The Beast And The Blessed

Sixty: Tobias

Tobias's P.O.V.

She had been hunched over the table for hours, staring at a smaller map covered in pins from the list of locations, trying to find a connection.

Everyone who had been helping had long since gone to bed, deciding it would be safe to take a break for the night and come back with fresh eyes tomorrow.

Joselin didn't.

So we sat together, looking for a pattern or reason for why Cora was visiting all these places. Her motive was hidden in there somewhere. We just had to find it, and the puzzle would drive Joselin mad if she didn't get some sleep.

“Please get some rest," I whispered, taking her hand in mine and pulling on it gently to get her to face me. She glanced my way before turning back to the list of locations.

Joselin still had dark circles under her eyes, and I knew she was running out of energy. My worry for her only increased when I saw her find that hair in Rona's room. She had slipped it into her pocket and went on her way.

After seeing that, I knew Rona wasn't cursing her as we thought. But she still felt like shit, and it was obvious. Her movements were slower, and her appetite was still suppressed.

Her face would flush every now and then, and I could hear her swallow hard when a bought of nausea would hit her. Something was wrong, and I could only support her until she was ready to open up to me about it. With the stress of Cora running free, there was no way she would be honest with me right now if I asked her.

She would probably tell me it was nothing to worry about and go on pretending that she was okay. But she wasn't okay, and I watched her like a hawk.

"There has to be a reason," She muttered, her fingers lacing into her hair as she rested her elbows on the table. "I feel like it is right in front of me, and I just can't see it."

“Even if it is only one hour, let's get some sleep, and we can come back to it with fresh eyes." My insistence went in one ear and right back out the other. She was either intentionally ignoring me or was so lost in thought that she really didn't hear me when I spoke.

The food I had asked to be brought to her tower sat untouched, but she drank the glass of water. It was a small win and a lot of worry.

grew, and I was ready to snap at her because I was worried and wanted to be heard. I wanted to know she was okay, but she didn't deserve me snapping at her. She was clearly burnt out, didn't feel good,

my chair sliding back loudly before I slid my arms behind her knees and back.

happy, her well-being also came first. I was doing

shouted, her body twisting to break out

her without being well-rested, so we might as well return to this once you are stronger."

closely as I got it wet and wiped her face slowly and carefully. The fabric slid across her smooth skin, and her breath fanned my face as she sighed when I moved

whispered, and while I had no intentions of having sex tonight, the way the name 'baby1 rolled off her tongue

want to take care of you." Her hands rested on my hips, gripping my shirt as

"What's going through that pretty

She turned her head to look away from me. I wiped the cloth over her collarbone once more before letting it fall on

doing that?" My eyes were locked on her lips, and my thumb moved up from her chin to run along her plump bottom lip. It moved with me as I pulled it down slightly, and I leaned in and stole a light peck before pulling back to look into her

kiss. Goddess, that kind of reaction

shirt as she stared down at my chest. Her shoulders were hunched forward, and she leaned into me with her cheek on my chest. “I'm just exhausted. We should leave when this is over and go on

head as I spoke into her hair.

in more than usual, making me want to wrap myself around her and never let her go. After a few more deep breaths, I

go?" She asked, excitement in her tone as her

would go anywhere with

at her. She had been slowly blocking me in our mate bond over the past few days, keeping me at a distance

hour ago, she had built a wall between us so tall that I couldn't reach her at all. It wasn't just her emotions she cut off.

had no problem with that in private, but I still wasn't a big fan of that when we were in

tell me what's going on in your head. Why did you shut me out?" I felt sick

he had shut me out. Joselin shook her head before quickly apologizing as the wall crumbled slowly. "I didn’t mean to do that! There's just

sigh, looking terrified

make it through anything, but seeing how she looked at me right then made my heart clench.

could see on her face that it would knock me off my