Page 78 of Heart of the Hunted
"And that someone had to be you?" he asked.
"Well, yes, I was the leader of our group, so it was my responsibility to make sure she was okay."
"Why didn't you take anyone with you?"
"Because it was safer if they went ahead." In hindsight, she probably should have, but after everything that had happened to her since separating from them, she was glad she hadn't taken anyone with her.
"Safer for them, maybe,” he told her.
Natalia had the feeling he was pissed off, but she didn't know why.
"Yes, it was safer for them," Natalia said, looking up at him. "It was my job to keep them safe."
"Not anymore it isn't,” he said sternly.
"Of course, it is."
"No, now it's my job. Like it's my job to keep you safe."
Natalia didn't know what to say. She was hoping he would promise not to kill her friends, but she never expected him to take on the responsibility of keeping them safe as well.
"So," he said. "We'll tell Dain tomorrow that we need to find them as well as Arun."
"Thank you,” she finally said.
"You're welcome."
Natalia couldn't stop the tears from falling in front of him this time. Instead of pushing her away, or saying something about them, Taredd pulled her closer into his arms and held her tightly while she quietly sobbed.
Even though she tried not to show it, she had been so frightened to tell him about her friends, and even more frightened when the other Demons had hold of her. Especially when she was alone with one of them. It wasn't so much the beating he gave her, it was more the fact that if Taredd hadn't arrived when he did, that monster would have raped her.
Natalia knew she was lucky Taredd turned up in time. She didn't know how she was going to repay him for rescuing her, but she owed him her life, if not more.
When she eventually stopped crying again, Natalia couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, so she didn't bother fighting it. Feeling like a child safe in Taredd's arms, she drifted off to sleep.
