Page 40 of Realm Walker's Awakening

I had to be strong or at least show it on the outside. And I refused for Harper to become involved because of her worry over my inability to hold back the panic I felt 24-7 from showing.

“We’ll have to do that sometime. I’ll call you, okay?” I said as calmly as I could. The lie was heavy on my tongue.

I knew my strained voice wasn’t hard to miss and Harper narrowed her eyes slightly as she glanced at Rune. With the wheels spinning in her mind, she nodded and met my stare again.

“Sure.”

I forced a smile and couldn’t even make myself wave bye to her. Couldn’t even hug her because I was scared that whoever was after me was watching and would see how much she meant to me. How much they couldhurtme by taking her away from me too.

Lowering my eyes, I walked away as I pushed the cart. My mind went numb, but everything around me was so loud. One of the wheels banged from the years of damage, and it became a soothing beat as I focused on it. Something about it sounded familiar, and I wasn’t sure...

Blank brown eyes popped into my vision.

I inhaled sharply, blinking away the image. It stayed away for a few seconds, then came back, sending my heart in an erratic race.

I’m so sorry, Lee.

My stomach dropped, and my chest squeezed as dead brown eyes popped back into my vision, with Aaliyah smiling in a way that looked wrong. It didn’t reach her eyes...

It wasn’t reaching her eyes... Why wasn’t it reaching her eyes?

“I’m sorry... I’m sorry, Lee. Please forgive me. I’m sorry I didn’t save you. I’m sorry...”

Why wasn’t she answering me?

Aaliyah’s unnerving smile with her dead eyes came back.

“Why won’t you answer me?”

“Connect the link,elskan mín. Let me help you,” Rune murmured from my side.

I jumped at his voice, realizing I had spaced out and was weaving around clothes racks in the kid’s section. Rune grabbed my shoulder, stopping and turning me toward him with a serious expression.

I couldn’t come up with anything to say. Any other reasons why I didn’t want to connect it with him without him knowing the truth.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

He stared at me for the longest and most intense few seconds with a blank expression. Then he bunched his dark eyebrows, creasing the bridge of his nose. The blues of his eyes turned darker by a shade and filled with frustration.

With his other hand, he cupped my cheek, trailing his fingers down my jaw to grip just below it on my throat. My pulse fluttered under his palm, and my lips parted as I stared at him wide-eyed.

I wasn’t sure if I was terrified of his hold or if I felt...

Safe.

He’d never hurt me. Never leave a mark on my body that I didn’t want or beg for.

Under his hold, I relaxed and leaned into it. Warmth spread through the touch, and my face flushed as tingles spread through my body. I finally relaxed for the first time in what felt like years as I gave him control over me. Just for him to take everything away from me for a while and help me not feel lost or in pain.

I was so tired. And I wanted my broken pieces to be gathered and put back together for me. But I couldn’t seem to ask that. Couldn’t muster the courage or strength. It was a struggle because I didn’t want to be seen as weak or needy, yet that was how I felt.

Selfish... I was selfish.

And with Rune’s hand as my necklace, I melted and could breathe. I focused on only him with hooded eyes while clenching my thighs as my clit throbbed.

Satisfaction crossed his face as he stepped closer to me and leaned down until he was only a head above me as he stared down at me.

“Don’t. Lie. To me,” he warned, his voice low. I shuddered and fought tooth and nail to keep my eyes open as my body zapped with pleasure. “You’re not fine. You’ve been walking around the aisles with blank eyes and mumbling to yourself, having a one-sided conversation with someone. And if I’m to guess, it’s Aaliyah you’re talking to.”