Thirty-Nine
Relief
Tirah’s heart pounded with dread that just because she wanted this, Saber would still die. One long, tense minute ticked by, then another, and she was beginning to lose hope, when Saber finally gasped and his eyes flew open.
“Saber.” Never more relieved in her life about anything, Tirah wiped the moisture from her face.
“Tirah?” Saber blinked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s me. What do you mean, what am I doing here?” She threw herself at him. “I was so scared I’d lost you.” Slowly an arm crept around her and Saber held her close.
“But, you—” Saber scanned the room and his eyes widened at her brother and mother, then grew cold when he spotted Cass. He struggled to sit up. “Shit.” His arms tightened around Tirah protectively. “Cass, I know I promised you—”
“Settle down. If I wanted to kill her, I would have,” Cass snarled.
Saber stared at Cass a long moment, then as if satisfied, lay back in the bed. Then his eyes narrowed on Zales. “What did you do?”
At a loud shout out in the hall, they all looked toward the door. A moment later, Skye flew into the room and pulled up sharply at the sight of everyone. Her worried gaze paused on Ashara and Mihel for a brief moment, before landing on Saber. Her features tightened with anger at the arm Saber had around Tirah.
“Skye?” Saber let Tirah go and held his arms out to the girl.
Tirah moved away as Skye threw herself at Saber.
“I heard you were dying. You can’t die on me,” Skye cried and Tirah heard her sniff back tears while Saber rubbed her back.
He held the young female with such tenderness that Tirah began to wonder who she was to Saber. She knew the female was too young to be a lover, but did he have a Young and failed to mention it to her?
Saber looked up and met Tirah’s gaze. The love in his eyes took her aback, then he reached out and caught her arm, drawing her close as he released Skye. “Tirah, I want you to meet Cass’s daughter, my niece.”
“Oh …” Tirah glanced at Cass to see him flush with guilt, then sadness lit his eyes. She remembered Cass and Skye’s heated exchange, along with what the other men had said. It was obvious Skye was a handful. She didn’t envy Cass. Then he confused her when he flicked an angry glance over at Ashara. What is that about?
A sniffle drew Tirah’s gaze back to see Skye pull away from Saber. The teen shot Tirah a disdainful look, then crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Cass, as if daring him to say anything about her disobeying him. Cass glared right back at her, then looked away and didn’t say a word.
“Come here.” Saber pulled Tirah back into his side and wrapped his arm around her. “Skye, I’d like you to meet Tirah.”
Anger flashed in Skye’s eyes. “Whatever!” Then she rushed from the room.
“Skye?” There was shock in Saber’s voice, and Tirah snuggled close to him.
“We already met.” Tirah felt bad for the girl. It was clear she had a crush on Saber, and who could blame her for that?
Then Cass helped Zales to his feet and shot another angry glance at Ashara and Mihel. “Come on, let’s give them some privacy.”
Tirah reached out and touched Zales’s arm. “Thank you. Are you going to be all right?” She owed him a huge debt.
Zales nodded. “Yes, I just need to sleep for a bit.”
“Zales?” Saber growled.
“He just saved your life, be nice,” Tirah said, swatting Saber playfully on the chest.
At the doorway, Zales looked back at her. “Now it’s your turn.”
“Right.” Tirah swallowed.
Saber scowled as Ashara and Mihel followed Zales and Cass out of the room, but he didn’t say anything. Finally, he looked at her. “Your turn for what?”
“I’ll talk to you both later, okay, Mom, Mihel?” Tirah called to her mother and brother.
“Yes, dear,” Ashara said as she left the room.
“What is he doing here?” Saber asked as soon as they were alone.
Tirah frowned. “He? You mean Mihel?”
Saber gave a little growl.
Tirah shook her head. “He’s my brother. Zales had him and my mother brought here, isn’t that okay?”
“Your brother?”
Tirah nodded and stared down at her hands. “I’m sorry I left you. It destroyed me to do it. The whole reason I came back to Tartaria was because Mihel missed our yearly meeting. He left me a message in Vermillion saying Father was dead and to meet him at the cabin. I had to make sure he and Mother were all right.”
Saber didn’t say anything, so she looked up and met his gaze. Although a multitude of emotions crossed his face, his anger was gone. “He’s not your boyfriend?”
Tirah gaped at him. “You thought Mihel was my boyfriend? Oh, yuck.”
Saber smiled. “You should have told me you needed to meet him. I’d have taken you.”
Tirah shook her head. “No. You would have threatened to kill him. I couldn’t take any chances.”
“You’re probably right,” he admitted with a rueful expression on his handsome face.
“You don’t mind that they are here?” she asked.
“Of course not. They’re your family.”
Tirah bit her lip nervously. “Even though Mihel, if he returns to base, will likely become commander?”
“What?” Saber asked.
“Mihel is next in line, now that Casin is dead, and thank you for that by the way.” She paused and tried not to think of what her brother tried to do to her, but it was a losing battle.
“You’re not upset that I killed him?” Saber asked.
“Casin has always been so hateful, so mean. What he tried to do to me, what brother does that?” She shuddered, feeling dirty.
“He’s the one who told you that you were fat?”
Tirah nodded and Saber snarled. “I wish I could kill him all over again.”
Tirah loved how protective he was and snuggled up close. “You saved my and Mihel’s lives. I just …” She left the rest of what she was thinking unsaid, but she knew Saber understood.
“He was your brother,” Saber said.
“Yes. He was always so mean. I think he must’ve been very unhappy, and maybe jealous? I don’t know, I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything he did—and tried to do. But yeah, Casin was my brother and I only ever wanted him to like me …”
Saber was silent as he held her lovingly while tears trickled down her face.
Then she wiped them away and looked up at him, letting her own love shine in her eyes. “Anyway, thank you for coming for me after I left you.”
Saber kissed her forehead. “I had to,” he said, then scowled as if he were thinking hard about something.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Just wondering what repercussions his death will have. Maybe Mihel will be the start of some positive changes. He seems like a decent guy,” Saber suggested.
“A minute ago, you were ready to kill him,” she teased.
Saber snorted. “That’s when I thought he was your boyfriend or lover.”
Tirah laughed. “He is a good guy, one of the best that I know, but if any changes he makes are too sudden or extreme, the rest of the Ilyium will rebel and kill him for it.”
“He will have to be careful.” Saber nuzzled her hair.
As relief flooded her, she sighed. “I was so scared for you.”
Saber frowned. “I never expected you to return to me.”
“I had to,” Tirah said, using his own words. Then she pulled away and bit her lip. “I … you called me your mate, do you still want—” she started to say and stopped, uncertain.
“Do I still want what?” Saber asked.
“Well, me,” she said in a very quiet voice, gaze lowered as she waited for him to tell her no.