Forget Me Not (Forgotten Series Companion Chapters)

Lasting Promises

Nexus

I yanked my hand away, my heart thudding in my ears as I quickly got up. I needed to escape. I needed to not see the disgust in his eyes. I couldn't bear to see it in Arlo. I just couldn't. I started towards the door and a hand caught my wrist, stalling my progress. I stiffened at it, wincing heavily as the grip tightened a fraction. My shoulders slumped and I closed my eyes.

There was a heavy silence before Arlo slowly moved his grip from my wrist to my hand, holding it tightly. "I have to live with vampire males wanting to snuggle with my mate. I have had to learn that I can't be jealous when they gather her into their arms because they are her family and she loves them." His words confused me and I glanced at him. His eyes were open and there was nothing in them that I had been expecting. All I saw was my loving little brother, who's eyes had a sheen of tears as he gave me a small smile of acceptance. "Having a gay brother is not a big deal compared to that." His words floored me and I felt stunned as I stared at him.

He shifted in his spot, reaching out with his other hand to hold onto my hand, cupping it between his. "I don't care what or who you are as long as you are happy." I felt like I wanted to stagger under the sheer truth his words had. I had expected disgust, hate and derision from him. I had expected everything that I had been taught people like me deserved but he held my hand, nothing but love and acceptance to his gaze, as he stood up. "And it hurts me because I know you can't be happy there." His voice cracked slightly and I reached out, grasping him and hugging him tightly. I blinked away tears, my jaw ticking as I tried hard to keep them from falling.

I hadn't expected this and I felt like I was going to fall apart because of it. How could I protect myself when there was nothing to fight against? Suddenly relief swarmed through me so intensely that I felt like my legs would give out so I clung to Arlo harder to keep from falling. He patted my back giving me a gentle squeeze. "Sit down before you fall." He let me go and I leaned against the table before falling back into my spot, my legs feeling weak.

I started to shake violently, my limbs vibrating and my teeth nearly clacking together as the adrenaline started to wear off. I wrapped my arms around myself and gave a strained laugh. I felt off-kilter and elated at the same time. "Thank you." I looked at Arlo as I tried hard not to have my teeth chatter as my muscles jerked underneath my skin at the loss of the adrenaline that had been surging through me as I told him. "For not hating me." I looked down at the table and Arlo made a sound in his throat and when I looked up he was rolling his eyes.

"You are gay, you like males. I lived in a house full of vampires where males openly made out with other males and females climbed on each other without warning. Its fine. Its normal." He stressed the word, looking at me intently, as if trying to get me to understand that he didn't view me as unnatural or wrong. I appreciated it. He suddenly looked away, his expression darkening. "Its not like you're Malak." The name was an instant bucket of cold water over my head as Arlo ground his teeth together, looking out the window, his jaw ticking. "Did he... did he know?" He glanced at me and I suddenly felt ashamed because he knew the answer but he was begging me to not confirm it.

I gave a slow nod and his expression twisted with hate and anger, his teeth grinding together as he gave a strained chuckle that came out so wrong and twisted that it was nearly hair raising. "So him giving you the Master-at-Arms position was nothing more than-" He cut himself off. "All those times I picked you up after he beat you down... I can't believe him." I hadn't seen Arlo so mad before and it was disconcerting for me.

I didn't quite understand his vehement hate. I hated Malak, I had but Arlo was so loving towards his family that it was strange and uncomfortable for me to see that hate in him. "He was just-"