Chapter 27: Chapter 27

FJORN

I wanted to kill him as I watched Ulf walk with his arms around her. I took a step forward, but Sten grabbed my elbow, shaking his head. I knew I had messed up, but she had run. She had left me! She had betrayed me and shattered my trust with her lies!

If Ulf went inside with her, he was a dead man. I watched every move closely. Ulf helped her inside before turning to face me.

“You should have left her like I told you,” I said as Ulf slowly walked up to me. He sighed, then punched me hard in the mouth. I staggered backward.

“What the hell?” I said, wiping the blood from my lip with the back of my hand.

“I’ve stood by and said nothing, but are you that fucking stupid?” Ulf asked, taking another swing. I ducked before tackling him to the ground.

We went back and forth, throwing punches until Sten pulled us apart, leaving both of us panting.

“You!” Sten said, pointing at me. “Go tell Kendra you’re fucking sorry, or I’ll make sure you ~feel~ sorry.” He took a step toward Ulf, poking him in the chest. “And you, go give Fjorn a hug and tell him you’re sorry.”

Ulf turned and looked at me with a scowl. His face was swollen and bloody, and from the pain in mine, I was sure we looked alike. He shifted his weight, and I watched his face change from anger to a smile as he walked over to me. I felt uncomfortable with his hug as he wrapped his arms around me.

“I’m sorry, Fjorn, for kicking your ass,” he said.

I pushed him away, and he started to laugh. Looking at his face, I started laughing too. “You should see your face!” I said, shaking my head.

“Oh yeah? You should see yours!” Sten rubbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at us as we both continued to laugh. We all stopped as movement stirred at the tent opening.

Kendra gasped as her eyes darted from Ulf back to me. When her eyes met mine, I quickly looked down. I saw the mark on her neck—the one I had put there. How could I ever hurt her like that? A lump formed in my stomach. Guilt consumed me. How could I blame her for leaving when I broke the only promise that ever mattered?

Kneeling before her, I lowered my head even more. “I swore never to hurt you, and I—” I broke off, unable to continue. When she ran, it felt like a wild creature had been unleashed from deep within me. The rage I felt at her betrayal consumed me, and my mind fixated on hunting her down, capturing her, and making her pay for what she had done.

A surge of anger rushed through me, and I looked up at her, my frown evident. “Why did you run?”

Kendra looked away, her eyes filled with bitterness. As she turned to face me again, she straightened her spine, and her voice was strong and clear. “I knew this would happen,” she said, pointing to her neck and then the various scrapes and bruises that adorned her exposed skin.

“So if you’re going to kill me, make it quick,” she interrupted, her eyes filling with tears. “I’d rather die than live with the constant fear of being beaten whenever this darkness you have inside you takes over.”

My head snapped back as if I had been slapped. “All I have ever done is try to protect you!” I said, reaching for her hand.

She leaped backward, her hands instinctively rising in anticipation of a blow. Sten, mirroring her concern, placed a firm hand on my shoulder, and Ulf swiftly positioned himself as a barrier between Kendra and me.

“I’m not going to hurt her!” I bellowed. Then, seeing the panic in Kendra’s eyes, I lowered my voice. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I said softly.

I heaved a sigh and sat heavily on the ground as realization washed over me. I was falling in love with Kendra—no, I had already fallen—and losing her would have been worse than any pain I could have possibly imagined. I knew, because watching her pull away from me was sharper than any arrow or knife.

I was a warrior. Pain served as a constant reminder of the battles I had to face, and my anger became a necessary armor to shield me from that pain.

I hadn’t even been aware, but the fear of losing her had driven my anger to an extreme. Instead of offering her love and protection as I intended, I was unintentionally pushing her away to protect my own heart.

My shoulders shook as a sob ripped through my throat. I couldn’t even remember the last time I cried. “I’m sorry,” I choked out. “I’m so sorry.”

I got back on my knees and grabbed Kendra’s hands, grateful she didn’t pull away. “Please believe me,” I said. “I will never raise a hand in anger toward you again.”

With suspicion in her eyes, she looked from me to Sten and Ulf, their brows raised in astonishment. In all our years of friendship, I don’t think either of them had ever seen me break down before.

I turned back to Kendra. “I swear, with Sten and Ulf as my witnesses, that if I ever so much as touch you the wrong way, you can go wherever you want. I’ll even help you pack. Sten, Ulf, you understand?”

Their nods were accompanied by a shift in their eyes, from their usual mischievousness to a deep sense of gravity. They looked from me to Kendra.

“If he raises a hand to you again, he’ll look much worse than he does now, I promise,” Ulf said, his eyes returning to me and his voice harboring none of the warmth I was used to.

“Please stay,” I said, my voice filled with desperation as I lowered my head once more, bracing myself for her judgment.

Silence stretched as I waited for her to say something. With every passing minute, I became more acutely aware of the enormity of what I had done.

I flinched when she placed her hand on my cheek. I wanted nothing more than to lean into her touch, soaking up her warmth. But I didn’t deserve that. I didn’t deserve her. She placed both hands on my cheeks, gently tilting my face up to meet her gaze. Her soft blue eyes pierced into me. A tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn’t break eye contact with her.

Slowly, I reached up, touching her neck. She didn’t flinch or turn away as my fingertips slid over the darkening skin. “How could I have ever hurt you?” I asked, a lump in my throat threatening to choke me. “I’m not the hero to save you. I’m the villain.”

“Prove you can change.”