“We broke into the room where they had him,” she began, her voice growing softer, her eyes darting over to where Zack lay. “Eve knocked the guards out, and I went to unlock his cuffs. He wasn’t completely lucid, but he was mumbling. He was saying a lot of things, and when he saw it was me, it got worse.”
I wanted to ask what he had said, my curiosity brimming, but I suppressed the question even as it bubbled on my lips. I let her take her time, mulling over what she wanted to say and omit.
“He said it was too dangerous for him to have a mate, that he was never meant to have one.” Her voice was whisper-soft, to the point where I thought I might’ve imagined the entire thing. “He also said that he needed to protect me, even if it meant crushing my heart.”
The conversation shattered, and that cheesy laughter trickled in the background as I found myself completely speechless. I had never been one to give advice of any kind. Even though I could feel her emotions like they were my own, I had absolutely no clue what she should do next. Clearly, Zack had made up his mind, but he also firmly believed we would lose against his father.
Minutes faded into hours, making my eyes sore and dry from staring at the brightly lit TV screen. I had thought the family TV show might grow on me, but it actually had the opposite effect. I sighed in relief when Kat changed the channel to some alien movie.
“A little fantasy might do us good,” she muttered, snorting when a grotesque-looking alien popped onto the screen.
“Speak for yourself, werewolves were fantasy up until a few months ago.” I chuckled quietly, needing just a moment or two of normalcy before reality seeped back in. “For all I know, those slimy things are real.”
“Believe me, if they were real, I would’ve told you by now.” She managed a small but genuine smile while wrapping a fur blanket around her shoulders. “I would have told you while Ethan and Kieran were… pursuing you, for lack of a better word, if they hadn’t made me keep my trap shut. They wanted to be the ones to break the news to you, but Sebastian got there first.”
“Good old Sebastian.” I snorted, even though I truly did hope he and Williams made it out of the hotel in one piece. My nerves were still frayed from Ethan’s capture, and the last thing I needed was another family member gone missing. “Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have listened to them either.”
“Stubbornness is not an attractive trait, Sophia,” Kat teased, sounding just a little closer to her usual self.
“It’s a good thing my best friend is twice as stubborn as me, then.” I shrugged, snickering when her eyebrows lifted.
The tablet began blaring, spewing its shrill sound into the air. Eve let out a raspy grunt and flung herself to her feet. Her hazel eyes darted around the room frantically, her hands splayed out at her sides as she readied to use her powers.
“Don’t you dare, Eve! It’s just the stupid tablet!” Kat hissed, giving her shoulders a little shake.
“Shit, thanks for that. I nearly put you all to sleep.” Eve grumbled, rubbing at her eyes.
I scrambled for the tablet, sliding it open a little easier this time. I visibly jumped off the couch when the sound of a fist against metal thrummed through the house. I broke out in a full sweat when the exhausted faces of Ethan and Kieran filled the screen. I unlocked the front door as I had the first time and sprinted over.
They opened it before I could reach for the handle. At the sight of Ethan’s haggard face, my muscles coiled, and I leaped forwards. Both men staggered as I barreled into them. Ethan steadied himself on Kieran, who braced a hand against the wall. Both twins seemed to let out identical sighs as they registered my scent and touch. Ethan’s arms wound themselves around my body, tight to the point of near-pain. I couldn’t bring myself to care and burrowed myself deeper into his chest. His scent was stronger from when he had been taken by Maverick’s men, but all that mattered was he was safe.
‘We are never, ever leaving your side again.’ Ethan’s voice flooded my mind, full of his usual warmth and affection. Even with the obvious exhaustion in his voice, there wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t grateful to be here with us.
‘Good, don’t. Ever.’ I laughed, but the sound was shaky and broken. All of the stress and worry I had been shoving aside was coming back to me, weighing down on my chest until my breaths came out in fast pants. At the time, I couldn’t let myself think about how close I had come to losing Ethan. Now, it was all I could think about. Over my shoulder, I could feel the twins share a look.
“Before you guys head upstairs, think you could put him in a room?” Kat asked, nodding to where Zack lay unconscious on the couch.
“I’ll explain later,” I chimed in, my words only partially muffled from being wrapped around Ethan and Kieran.
“I’ve got it. Pick out a room and I’ll meet you both there. You look like you’re ready to fall over any minute.” Kieran grunted, giving Ethan a once over.
He placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, giving him a look that no one other than the two of us would understand. We were both relieved beyond anything that he was back, but the guilt of not finding him sooner weighed on both of us. We were reminded of it in the way Ethan’s eyes were shadowed, and the way his skin had paled even further. I sent Kieran the warmth and intensity of everything I felt for him, of the bond that surpassed love and spanned worlds. I could feel his reaction instantly, the way the muscles in his jaw relaxed and his shoulders loosened.
In any other situation, I would’ve been ecstatic to be staying in a house like this. Everything was smooth and pristine, untouched or marred by anyone living. Even the windows were bare of the smallest imperfection. I would have searched this house top to bottom, and wandered every single room inside. Given the situation, and our current state of exhaustion, I opted for the first room we stumbled upon. The bed could easily fit the three of us, and even more if we tried. It was plush, set atop an oak bedframe, and was covered in a silk bedspread. I let out a small whimper as Ethan walked past the bed and towards the large bathroom.
“You can go to sleep, doll.” Ethan turned from messing with the shower knobs and gave me a gentle smile. It was just the slight curve of one side of his mouth, but it held his usual tenderness that I had missed endlessly.
The bathroom was larger than necessary, especially the shower with its six built-in heads. My favorite part was the long marble bench within the shower, a blessing to have when you need to shave. I couldn’t help but wonder what Carlos’s personal home looked like, considering his safehouse was a mansion in the forest.
“What happened to never leaving my side?” I repeated with a hint of a smirk.
“Then I suppose you’ll have to shower with me.” He chuckled, and I placed my hand against the hardness of his chest to feel the sound vibrate across his skin. He wrapped an arm around my waist and toyed with the hem of my t-shirt. “If I slip into bed now, it’s going to smell disgusting.”
“I think you smell good.” I mumbled, not at all flustered from the way his eyes flickered down to my lips.
Even though I wanted to stay awake, to make up for lost time, I could see how exhausted he was. I hadn’t a clue how hard their trip was, or how they had managed to get free of the hotel in the first place. As Ethan gripped the hem of his t-shirt, I wiggled my fingers into the waistband of his sweatpants. I didn’t miss the way his eyes flicked up to my face, his eyes onyx and endless under the white light of the bathroom. I inched them down his hips, taking care not to catch them on his growing member.
“Sleep sounds less appealing with every second.” Ethan smiled a bit cheekily, and the sight invoked an instant reaction within me.
“You won’t be saying that in the morning.” I teased, pulling my own shirt from my head. I swatted his hands away when they veered towards my chest and unbuttoned the pants I wore.
Only when we slipped under the steam of the shower did I let him take me into his arms. The heat of the water enveloped us, chasing away the chill and fear that had followed for so long. The glass that surrounded us began to fog, blocking our view from the open bathroom door. The minute his lips clashed against mine, all thoughts of sleep went out the window. The taste of him danced on my tongue, sweet and masculine as it wrapped around my brain and jumbled my thoughts. I could feel his rough hands roaming over every part of me; the soft flesh of my chest, down to the curve of my waist and bottom. His hands scalded the places they touched, pairing with the hot water to make my skin flush. He rememorized my body, all without delving into the places he craved the most. After he mapped out my flesh with his fingertips, I settled into his embrace and watched the dirt and grime of the last few days swirl down the grated drain.