Page 62 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

“No…”

“Then they aren’t the same at all.”

“I’m just trying to connect with you—”

“Connect with Kingsnake. He’s the one who was married.”

The room gave a quick spin when I heard that fact. I pictured Kingsnake standing with a woman in a white dress, flowers in her hands. I pictured his smile, his joy, two things I’d never really experienced.

Aurelias gave a sigh as he looked away. “Fuck… You didn’t know that.”

He could sense my despair…my jealousy…my darkness.

“I’ll say nothing more.”

“I’ve shared my past with him freely, but he refuses to share his.”

Aurelias let the silence stretch. Seconds turned into a minute. “This wound has a lot of scar tissue. And scar tissue is thick like a scab. It takes a lot of prodding to get it open again—if you can get close to it in the first place. Kingsnake guards this wound the way he guards his snake. The only way you’re going to get close to it is by forcing your way in.”

I would try again, but I suspected he would continue to shut me out. “You still prefer Ellasara to me?”

He stared at me for a long time, his expression impossible to decipher. “You don’t strike me as the kind of woman who needs a man’s approval.”

“I’m not.”

He looked away.

“But I would like a brother’s approval…”

He turned back to me again, his eyes locked on my face. “I think I’ve had a change of heart.”

* * *

The next morning, we prepared to leave. The Teeth provided us provisions for the return journey and made sure the horses were fed and watered. We approached the gate and watched the massive piece of stone slowly slide open for us to pass.

Kingsnake approached his brother and gave a long stare.

Aurelias stared back. “You haven’t been this worried about me since our ox kicked me in the head.”

A subtle grin moved on to his handsome face. “Then I should worry, because you’ve haven’t been the same since.”

Aurelias didn’t smile back, but the impulse pulled at his lips. “This was a shit journey, but something good came out of it—and not the venom.”

Kingsnake gave a nod as the warmth radiated from his core. “Yeah…”

“I have some advice to impart to you—about Father.”

“I’m listening.”

“Admit you were wrong.”

Now all the warmth disappeared.

“That’s the only way to repair the relationship.”

“He made a decision that wasn’t his to make—”

“He saved your life.” Aurelias wore a hard stare mixed with affection. “Let it go.”