<h4>Chapter 310: Chapter 310</h4>


    ~Samantha~


    By the time we returned to Silver Crescent Pack, Reynold met us with about twenty warriors. Took one look at our condition and started barking orders.


    "Medical team to the front entrance! Get stretchers." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Killian. "What happened to him?"


    "Curse eleration. Arrow wound. General stupidity." Dominic was still half-supporting Killian despite looking ready to copse himself. "He needs a healer. Now."


    "On it." Reynold gestured to two warriors. They moved forward to take Killian from Dominic.


    Killian tried to wave them off. "I can walk."


    "You haven’t walked unassisted for thest three miles. Stop being proud." Dominic pushed him toward the warriors. "Let them help before you pass out and crack your skull open."


    The warriors each took an arm. Started guiding Killian toward the medical wing.


    He looked back at me once. I couldn’t read his expression. Tooplicated. Too much happening behind his eyes.


    Then he was gone. Disappearing around the corner with the warriors supporting his weight.


    "Mom?" Diana tugged on my sleeve. "Can we sleep now?"


    I looked down at her. At the exhaustion written across her face. At Devon swaying on his feet beside her.


    "Yeah. You can sleep. Let’s get you inside." I looked at Reynold. "Where’s Gamma?"


    "Training grounds." Reynold pulled out his phone. Sent a quick message. "What do you need Cora for?"


    "The twins. Someone needs to watch them. Make sure they rest. Make sure they’re safe." I was too tired to sugarcoat it. "ck Moon sent a message. He wants them. In three days."


    Reynold’s face went hard. "I’ll put extra guards on their room."


    "Good. And no one gets near them without my direct approval. I don’t care who they are or what authority they im."


    "Understood." Reynold’s phone buzzed. "Gamma’s on her way."


    Gamma appeared two minutester. Took one look at the twins and scooped them both up like they had the weight of feathers.


    "Come on, little warriors. Let’s get you cleaned up and in bed." Her voice was soft. The twins didn’t even protest. Just let her carry them.


    "Cora." I caught his arm. "Don’t let them out of your sight. Not for any reason."


    "I’ll guard them with my life." She met my eyes. "You have my word."


    "Thank you."


    She nodded once. Carried the twins inside. Diana’s head was already on her shoulder. Devon’s eyes were closed.


    I watched them disappear. Felt something in my chest ease slightly.


    They were safe. For now. That had to be enough.


    "You should rest too." Dominic’s voice came from beside me. "You look ready to fall over."


    "I’m fine."


    "You’re swaying. I can see you swaying."


    I was swaying. Hadn’t noticed until he pointed it out.


    "Okay. Maybe I’m tired."


    "Understatement." Dominic put his hand on my lower back. Guided me toward the manor entrance. "Come on. Let’s get you to your room."


    "I can walk myself."


    "I know. I’m walking with you anyway." His hand stayed put. "Humor me."


    I let him guide me through the entrance hall. Up the stairs. Down the corridor to my room.


    He opened the door. Waited for me to go in first.


    I stepped inside. Turned to thank him. Found him following me in. Closing the door behind himself.


    "What are you doing?" I asked.


    "We need to talk." He leaned against the door. Arms crossed. "About earlier. In the mine."


    "Can it wait? I’m exhausted."


    "No. Because if I don’t say this now, I’m going to lose my nerve." He took a breath. "I was too harsh on the twins. You were right about that. I let my fear control me and I took it out on them."


    I blinked. "Are you apologizing?"


    "Yes. I’m apologizing." He pushed off the door. Moved closer. "I’ve been doing that a lottely. Apologizing. Because I keep messing up. Keep letting my jealousy and paranoia make me into someone I don’t want to be."


    He stopped a foot away from me. "I know I’m difficult. I know I’m controlling. I know I push you away even when I’m trying to pull you closer. But I’m trying to be better. I’m trying to fix this. Fix us."


    "There’s a lot to fix. I don’t think you are up for that task."


    "I am up for anything as long as you give me the chance." His hand reached out. Touched my cheek. "Sam. I miss you. I miss us. I miss when you looked at me and didn’t seem disappointed."


    The touch made my breath catch. His thumb brushed across my cheekbone.


    "I’m not disappointed. I’m just... tired of the constant fights in front of the kids. They worry too much about us and it makes me doubt if I’m that much of a good parent."


    "You are and I’ll let them understand that this is normal but I want to ask you something." His voice dropped to an intimate note. "Right now. In this moment. What do you want?"


    “Why do you care? Most of the things I asked for, you never gave me so now wouldn’t be any different.” I turned my face away, just for him to pull up in front of me again.


    “I care about you more than I care about my own life so why would you say that? Is it because I usually kick against some decisions you make? That’s to protect you.” He stated.


    “Yeah, sure.” I rolled my eyes.


    He sighed and rubbed his forehead, “I love you a lot, Sam and I want to prove that to you.”


    I let out a shortugh.


    “Prove?” I looked at him up and down. “You?”


    His jaw tightened. He stepped closer anyway, like confidence alone would fix everything.


    “Why aren’t you taking anything I say seriously? I bet you’d have believed Killian if he said it.”


    “Because he’s a man of his words than you are,” I shot back.


    “I’ll make you eat your words soon.”


    Of course because he never learnt to listen. Only to control, that was his field.


    He slowly closed the distance between us, his face a few inches from mine. His breath hot against my lips, I breathed heavily.


    Shut my eyes, wishing he wouldn’t.


    But just as his hands snaked around my waist and he ced his lips on mine, I turned my face away.


    “Kissing me is your best solution? You are never going to listen to anything I say.”


    Dominic’s eyes opened, confusion crossing his face. "What?"


    "I can’t do this right now. I need time. I need space to figure if this is good for me" I took another step back. "I need to think."


    "Think about what? About whether you want your husband? That shouldn’t require thinking, Sam."


    "You wouldn’t understand!"


    "You know I would if you made me understand you!"


    "Maybe, it’s the six years of hurt and anger and loneliness. It’s feeling like I came back too soon. Like we’re trying to rebuild something that was already broken before I even left."


    "So what are you saying? You regreting back?"