Kyra

Chapter Forty-Three

With these new discoveries, they had to play it cool. Though Ares vied to rush out to Runealm and see the mess for himself, Kyra said that wasn't happening. Rash decisions came with unpleasant outcomes. They'd take the night to think up a gameplan. Come the morning, they could do as they pleased.

Sharing Kyra's silly hammock wasn't ideal but he'd made it clear he wouldn't go home. Not if it meant sleeping on this information. And so he laid wide awake in her hammock, the little Amazon resting with her head against his chest, both of them staring up at the ceiling.

He feared to know what was going on inside of her head. As she jumped from possibility to possibility, he wondered how he'd factor into them.

Kyra was a lone wolf, at the end of the day, regardless of her status as a team player. Her feelings for him were undeniable—but with Kyra, there was no telling how she'd respond to them. Would she let her feelings rule her or would she rule her feelings?

"Are you still awake?" He asked, jostling her ever so slightly.

"Well I am now."

He held her tighter, an arm beneath her body. "Don't shut me out when this is over."

When they'd terminated this contract with Nadine, Kyra wouldn't be obliged to see him again. She could shut him out, returning to the same stone-cold silence of the last thousand years.

Ares wasn't sure he could last one year without her anymore.

"You should go to sleep."

"No, listen to me. Don't shut me out. Don't push me away. I can't lose you again."

"I'll do whatever's best."

"For who? For you? For me?"

She said nothing, laying silently at his side. Was she thinking about that? Was her mind already made up?

"You and I both know what the best thing for you would be," He insisted. "You need a bed, Kyra. Someone to take the stress off it. Someone to confide in. Someone to listen. Kyra, you need me. You always have. You need someone to fall back on. Someone who'll put you first."

Her lips twisted. "And you'd do that? You'd put me first? You have a history of doing that, don't you?"

"I have a grey history. I admit to that. But Kyra, when I tell you that nothing is as important to me as you are, you have to believe me."

She separated from him, pulling away already. The worst part? He couldn't hold her down. He couldn't glue himself to her. Kyra had to make the choice for herself.

Feet on the floor, she steadied the rocking hammock. "I'm gonna go to my office for a bit."

"I'll—"

"You stay here." She pushed him down by his shoulders. "Get some sleep. I need to think."

He grabbed her hand before she could leave completely, his fingers brushing over her palm. "Don't shut me out."

She sighed. "You should sleep, Ares."

And with that, she was gone. He could feel her in the building. He could sense her nearby. And yet, as ever, she was just out of reach.

Don't shut me out little Amazon.

Ares wouldn't survive without her.

Sleeping in her hammock was misery. Sleep hadn't looked likely with the woman in the swing with him. Without her, it was impossible. He waited impatiently for the first break of sunlight. The second it began to rise above the clouds, he ditched the room and made for her office. He sensed her there on the other side, biding her time.