze, unflinching.

"The kids my aman took? They're home because of me. That girl is safe. Loved. Exactly how she should be." My fingers curled slightly at my sides.

"I don't give a damn what the cost is. If it's my pain or someone else's safety…I'm choosing them. Every time. No hesitation." My voice dropped, quiet but immovable.

"I couldn't live with myself otherwise." Silence followed, heavy and suffocating, until Dominicus finally looked away.

"I… misjudged you." The words came slower than usual.

"I'm sorry for that, but I can't go back to how I was. I won't survive if I do." I shook my head slightly.

"But is it really living if you hate yourself afterward?"

"Maybe not," he muttered, exhaustion bleeding through, "but I'm not saving anyone if I'm dead either."

"Fair." I dragged a hand through my hair with a sigh.

"Just… keep this in mind next time she gives you a fucked up order. Tell one of us what you can. Maybe we can help you find another way." He hesitated, then gave a short nod.

"I doubt it'll change much… but I'll remember." A flicker of tension crossed his face before he continued, more composed now.

"As for your issue with blood, I would appreciate you overcoming it quickly. I can't plan around uncertainty. If someone is bleeding, I need to know you won't hesitate."

"I'm already working on it," I said easily.

"Just… be patient with me." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"I'll try." His gaze flicked past me toward Dura, and something like a half-smile tugged at his lips.

"Though I suspect your soon-to-be lover will ensure I am reminded." Dura grunted.

"Damn right." I opened my mouth to respond, but Dominicus stilled, every muscle in his body going taut. Slowly, the antenna on his head began to shrink. Not much, barely an inch, but enough. Relief flooded his expression as he exhaled.

"Good. They're already receding." A faint grimace followed.

"Though I would prefer them gone entirely." I waved a hand.

"Give it time. They'll disappear." Especially if he kept moving in the right direction. He grunted, taking that as enough, and I turned back toward Dura, bracing myself for whatever reaction she'd been holding in. I shouldn't have been surprised. Protective anger rolled off her in waves, barely contained. It crackled in the air between us, hot, volatile, and ready to snap. But she didn't ask. Didn't push. Instead, she lifted the blanket and settled back into the bedroll, arms opening in silent invitation.

Relief hit harder than I expected. I sank into her without hesitation, a quiet breath slipping from my lungs. Her arm wrapped around me instantly, her leg following a moment later until we were tangled together, no space left between us. Her chin pressed into the top of my head, like if she just held on hard enough, she could shield me from everything that had come before. I patted her back lightly, soothing.

"I'm fine. That all happened a long time ago." She didn't loosen her hold.

"Doesn't make me want to hunt them down any less." A faint huff left me.

"Fair enough. Just… focus on the present, yeah? I'm here. I'm safe." A small pause.

"And honestly? Life's looking up in a way it never has before." She hesitated. Then softer, almost unsure, she added.

"…Am I part of that?" I nodded against her.

"Yeah. You, Karma… even Thomas." My voice quieted.

"Things won't ever be easy for me. But as long as I've got you all in my corner… I can handle the rest." Her grip finally loosened, just enough for her to press a kiss between my ears.

"You won't be fighting alone. Not anymore." The warmth lingered, then settled deeper, sinking into my chest like molten lava between cracks in stone. Something inside me shifted, something old and fractured clicking back into place. I swallowed against the sudden tightness in my throat.

"I know." Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself.

"Now get some sleep. Tomorrow's bound to throw more shit at us, and I'd like to be rested for it." And I needed time to process, because that feeling, whatever it was, still pulsed under my ribs. Warm, heavy and impossible to ignore. Almost like the warmth had sunk to my bones, coating them in an iron shield. Not painful… but intense. And something else tugged at me too. A chain hooked somewhere deep in my chest, underneath that shield, pulling steady and insistent toward her.

Even pressed this close, it wasn't enough. I pushed the thought aside. There was only one way to get closer than this and now wasn't the time. The weird ache and its tugging would just have to wait.