The Heir of Night

43

Feyre's bottom lip rolled between her teeth as she  glanced over to the two males.

"I'm not sure if I should say, but my husband is simply warning Nyx not to take advantage of your emotions. He has watched how you two interact, and he is afraid that Nyx will use your emotions against you tonight."

Theia's brows pressed together. Her eyes turned to Nyx, who was glaring at his plate of dessert. It would've been humorous to see, like a child pouting after being scolded by his parents, but Theia nearly felt ill. He'd never used her, as far as she knew, but what would have Rhysand assuming something like that?

"Rhysand is being protective over you. Nyx informed us of what you two did today, and something like visiting your mother's grave for the first time can be extremely difficult to process. Rhys and I know that he stays in your bed each night, and that he comforts you, and he is simply just ensuring that Nyx will not do anything to take advantage of that."

Theia brought her eyes back to the High Lady. Her bottom lip was pouted as she studied Theia. Theia let her own voice fill her mind. "I don't think that is necessary. Nyx has been harsh in the past, but no longer makes me feel like I've lost any control."

"He's my son, Theia. I raised him to respect females and their choices. I cannot speak for what his uncles taught him, but I've done what I can to make sure he matured with respect. Rhysand knows that, too. You had your talk with him, you know how he sees you, he is simply being protective. Nyx is not a harm to you, I know that."

Theia couldn't understand why they felt the need to scold Nyx at all. She tipped back the rest of her wine and sat the glass down, catching Nyx's eye.

"I think I'm finished. Thank you for dinner," Theia murmured, dipping her chin to the High Lord and High Lady as she stood. Nyx followed immediately, dropping his cloth napkin onto the dessert-filled plate and shoving the chair back. Theia left the dining room with Nyx on her heels. When they reached the end of the corridor, he took her hand. They walked silently, knowing whatever talk needed would happen behind closed doors.

Theia opened the door to her bedroom and led Nyx in. He shut the door, leaning against it as he dropped Theia's hand and ran his own over his face.

"Why did they scold you, Nyx? Why did they feel it was necessary?" Theia asked softly. He dropped his hand and met her eyes. His were still shadowed by his brows, his anger coming from his skin like steam. Theia felt it all.

"They know your worries about the males in the village, they know that you and I are close. It wasn't necessary, they know I'd never force you to do anything if you weren't in the right headspace. You know that, don't you?"

Her lip twitched, her hand closing around her own wrist. Theia thought back to the first night they'd been together in bed, back in her home. She'd been distraught, he'd offered himself as a distraction. He hadn't taken advantage of her, he'd given her that choice. The only thing that he took from her was her freedom in those days that she'd been ready to take her own life, and perhaps that had been a blessing.

"I know that, Nyx," she murmured. His shoulders dropped slightly, though his hand still curled into a fist and then his fingers flexed out.

"I care about you. Do you know that as well?"

"Of course," she whispered, nodding slightly. He straightened, watching her every movement. She couldn't help but feel that he was observing her emotions, her mind. Theia couldn't tell if the claws in her mind were his, or her imagination. Maybe, maybe those claws were truly the questions she wanted to ask, pressing against her skull in an attempt to flee. She'd trapped them for weeks now. Theia took in a shaking breath.

"Why were you so cruel at the beginning? As soon as I was at your mercy, you were kind. Was that a form of power to you?" Nyx's nostrils flared, his chin lifting.

"You became nothing, Theia. All of those times you laid in your bed, or you found another male to give you a place to sleep, you were simply just breathing. I liked you when you cornered me, argued with me, showed more of yourself. I didn't mean to be cruel, but I wanted that rise from you. I wanted you to scream at me, to fight with me. I wanted to see those pretty eyes hate me," Nyx responded, watching her face. Theia frowned, crossing her arms. The action made the corner of his lip quirk up.

"You were mean because you wanted me to fight back?"

"You didn't talk, you didn't eat, you didn't move. What else could I do besides pushing you? The only emotion you'd portray was anger and I'd rather have you try to claw my eyes out than stare at the wall for hours."

"What about now? You're kind to me now, but I'm not different," Theia argued, hating the way he was right. He was always right.

"You talk to me now, you leave the bed, you eat. You may not be happy yet, but you're more than you were." He was right, again. She wasn't happy, but she was willing to find things to distract her from that. That's more than she had done back at the village.

"I still don't like you," she responded, squeezing her crossed arms. Theia only said it to counter the way she did feel. In truth, she wanted to be in his arms, hear his heartbeat, feel his warmth against her body. She wanted to feel him kiss her head and cheeks, hear his low voice whisper to her. It scared her. This still was not her world.

Nyx's nose scrunched as a grin lifted onto his lips. He tilted his head. "That's not really true anymore, is it?"

Her heart pounded as she met his eyes. Theia swallowed around the lump in her throat, feeling the dread of truth climbing up her spine. Before she knew it, she was shaking her head and Nyx's smile was widening. He seemed to move forward, but then stopped himself. Nyx cleared his throat and ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"I'd take action on that, but in honor of my father's low standards for me, I'm going to go bathe and change. You do the same, I'll meet you in here and we can go to sleep, yeah?"

Theia nodded, her breathing growing heavy. Nyx looked over her again before opening the door. He shot her a quick grin and slipped out into the hall. Theia's hands were shaking. It was such a simple conversation, a simple way to end it, yet she couldn't help but feel like something shifted between them.

Something shifted in her, certainly. Theia had been denying whatever drew her to Nyx, but she couldn't anymore. Not if he acknowledged it, too. Her breath pushed out as her wide eyes dropped to the floor. He knew, he knew she needed him. He confessed that he cared, though she sensed that he insinuated something deeper.

Theia cursed under her breath, frantically brushing her hair from her face. She didn't know how to act, not with him coming to her bed like he had for weeks now. It was new, it was frightening.