Feral Bonds

Chapter 53

"No," Vincent said simply, when Natania brought up the issue to him.

Natania frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to tell her anything of the sort." He raised an eyebrow at her. "If I tell Lily not to hurt the witch, then she won't be able to protect you if she turns on you."

"She's not going to turn on me," Natania growled. "Weren't you the one trying to tell me that all witches aren't evil a few years ago? She's my mate." She kicked at the ground. "There's a higher likelihood that I'm going to lose it and hurt her." Natania tried to push back the anxiety at the thought. If she killed Gretchen...

She gritted her teeth. She'd just have to make sure that never happened.

"Can you at least tell her not to attack her unprovoked?" Natania asked.

Vincent snorted. "It wouldn't do you any good. Lily is very good about skirting the wording of orders. The only one I could give her that she wouldn't find a way around would be to not lay hands on your mate under any circumstances."

"I'm okay with that, too," Natania replied.

He laughed and ruffled her hair. "Go talk to her, she's been waiting since she woke up." Natania winced and Vincent patted her once. "You are her best friend, Nat. Just talk to her."

Natania took a deep breath and nodded. She could do this.

She found Lily sitting on a bench, head in her hands, as she watched a few of the chickens prance around in their pen. Lily looked up at her approach and stood up. "He told me to wait for you," Lily said softly, "until you were ready."

The grief and uncertainty in her gaze broke Natania's heart and she didn't pause in her approach, grabbing Lily in a hug as soon as she was close enough. Lily curled around her like a vise, holding on to just before the point of being painful. Natania held her just as tightly.

"I missed you, Wolfie," Lily whispered.

"I missed you, too," Natania admitted.

She didn't know how long they clung to each other. Natania was determined to hold her for as long as Lily needed her to. She owed her that much.

Lily finally pulled back and cupped her face. "Gods, do you know how many times I saw you die?" Lily ran her fingers through Natania's hair and down to her shoulders. "How many different ways you died? I never knew at any given moment if you were still alive, until the next vision that had you dying in a different way."

Natania flinched and touched her forehead to Lily's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have listened to you."

"You absolutely should have," Lily scolded, then she sighed. "I don't want to fight with you, I just... I want you back." Lily took one of her hands and kissed it. "Not as mine, I know that hurt you, but you were my closest friend too, Nat."

Natania kept her face buried in Lily's shoulder and asked, "Did you mean what you said yesterday, about changing your mind?" She had to know, even if it wouldn't change anything.

Lily wrapped her arms around her shoulders and held her close again. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you again." Lily shuddered. "I just... I want her dead."

Natania pulled back from her. "Lily-"

Lily held up a hand. "I know. You don't have to say anything." She grabbed Natania's cheeks in her hands and touched their foreheads together. "I would never hurt you like that." She kissed her forehead before letting her go. "I just want you to be safe."

"I'm as safe as I'm ever going to be," Natania told her.

Lily sat down on the bench and tugged Natania down beside her. "I kind of hate that you're right, based on what I've seen." Lily ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. "Fuck Nat, the Collector? Are you stupid?"