Page 95 of Nothing Gained
“Woo hoo. I saved her. But look at the cost.”
“I have. Believe me, I have.”
Dakota pulled out his phone and pushed a few buttons before turning it around. A photo was on display. A younger Dakota surrounded by a half dozen kids. One of them had wings, just like Robin. They all looked haunted, and even though they were surrounded by dust and boxes and looked like they were in some abandoned building, something in their faces showed relief.
“You saved them.”
“Yeah. They’re all messed up, though. Still. They’re a work in progress.”
“And it’s my fault,” Sawyer said. He wished he could go back in time and yell at his former self, demand that he make a different decision. There was no way he’d known the consequences would be this. No way. He couldn’t have known what was at stake and made the choices he’d made.
“Maybe. A little. Fuck, I’ve blamed you for a long time. You and your brother both. Ever since the first vision I had of you. I knew this was on you. Then I saw you laughing and smiling with your mates and…”
“It made you mad. I get it.”
“I need you to make this right, Sawyer.”
“I will,” Sawyer vowed.
“How?”
“I don’t know. But I will. I’ll figure it out. I’m close. I can feel it. I have my mates and my guide.”
Dakota reached for Sawyer and rubbed his thumb over Sawyer’s neck. It was probably pretty red still from the hold he’d had on Sawyer earlier. “Sorry.”
“No more, okay?” Sawyer asked.
“No more,” Dakota agreed. “I want to help make this right.”
Sawyer took a breath and tried to make sure his next words demonstrated the true depths of his feelings. He needed Dakota to understand. “That’s all I want. Whatever it takes, I want to make things right.”
The next moment passed with Sawyer holding his breath. He didn’t know why he was so desperate for Dakota to believe him, but he did need it. More than he realized. So when Dakota pulled him close and wrapped his arms around Sawyer, Sawyer was finally able to breathe once more.
The final words of the prophecy bounced into his mind even as he breathed in Dakota’s scent.The chosen one brings strength and balance, for peace and love to survive.And that’s what this was going to be, Sawyer realized. A battle for survival. But there was more to this than Sawyer knew. Dakota had been right to say he didn’t know and didn’t understand. Because this was about more than winning a battle. Sawyer needed to win the war.
