The Kindred Few (The Kindred Few Book 1) by Heather Kindt

Author:Heather Kindt [Kindt, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing
Published: 2024-04-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Grayson and Evie suit up to travel to Mafekadi and collect Levi, loading their holsters with enough weapons to take down Avren on their own. My gut twists in knots when I realize this will leave Bastian and me alone together in the cabin. Images from my dream rush in from my subconscious, and it’s everything I can do to keep from dropping the dish I’m scrubbing in the sink.

He’s your brother, Mari.

“We’ll be back in a couple of days. The two of you behave.” Grayson winks at me before pulling me into a hug. “Sorry we’re leaving him to babysit you, but he needs to continue your training.”

“I understand.” I really don’t. Grayson took down a werewolf, so he’s capable of training me. Why does it have to be Bastian, a person who thinks I’m about as worthless as a slithering slug?

And as quickly as I lay a dish on the counter, they leave, and we’re alone.

Bastian settles into the armchair by the fire, puts on his glasses, and picks up the book I was reading a few days ago. That he’s more than his muscles and warrior mindset draws me to him.

He’s your brother, Mari… with no blood relation.

There goes my heart, trying to justify the thoughts I should never have.

As a family, we are alike in our fierce protection of our brothers and sisters because we only have each other.

I rinse off a dish and place it on the counter to dry before wiping my hands on a towel. My heart races, threatening to break through my chest. He’s given me no sign that he wants more from me than a sibling relationship. But he must feel it.

With slow steps, so as not to disturb his reading, I round the armchair and sit on the ottoman beside his feet. He doesn’t look up, totally engrossed in his book.

It feels like hours pass before I finally work up the courage to place a gentle hand on his ankle. “Bastian?”

He looks up at me, one eyebrow raising slightly, then at my hand on his ankle. Without responding, he reaches into his pocket and removes the glowing blue anklet he hid while he was away. “I don’t want soldiers sniffing around here.” He tosses me the ring. “Put this on. You’ll go to work tonight.”

My heart plummets. I thought we’d have alone time. Time to work out the confusing feelings I have for this man. “Don’t you want company when the others are away?”

He lifts his shoulder as the corner of his lip rises into a slight smirk. “I like my alone time. And if I get lonely, I can ask Susan to spend the night.” But the glimmer in his eyes tells me something different, like he’s begging me to stand up to him—to push past the wall between us.

But I can’t.

I’m not strong enough yet. Too many years under Avren’s rules regarding relationships have left their mark on me. In my brokenness, I can’t make the first move, no matter how hard it was for me to touch his ankle without permission.

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