Page 89 of Starting a New Life

Chapter 19

Nix

They were gone.

Holy shit, they were actually gone.

I stared at the forest outside the barrier, feeling for Bear and his two cronies to make sure they were actually leaving—and they were. Their auras were getting weaker by the second. They’d probably had a car waiting for them close by that they were using as their getaway now.

It was almost too easy, the way they’d been defeated. Six months of being hunted down like an animal, and now it was over within minutes.

I walked away from the flurry of action around me. There were more ATVs coming, a tarp was being spread, and sweatpants handed out like candy. They were working like a well-oiled machine to take care of the situation while I… just couldn’t believe it was really over.

No one was waiting for me to ease up, to get sloppy, or to make a mistake. No one was waiting with a collar in their hands until I ran out of steam.

I took a deep breath, desperate to get more oxygen into my lungs as my vision began to swim, but I couldn’t breathe. There was a lump in my throat blocking my airway, a rope around my neck choking me, and…

Warm arms encircled me, pulling me into a tight hug as my cheek was smushed against an incredibly warm chest.

“Breathe,” Gray whispered, his hand drawing circles on my back. “Just breathe.”

Easier said than done, but I tried to follow his command, nonetheless. I willed my heart to slow down, willed the feeling of being suffocated away. I swallowed the lump until my airways felt free and greedily sucked icy air into my lungs.

“You’re okay,” Gray whispered so low I was sure no one but me could hear him. “You’re free.”

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I’d have doubled over if not for Gray’s arms holding me up.

Free.

The word echoed in my mind, a concept too foreign to fully grasp. I’d never been truly free. Not as a child, not as a teen, and definitely not as an adult.

What did I even do now?

My heart rate kicked up again, a whole new set of thoughts assaulting my mind. I had no education. I was technically an illegal immigrant. No job. No house. Nothing to…

“You’re spiralling,” Gray said, keeping me pressed against his chest as he rested his chin on top of my head. “That’s okay. It’s a lot. But I’m here. Every step of the way. I promise you, I’m here. And you’re okay. Breathe.”

I took another deep breath, the cold burning in my lungs.

“And out.”

I released the air from my lungs, let it out in a slow and steady stream. And with the air, the tension left my body.

“Again.”

I closed my eyes and did what Gray said. I inhaled deeply and let it go. Five times, six, just listening to his rumbling voice, feeling the vibrations in his chest as the tension washed away, leaving me utterly drained and tired. As if this fight hadn’t been over before I even arrived. As if I’d actually taken part in it. As if I’d run a marathon.

I guess, in a way, I had. I’d run from Southern California to British Columbia. I’d run for six months straight. Never able to relax completely, always looking over my shoulder, always prepared for an attack.

“Better?” Gray asked after a while.

I nodded, but hugged him tighter, squeezing him with everything I had. I wasn’t ready for him to let go. Wasn’t ready for his warmth to leave me or to lose the safety of his arms.

I looked up at him, right into his dark, burning eyes, at his full lips that were tilted into a gentle smile. They were tempting. Looking all kinds of plush and soft when I knew they were firm and a bit dry.

The blood was gone from his face too.

I furrowed my brow. What… when…