Page 19 of A Soul’s Awakening

“You don’t understand,” he said quietly. Something twisted across his expression then, gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

His breathing grew uneven as he dragged a hand through his hair. “You don’t understand,” he repeated, refusing to fully meet my eyes now. “I can’t …” He swallowed hard. “I need to go.”

Ren stormed out of the kitchen, clipping my shoulder as he pushed past me. “Ren, wait!”

Thomas grabbed my wrist. “Let him cool down, Theo.”

I looked toward the archway, then back to Thomas. “I just … I don’t get why he’s mad at me. I thought he’d be happy to be back here, to see me again.”

“I don’t think he’s angry with you,” Thomas said gently, offering me a hesitant smile. “He’s terrified.”

My chest tightened.

“We don’t know what happened to him in the underworld,” Thomas continued softly, “but whatever he went through clearly left a mark. People don’t come back from something like that unchanged.”

His gaze flicked toward the hallway Ren had disappeared down. “And then he comes home only to find out you followed him into the same nightmare and you nearly died because of it.” Thomas exhaled quietly. “I think he’s realizing just how close he came to losing you. You can’t blame him for feeling scared.”

“I … I just wanted to help.” Guilt fluttered in my stomach.

“I know, Theo.” Thomas rubbed my back in comforting circles. “Just give him some space for now. He’ll come around.”

Alex rubbed his eyes, letting out a massive yawn as he leaned against me and rested his head on my shoulder.

“If you’re tired, you can take Stella’s room for the night,” Thomas announced cheerfully.

“Woah, wait? What?” Stella slapped her hands on the table, rattling the plates. “Why does he get my room? Why can’t he take the couch or something?”

“You wouldn’t deny this poor young man the comfort of a soft, luxurious mattress after years of sleeping on a cold concrete floor, would you? And there are no extra bedrooms, so …” The innocent twinkle in Thomas’ eye set Stella on edge.

“H-he can take my room for the night!” Ivy stammered. “I think I saw an air mattress in the attic somewhere. I’ll just sleep in Stella’s room for now.”

Alex looked toward me for approval. “It’s up to you. You can stay here for the night, or if you want some peace and quiet, I’m sure Thomas would let you sleep in the extra bedroom at his place.”

Although they had met each other only a few hours ago, Thomas and Alex bonded closely. There was a quiet trust between them, maybe because of their Syndicate pasts. Even knowing Thomas was technically two-hundred-and-something years old and Alex was nineteen, the demon had immediately adopted this young man and taken him under his wing, and Alex had easily latched on.

Those sparkling blue eyes were asking me a question he didn’t know how to answer. Despite his connection to Thomas, I knew Alex was still attached to me—the man who had protected and rescued him from his captors after years of suffering—so I wasn’t surprised when he eventually spent the night here in Salem.

Stella and Ivy left to prepare the bedroom while Alex and Thomas ventured off to find the air mattress.

I was pretty certain Ren had stormed into my bedroom, his old bedroom before he allowed me to move in. But I wasn’t sure if he was waiting around in there or if he had used the portal beyond the closet door to go to his other home in Boston.

So, I waited downstairs in the living room, idly shuffling through television shows, desperately hoping he’d come back. Excitement fluttered in my chest when, about an hour later, he did.

Unfortunately, that joy immediately deflated when he said, “I’m leaving.”

11

“You’re leaving?” I shot up from the couch and stormed toward Ren, who lingered near the stairs like he was already halfway out the door. “What the fuck do you mean, you’re leaving? You don’t get to disappear after pulling that stunt.”

Ren flinched, the reaction so brief I almost missed it. “I’m not …” He dragged a hand over his face, exhaustion weighing down his voice. “I’m not leaving, Theo. I just …”

His words faltered.

“I need time to think.” His gaze dropped to the floor instead of meeting mine. “I’m going home. To Boston.”

My shoulders sagged as I exhaled a deep breath. He was running away, but at least had enough sense to come talk to me before he did. “Are you sure going back there is even a good idea? It’s been a while. You don’t know if it’s even safe. Maybe you should … stay here for the night? With me?”

Ren sighed as he lowered his head, a long strand of hair falling across his face, covering his eyebrow piercing. “You don’t need to worry, Theo. I made preparations to ensure that the place was guarded well, but I do need to check on a few things. Stay here and take care of Alex. I’ll be fine.”