Page 212 of The Defiant Curse

If she was waiting for any of that from him, she was going to be upset because he wasn’t thinking that.

Instead, he kissed her on the forehead.

“That’s your feelings and what you think we’d say, not ours. If you need time to recoup, take it,” he offered. “No one is going to hold that against you. It’s been a rough year for you, and you deserve to take care of your mental health. If that means tapping out and tagging one of us in, do it. Isn’t that what a partnership is for?” he asked.

That was refreshing to hear, and it helped.

As for the year being rough…rough was pleasurable compared to what this year had been like.

The bumps in this road had been more than jarring.

It ripped the chassis right off of her.

Ethan wasn’t done.

“The kids will be good, and so will the men in the family. You have to do what’s best for you, and for once, we’ll work around it—instead of you working around us.”

She knew he would leave at some point.

He was the Shaman, and that meant being there for his people when they needed him. That made her ache inside. When she saw him show up, her heart came back to life, and she had hope. Having to see him leave…

That.

Would.

Suck.

“I appreciate that. I really do,” she admitted.

For Ethan, he knew the truth. After all she’d done, it was the very least that they could do for her.

As she was resting against him, he felt her body tense, and that tension returned. Now, he started worrying again.

“What is upsetting you, Lyzee? You’re now off. We’ve been on this ride long enough for me to know that.”

At first, her instinct was to pretend everything was okay, but that was how they got here. Faking it until she could make it had bitten her in the ass.

It was time to test out that trust.

“When will you be leaving?” she asked.

That was pretty much what he’d worried about coming here. Was she about to tell him to go?

That he was hindering her healing?

So, instead of assuming that was her way of telling him to give her space, he asked.

“When do you want me to leave?” he asked. “Because I just showed up here. If me being here is making your healing more difficult, I’ll go. Just say the word.”

There was emotion in his voice.

Lovingly, she nuzzled his chest. Then, she shared the truth with him.

“I don’t want you to leave. I want you to stay with me. I need someone to help me through this. I need backup.”

With her words, now he was curious.

“Someone?” he asked. “Any particular someone?” he added, knowing she said she wanted him to not leave, but he needed to make sure.