“That’s why we want to take you away from here and figure out what’s going on,” Seth added.
She shook her head and pressed her lips together. The back of her eyes burned, and she did her best not to cry. Crying was for weaker mortals, and frankly, she’d cried enough in her life.
Something the men had said earlier finally penetrated all the other monumental things filling her brain.
“Wait. The others said I should go? As in they don’t want me here anymore?” Anger slid over her like a warm blanket, and she let her hands fall to her sides, curling them into fists.
Seth shook his head quickly. “That’s not what they were saying, Amara.”
“They only want you to breathe,” Tristan added. He stepped toward her, and this time, she didn’t pull back. When he put his hand on her cheek, she gasped at the shock of his skin against hers. “Come with us, Amara. Let’s figure everything out together. It’s long past time we actually talk.”
“I…what if you’re wrong,” she whispered, voicing her deepest fear.
“I’m never wrong,” Tristan said smoothly.
Seth let out a cough. “I’m wrong sometimes about other things, but not about this.” She looked over as he rubbed his fist over his heart. “I know what I feel. And I’m not going to back away because things are different than how they normally are.”
She didn’t know what to say, what to think. It was all too much. But…what if what they were saying was true? What if she was their mate and there was an actual future for the three of them?
She’d never backed down from anything in her life, even when it had almost killed her. Maybe she should take the risk, knowing full well that if the two men in front of her were wrong, she’d break worse than she ever had before.
The others wanted her gone, and even if it wasn’t rational in her mind, she didn’t want to go back in there and see their faces. She didn’t want to see the looks of pity and hope she couldn’t quite understand. The others had their mates, and Eliana…well, Eliana might understand, but she had Malik.
Amara had no one.
Yet she might have a glint of a chance with the two men in front of her.
Seth reached around and touched her hip while putting his other hand on Tristan’s back. The three of them formed a unit, touch to touch, and she gasped at the contact.
“Okay,” she whispered, knowing she might be making the biggest mistake of her life. “Take me to your…realm.”
Tristan smiled full-out while Seth let out a relieved breath. “Then let’s get out of here. Do you want to say goodbye to the others first?”
She blinked. “You mean we’re going right now?” She needed to pack. Or brush her hair. Or something.
Tristan lowered his arm while Seth moved back. She immediately felt the loss. She was already a goner.
“Why not right now?” Seth asked. “It’s Friday, and you don’t work weekends.” He paused. “At least, you shouldn’t. Right?”
She worked seven days a week and was on call twenty-four hours a day, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to say that.
Tristan narrowed his eyes. “You need another job, Amara. That’s just one thing we’ll discuss this weekend.”
She raised a brow. “I’m not going with you if you’re going to spend the entire time telling me what to do. I lived with someone who did that most of my childhood, and I’m not going back to that kind of life.” She closed her mouth quickly as soon as she’d revealed that tidbit. The other women knew of her past, but no one else did, and she’d be damned if she’d let these two find out. They didn’t need to know how she’d grown up. She was past that.
She was healed.
Again, if she kept telling herself that, then one day, she’d believe it.
“We’ll discuss that, as well,” Tristan said smoothly.
Seth let out an aggravated breath. “What he means is, we’ll talk about all sorts of things. We’re not going to tell you how to live your life. I promise.” He turned to Tristan, who raised a brow before looking at her again. “We promise.”
She let out a breath. “Okay, then. Let’s…go, I guess?” That hadn’t come across very confident. This was a life-altering decision. Amara could do better than that. “I don’t need to say goodbye to the girls. Apparently, they’re ready for me to be gone.” She couldn’t help the bite in her tone, and by the looks on their faces, the men seemed to notice. “To the fae realm?”
They both nodded, and Tristan held out a hand to each of them. “Let’s be off, then.”
She gripped his palm and let out a slow breath. “Okay. One question, though. Why are we going to the fae realm and not the mer one?” She looked at Seth, who shrugged.
“He’s older.” She snorted, and Seth grinned at her. “Plus, the fae realm isn’t underwater so it’s a little easier for you to acclimate.” Her eyes widened, and he reached out to grip her other hand. “Don’t worry. When we go to my realm, I’ll help you. You won’t drown. I promise.”