R
yland
She panics, thinking our anger is at her and bolts for the door. Our anger isn’t directed at her but at what happened.
Thaddeus growls, the lights flicker out before flicking on, and he is directly in front of her. She freezes, her entire body tense as he grips her face and sifts through her mind, digging through every memory.
His eyes turn black once he finds what he is looking for, his grip tightens on her as he watches every memory. Every emotion she feels in that year hits him and me, and I feel sick to my stomach.
Running for the bathroom, I throw up, feeling everything that piece of shit did to her. I have never been sick, so this is a fresh experience for me. My throat burns as I throw up the contents of my stomach. I can feel him still sifting through her memories and feel what she endured as I wash my face before walking out.
Orion is sitting there with wide eyes, and I know he is in Thaddeus’s head, watching along with him. I am glad I don’t have that gift for once because curiosity probably would have made me snoop. Thaddeus’ words pull my eyes back to him as I feel the ill-feeling coiling in my stomach leave.
“It’s over, it happened, but it doesn’t hurt. You did what you had to do. You are safe now. Let it go,” he says. Her eyes glaze over as she tries fighting against it.
I am shocked he doesn’t just completely erase it. He lets her keep the memories because of the girl she doesn’t want to forget. Thaddeus’ hands glow green as I watch him pull the darkness from her, absorbing it and taking it from her.
A range of emotions flood the bond as he repeats his words, and she repeats after him. Relief is all I can feel from her as the heavy burden of what she carries is lifted. She runs to him, her little arms wrap around him as he picks her up, hugging her close like they are each other’s lifeline.
Thaddeus’ green eyes go to ours, and Orion and I watch as he closes his eyes, tears run down his cheeks at what he saw, what she went through.
It is the first time we have ever seen him cry.
I didn’t think he was even capable of tears. Orion, I can feel, is just as upset, and I promise myself never to ask what they saw. Orion moves to her, wrapping his arms around them, and Evelyn turns her head on Thaddeus’ shoulder. She looks completely relaxed and at home in their arms.
I let out the breath I am holding, watching them in awe. Thaddeus kisses her head, and she lifts her face from his shoulder to kiss him. Thaddeus’ shock hits me as he kisses her back softly. His hand goes into her hair, gently holding her in place. I chuckle at the sight as she pulls back, resting her forehead on his.
E
velyn
We spend the rest of the day watching movies. Thaddeus, though, I can tell is slightly off, and Orion and Ryland keep sending him nervous glances, which I can’t understand.
You can feel the negative energy in the air. When we finish dinner, his entire body is shaking, and his eyes flicker between black and green frighteningly. Orion abruptly stands up, giving me a nervous glance as he grips Thaddeus and tugs him outside.
Grabbing everyone’s dishes, I walk into the kitchen and start stacking the dishwasher. Ryland follows behind me and helps me.
“What’s wrong with Thaddeus?” I ask while rinsing a plate.
“He will be fine. Sometimes, the darkness becomes too much,” he answers, not adding anything else. We walk out once we’re finished, and I notice Orion and Thaddeus haven’t returned.
“Where did they go?” I ask, confused.
“To blow off steam. Thaddeus isn’t safe to be around when he is like that. It’s not worth the risk to you,” Ryland answers. As I walk upstairs, Ryland sits on the couch. “Where are you going?” he asks, looking up at me.
“To go shower. You can join me if you want,” I tell him, and he jumps up and rushes up the stairs.
Ryland grabs me before I make it through the bedroom door, spinning me around and slamming me into the wall. My legs wrap tightly around his waist as he knocks the air out of me, making me cough as I smile at him.
He’s breathing hard as he presses closer, his nose goes into the crook of my neck as he inhales my scent. Ryland sucks on my mark, and I moan loudly without realizing I do. Ryland chuckles softly and pulls back to kiss me gently. I can feel his erection pressing against me, yet the old, frightened feelings no longer affect me. For the first time, my mind is completely mine. I can feel his shock as I kiss him back, but he quickly deepens the kiss and growls.
“We should shower before I piss off our mates by taking you first.” He chuckles and kisses me again, as he lets me stand.
Going to the bathroom, I strip my clothes off and turn the shower on. Ryland’s intense gaze makes my skin heat. My eyes roam over his muscled arms as he moves closer and cages me against the wall with his arms on either side of my head. His black eyes look down at me. Lifting my hand, I trace it down his chest to his abs. His body tenses under my touch.
Standing on my toes, I kiss him softly, feeling his tongue run over my bottom lip as he sucks it into his mouth. Then, Thaddeus’ voice echoes through me.
“Hands off, Ryland!” Thaddeus growls, and I pull back, looking toward the door, only no one is there.