Chapter 4
I sat on the table—again and held my arm still while Ciyrs took another tube of blood. He was as confused as I was about these strange things going on inside of me. I felt strange and my body felt sick. I was weak and tired. I wanted to sleep but he told Pyra to keep me awake. Only Pyra was mad at me. I could feel it. Even as he sat in the chair as far away as I’d allow and talked to me, there was distrust in his voice and my heart clenched.
I didn’t like it and when I tried to hold his hand he pulled away. I didn’t think I had done anything wrong, but I was having memory problems. Maybe I had. He would barely look at me. I tried to catch his eye and when I finally did, I pleaded with him. If I could feel his anger, than he should be able to feel my sorrow.
He sighed and shook his head standing. “Are you okay with her Ciyrs?”
Her new bondee smiled and nodded. “Sure thing man, you go do what you need. She’ll be safe here.”
Her mate spun on his heel and stormed out. He’d finally gotten shorts, but his chest was bare and she watched him go and her heart ached for him.
“He can’t handle the bond sweetie. It will take time.”
“How do you know?”
“The same way you can feel his anger, I can feel your confusion and the hurt by his disregard. I know him though, he’s got a lot of things in his head, and he doesn’t handle strong emotion well.”
“I don’t like that he’s mad at me.”
“Oh baby girl, he isn’t mad at you. He’s mad at himself, and maybe even me, but not you. He doesn’t like sharing you and because of our new special bond you’re attachment here isn’t only to him. We all crave the day we’ll find our mate, and he was no different, no matter how he acted. And imagine he finds you, you complete the bond, and then technically you die. How would you feel?”
“Protective, I wouldn’t want to leave his side.”
Ciyrs shook his head. “Males are different. He wants you to need him, but right now he feels you need me more.”
“Oh,” I said and frowned.
“Be patient with him,” Ciyrs said and brushed the tear away from my cheek.
I nodded. Males were unique in their own right, but add in a whole different species and it was a whole different ball park. I didn’t expect for it to matter so much that he was upset with me. I had never really cared one way or another if a man was angry with me, but now—it was different.
He blew through the woods running at speed no one would be able to see, not the warriors or even his father. He was fast especially when he was pissed. This was different. He wasn’t even really angry. He was jealous of another person. Never before had that happened, especially not over a woman, but Eden was his. They hadn’t even mated for long enough for the bond to nestle in his soul.
Everything was unstable. He could feel how upset she was, and at that moment he had to walk away. Now that he had blown off some steam he felt like an asshole. She’d just had a seizure and recently been brought back to life. He could have been a lot more supportive, but he didn’t know how to be. She went from hating him to acceptance of their connection in what felt like a split second.
He plopped on the ground and looked over at the horizon. The rising sun usually soothed him, but the ache was too deep. He craved Eden, wanted to be right there with her, but he couldn’t trust himself now. Not to react in the right way. He worried his temper would eventually take its toll and she would end up hating him.
He heard a rustle from behind him but he didn’t bother moving. He sensed Ciyrs before he saw him. “Why aren’t you with Eden?”
He sighed and sat next to him stretching out. “Your dad is with her. She’s doing better if you care.”
Pyra growled not liking his tone. “I fucking care.”
Ciyrs shrugged. “She doesn’t understand what's going on, hell neither do I. I didn’t know how deep it would go, brother. I wouldn’t ever do anything, but I won’t lie. A part of my heart aches for her, but it isn’t in the way you think.” He groaned. “I’m explaining this all wrong. It’s almost like she is the female version of me. The softer side. It’s weird as hell, but I’ll always want to protect her, wipe away her tears, and beat the shit out her mate when he hurts her, and right now if you don’t get back to her and apologize for being an ass, I’ll do it.”
Pyra laughed. “Right, you don’t even have a fucking temper, not like the rest of us.”
“I have a temper, but I also have control,” he seethed.
“Try me, I could use a punching bag right now, and you’re the perfect target since you’re the issue.” He stood and narrowed his eyes. He needed to kick his ass, then it would all be good.
Ciyrs stood. “You have no idea do you?” He shook his head and then swung.
Pyra didn’t have time to duck and with the force of the hit, he was thrown into the tree. The bark scraped down his back and he gasped as the pain hit before he fell to the ground. “Holy shit that fucking hurt!”
Ciyrs stood looking unaffected. “Good.” There was nothing in his eyes, not even anger, but he felt the protectiveness radiating off of him. “She’s like the baby sister I lost you dumb shit. Get over it.” Then he ran and was gone.
Pyra stared at the spot his friend had stood and couldn’t hide his shock. No one ever saw the violent side of their healer. And then he felt even worse. If he would punch the living shit out of him for being an ass to Eden then he certainly had some apologizing to do. He rubbed his cheek and cringed. It hurt like a bitch, and he would never underestimate his less tempered brother.