My heart was beating so fast that I actually lifted my hand and placed it over my chest as if my palm would keep it in place.
“Asking me to stop looking at you is like asking me to stop breathing. I could try, but eventually my body would know what to do, how to survive.”
Oh gods. How could he say such sweet things like this to me, profound and deep, as we sat in this dank cave… after he’d ripped open my neck and nearly drained me dry?
I shifted on the ground, pulled my knees up to my chest, and wrapped my arms around my legs as I rested my chin on them, staring at the fire, not sure what to say.
“Why don’t you tell me where we’re at so that I can figure out how to get the fuck out of here?”
It wasn’t lost on me that he changed the subject, or that he just assumed he’d be the one to take control and figure this out. I wasn’t going to argue the fact of my independence, because the truth was, I was at a loss on exactly how to “get out of this.” So if he wanted to be arrogant, then so be it.
I stared at the flames for a moment and told him everything I knew.
“We were thrust into a parallel dimension by a Leandrean. I ran into him squaring off with a handful of guards as I was trying to escape the facility.” Although I could feel the aggression pouring off Sebastian, I didn’t look at him. “I have no idea where we’re at, just that we’re on a different plane. I’ve only been here for two days, as much as I can tell anyway. But what I’ve learned so far is that the sun has yet to set since I’ve been here.”
That’s when I looked up at him. I expected Sebastian to have maybe an expression of shock, or even be more pissed off at the knowledge that we were quite literally stuck in this cave because he couldn’t leave. But in place was an expression of absolute… nothingness.
I was beginning to realize this was just who he was.
“I found a bunch of debris once I woke up here. A couple of canteens, some ration packs, various articles of clothing and weapons.” I cleared my throat. “So I took everything I could find and scavenged, and I’ve been in this cave ever since. That’s until I found you.”
“And you saved me.”
I felt like that should’ve been phrased like a question, but it was more of a stunned statement by Sebastian, as if he couldn’t even fathom someone helping him.
I stared into his eyes, his irises as dark as his pupils, yet I could see the flames reflected back at me in the dark orbs.
“I couldn’t just leave you there. Even if we weren’t mates, I would’ve helped you.”
He didn’t respond to that, but he did glance away. The look on his face was almost as if he couldn’t understand what I’d just said. I felt this pain in my chest as I stared at him.
There was this sensation akin to sympathy because of the way he looked. The thought that no one had shown him an act of kindness seemed so foreign to me, that someone could be starved for it yet never say the words out loud.
“Is there anyone else here?” The change of subject was starting to become obvious when he didn’t like where the topic was headed. But I let it switch seamlessly.
“I haven’t seen anyone else, but I’m sure there are plenty of others. Anyone who was within the vicinity of the facility had to have gotten blasted either within this dimension, or was killed on the impact.” I shrugged “I really don’t know how this works. I’ve never been in this situation before.”
He nodded but didn’t respond and looked out toward the entrance again. “And you said you’ve been here for two days and the sun hasn’t set?”
I nodded just as he looked back at me.
“I assume it’s been two days. I really couldn’t tell you because everything feels upside down here.”
I felt fatigue start to settle heavily within me. “I have a little bit of water left, almost all the food still. I’ve been rationing what I can. Eventually I’m going to have to venture out.”
“It’s not safe.” His tone brokered no argument, as if he expected me just to obey him without thought. “What if you got hurt? I couldn’t be there to protect you.”
The side of my neck throbbed, and his gaze landed on the twin puncture marks as if he’d sensed it, felt where my thoughts had gone.
But I wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t bother reminding myself that just moments before I hadn’t been safe with him either.