Page 137 of Forged

For a moment, the three of us exist in that small space, the world narrowing again, but this time it’s different. It’s quiet and fragile.

She reaches for both of us, her fingers threading through mine and then his, pulling us closer together.

“We’re okay,” she says softly, like she’s trying to anchor all of us in that truth.

Maybe it’s the adrenaline wearing off, or it’s the sight of my wife in a hospital bed, battered by something that I know was caused by my world, but the edges of panic are creeping in before I can stop it. The room feels too small, the air thinner and I feel my pulse skyrocket through my body.

“I need a second,” I say, my voice rough.

Neomi’s grip tightens. “Lars?—”

“I’ll be right back,” I add quickly, already stepping away before I lose control completely.

The hallway is quiet, and that should give me a bit of peace, but I still feel it. My hands brace against the wall as I try to breathe, but it isn’t working. My chest is tight, my pulse too fast, my thoughts spinning too quickly to catch.

Footsteps approach behind me. Gabriel stops beside me.

“Breathe, baby.”

“I’m trying.” I force out.

Gabriel removes one of my hands from the wall and places it on his chest.

“Focus on my breath. Match it.”

I feel his chest rise and fall. I hear his breath leaving his lips. Slowly, I try to match it. He stands with me, breathing with me until I begin to feel some sense of calm.

“Talk to me,” he says quietly.

A harsh breath leaves me. “We could’ve lost her.”

My words are raw and exposed.

“But we didn’t; she’s okay,” he says, steady.

“I know,” I snap, pushing off the wall and dragging my hands through my hair. “I know that, but she wasn’t supposed to be in danger in the first place. She was with Violette, in the middle of the day, and someone got close enough to put a bomb in her car.” My voice cracks. “I feel like it’s my fault,” I continue, pacing now, my hands shaking. “I brought her into this world, and I can’t keep her safe.”

Gabriel doesn’t interrupt.

“What does that say about us?” I demand, turning toward him. “I couldn’t keep my wife safe. What if I can’t keep you safe? If they can reach her out there, what happens when they decide to come for you too?”

The words keep tumbling out of me uncontrollably. I drag a hand down my face, forcing a breath in, thenout.

“I can’t lose her,” I say, quieter now. “I can’t lose either of you.”

Gabriel moves to me, wrapping his strong arms around me, and that’s when I break. His hand moves to the back of my neck, kneading the knotted muscles there. I drop my head to his shoulder, the scent of cedar and mint fills my senses, calming me.

His hand runs up and down my back as he whispers, “We’re not going anywhere, Lars. We’ll get her home. You can do whatever you do to increase security, and you’ll find out who did this.”

“I hope they know they just signed their own death warrant,” I say, anger replacing the panic.

Gabriel sighs, amused. “Our protector.”

He places a kiss on my shoulder, gripping my arms to pull me back. His energy is calm and gentle.

“We need to be steady for her right now. We’ll wage the war later, but right now, I want you to be her rock. Okay?”

I suck in a breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah, okay.”