Theo stayed still for a while. Hold the child? He couldn't see himself doing it, but he swallowed hard, the stone in his gut turning over.
He looked at the boy's small, pale legs shaking against the mat. For the first time, he tried to imagine that Theo was Maya. He had been with her through all her fears and tears. So, he understood what this child was feeling, and it… hurt his heart.
Slowly, the large man shifted off the edge of the bed and knelt on the floor beside Alias. His massive, calloused hands hesitated in the air for a fraction of a second before he closed the distance.
Theo reached out and wrapped his arms completely around both Alias and the boy, pulling them flush against his broad, solid chest.
His large arms covered Kael's back entirely, his massive frame acting as a physical shield against the window and the flashing sky.
