Page 36 of Dissent (The Dissenter Saga #1)

“A re you really okay? Are you sure it didn’t hurt you?”

He’d already asked me these questions a few times as we hiked back to camp.

We were supposed to be practicing marksmanship, but Matias could tell I was shaken by what happened, and he decided that having the rest of the day off was in order.

All he knew was that Wes and I had gotten into an argument in the gym, I left, got lost, and then found myself a mountain lion.

And of course, said mountain lion would have eaten me for lunch had Wes not arrived when he did, thanks to Edith.

Then, the whole thing blew up again with Wes and I getting into another fight.

I intentionally left out the whole me-almost-kissing-him part and the super awkward exchange involving me, Wes, and an inconveniently placed tree.

Matias did not need to know any of that.

“I’m fine, I promise.” I gave him a quick smile before returning my attention to the ground before me.

“This clearly isn’t working.”

“What’s not working?”

“You and Wes.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll take care of it.”

Dread filled me. “No! No, that’s okay.” The last thing I needed was him talking to Wes and discovering all those little details I had purposefully failed to mention. “You don’t need to talk to him about it. I can figure it out.”

He grinned, bumping my shoulder with his own. “Relax. I’m going to talk to Sasha about it. Wynters is in charge of the assignments, but nobody’s above Sasha. I’ll see if I can get your training reassigned to me.”

My heart fluttered. “What? Really?”

“It only makes sense. I’m already training you in marksmanship.” A stern look swept across his features for a fraction of a second before he turned his face away from me. “Besides, I’m your PSD, anyway.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that before to Wynters, but no one ever explained it to me.”

“It means I’m your personal security detail. Like your bodyguard, basically. So, there’s no need for Wes to be involved, and it’s obviously not a good match anyway.”

Curious. There was something in his expression I couldn’t quite place. A part of me detected a hint of…jealousy?

“I’d like that,” I shared with a grin.

He glanced at me then, his sweet smile returning, causing my heart to melt. “Consider it done. I’ll talk to Sasha about it when we’re back at camp.”

My smile grew, and I gave him a nod before returning my attention to the hike ahead of us. We walked in silence for a bit, absorbing the scenery. There was some scary-ass shit out in this forest, but when I wasn’t about to be flayed by sharp claws, the woods really were peaceful.

“You know, this place is just so gorgeous,” I commented with a sigh.

“I know. But it’s not the only thing that’s beautiful...”

I faced him, finding his deep brown eyes staring at me, causing me to blush. I quickly looked away. “ So ,” I started, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear, “how did you come to be a rebel?”

He chuckled, recognizing my mild embarrassment. “Well, there’s not much to it, really. My parents died during an assignment when I was just a kid, and the rest of the Dissenters took me in. I was raised with the rebels. I owe them everything.”

“Oh.” I felt bad for him. He was an orphan, a loyal son of the Dissenters. Even though I wasn’t responsible for Raúl, there was a part of me that felt guilty. My dad was responsible for all of this. “I’m sorry.”

He looked at me, that sweet smile always so reassuring. “For what? It’s not your fault.”

I shifted my gaze down to the ground at my feet. “I know it’s not my fault, but it’s Raúl’s fault. If it hadn’t been for my family, maybe you’d still have yours.”

“Hey,” he stopped walking, grabbing my wrist and pulling me toward him.

Taking my face into his hands, he stared into my eyes, enveloping me with the warmth of his smile.

“Listen to me. My family died for what they believed in. I don’t blame you or anyone else for the choices they made.

And I don’t regret any part of my life. So, don’t feel sorry for me, okay?

You don’t owe me anything, least of all an apology. ”

I blinked, stunned by his graciousness. His thumb rubbed my cheek tenderly, and his eyes slowly shifted downward, landing on my lips. My heart leapt into my throat and time stood still.

The smile faded from his face, and a look I could only describe as pure hunger filled his eyes causing me to shiver. Still cradling my face, he slowly drew me towards him. My heart skittered as I held my breath, eyes closing in anticipation.

I wanted this.

I wanted him .

And as I felt the heat of his breath on my lips, a sound broke the silence.

Bing!

Everything stopped. My eyes fluttered open—vision filled with Matias, his lips, and the kiss that lingered between us.

Bing!

Matias looked down as his tab flashed. Tilting his wrist to see the screen, the look on his face changed. “It’s Chelsea.”

Damn Chelsea.

He stepped back, tapping on the screen as he did. “She’s looking for me.”

Of course she is. I sighed.

“We better finish heading back.” Looking back at me, he smiled and winked.

My entire body jittered. “Sure thing,” I managed to mutter. God, I loved that grin.

His hand swooped down, entangling his fingers with mine. “Come on, let’s go.” I would have preferred the kiss, but I’d accept handholding for now.