Page 54 of Obsidian and Frost

He’d been over at their place,Solumira,spending time with them and having dinner after working at Haven Initiative with the children.

“Not second dinner.”

I chuckled. We hadsecond dinnermore often than not. He had a voracious appetite.

“Then let’s see to making second dinner now, shall we?”

His whole face lit up. “Can we have marshmallows for dessert again?”

“Well, they have become our favorite, haven’t they?”

“Yes!” he cried excitedly, then headed off to the kitchen, where we would then work together as usual to prepare our meal.

This was our life now.

And it wasn’t actually that bad.

Especially not for one like me—a Fallen.

But regret over how things were with mylittle shadowdid seep in more often than I liked.

Alas, it could be no other way.

No other way that was actually fair to her.

10

~Sylas~

“What is this place?” the hot little wolf demanded with that volatile fury of his, as he spun around and gazed at the space erratically.

“My home.”

He swung his head toward me. “What?Why the hell did you bring me here?”

“You are too worked up and volatile at present to return to your dorm.”

“That’syourassessment. An assessment you made after barging your way into the tail end of a situation.”

“You had let go of all control. While I’m all for punishment when its due, which I don’t deny it was for those who set upon you tonight, there is a line—a line you were at the razor’s edge of crossing. There are some things that cannot be undone. Some regrets that linger for an eternity. I didn’t want your actions tonight to be one such thing.” I stepped up to him, well aware of his breath hitching when I stopped just shy of invading his personal space. “I told you. In fact, I warned you. You’re cracking and raging. What happened tonight, how you handled that ambush, was more than responding in kind. More thanpunishment. Everything you’ve allowed to hold you hostage, all that pent-up frustration and repression fueled your actions. Including what happened with yourWraithqueeninThe Fade.”

“How do you know about that? Were you watching us, you fucking—”

I pressed my hand to his chest and his breath caught, enabling me to cut in, “That violent display with those fools was you detonating. But it wasn’t a safe space. Nor was it a space with what you also need to accompany that sort of freedom of letting loose.”

“What is it you think Ialso needto go along with that?” he bit back.

“Understanding.”

He stared at me, and I watched as recognition of the truth to my words hit down deep, cutting into all that rage and upset.

I stepped back and gestured at the couch. “Have a seat. I’ll be a moment.”

“A moment doing what?”

“Using the bathroom. If that’s okay with you?” I returned evenly.

He was deeply unsettled at being in my home, as he struggled to come down from that burst of depraved violence and bloodshed, that now there was this clear paranoia coming through as well.