Infinity Chronicles Book Three

by Albany Walker

  Ollie turns his smile in my direction. Yeah, I’ve been there too. Ollie has the ability to render smart girls stupid with just a look. I look away before he realizes what I’m thinking.

  Milo pulls out his phone and I sit up, eager to see if it’s a call from Dante or Ares. He opens up a gaming app instead. My hopes fall, along with my heart. “I don’t like that we haven’t heard from Ares or Dante. It’s been too long, something feels off.”

  Milo makes eye contact with Ollie over the table. He sets his phone down and wraps his arm around the top of my chair. “Let’s wait until we’re home, then we can try to facetime them.” I know he’s stalling, but I like the idea of facetiming them from our room, so I let the tactic slide.

  “All right, I guess.” I look out the window wondering what they could be doing—are they learning anything useful, or will it be a waste of time?

  Milo and Ollie work hard to distract me during dinner and the ride home, but thoughts of Dante and Ares are never far. By the time we pull into the driveway I’m a ball of nervous excitement. Milo placed his palm on my thigh halfway through the ride just to keep me from wiggling around so much.

  We enter through the back door, like usual, and the moment I cross the threshold I feel the shift immediately. My breath leaves me in a gasp, Ares and Dante are close. “They’re here.” I freeze, closing my eyes and letting the new awareness wash over me. If I wasn’t so full of nervous energy on the ride home, I’m sure I would have realized it sooner.

  “What, who?” Milo sounds incredulous. I raise my arm out behind me, asking him to wait.

  My focus hones in on their essence, and I wrap the inky darkness of Ares’s ability around myself and extend my senses. Without thought, I go right to our room. Dante is lying on the bed with his eyes closed, soft gold surrounding him, and he looks like he’s sleeping. Next, I concentrate on Ares.

  Merely the thought of him takes me to where he is, in the shower. His head is bent low as the water glides over the back of his neck. I have a scant second to admire him before his head snaps up. He looks over in my direction, his eyes fully black. Even though I’m not physically in the room, he knows I’m here.

  The aura I see around Ares is like a living thing. It’s black, but looks like it’s filled with bright sparks of silver. The darkness reaches in my direction, winding its way closer to me with a hunger that threatens to consume me. “Come, Cara.” His words snap me out of the projection.

  Shaken, I look over my shoulder to find Milo and Ollie staring at me, their eyes wide. Before my sight has a chance to adjust, I see the arc of Ollie’s bright orange aura around him. My eyes follow a shift in color, as green melds into the edges where Milo is standing near him. The edges of the colors are tasting each other and fading together, so I can’t tell where one begins and the other ends.

  Ollie reaches out and his hand clasps mine. When I look down at our joined hands, I see a flash of white, before the hazy glow of colors disappears altogether. I shake away all the questions I have about those colors and focus on what’s really important. “Ares and Dante are home.”

  Milo looks over my shoulder, like he’s expecting to see one of them appear. “Dante is asleep, and Ares is in the shower.” I kick off my shoes in a rush to get to them.

  “That’s oddly specific.” Ollie chuckles like I’m being silly.

  “Well, that’s where they were when I saw them. I’m pretty sure Dante was sleeping, his colors were faint.”

  Milo grabs my arm, his grip firm but not enough to hurt me. “What colors?” His eyes scan mine, searching.

  Impatient, I turn to face him. “I don’t know, the colors.” I shrug, thinking he would know more about this than I do. “I’ve only seen them a few times before. Ares would be able to describe them better. But yours is green, like forest green. It’s a lot brighter than the last time I saw it. And Ollie, yours is orange, it’s like a halo, and I think it’s your aura or something. I don’t know. Can we talk about this later?”

  “Was mine bright too?” Ollie questions while kicking off his own shoes.

  “Yours has always been bright, it was only Milo’s that was kinda faded, but not anymore,” I call over my shoulder. I’m not jogging, but I might be in contention for a speed walking race.

  “Someone’s excited,” I hear Ollie mutter. I don’t bother to deny his words, since it’s obvious they’re true.

  I pause before going through the door. Second guessing myself that Dante and Ares really are here. Pushing the doubt away I open the door and peer into the dim light. The lump on the bed confirms what I already knew. No longer hesitant, I hustle over to the bed. Dante’s lips are parted, and one arm is folded behind his head as if he didn’t really expect to fall asleep.

  I trace my finger over his brow, pushing a few locks of hair away from his forehead in the process. He lets out a soft sigh, not waking.

  Letting him be, I turn toward the bathroom door. Should I wait for Ares to come out? He knew I was coming. Biting my bottom lip, I approach the door, and with my palms out I place my ear on the wooden panel. “Ares?” I’m eager to see him, but when I left him, he was naked in the shower. The image of his toned body leaning against the wall, water cascading over his skin, fills my mind.

  “Come in,” Ares calls back. I push the door and peek around the edge. Ares is facing the wall, pulling a pair of gray sweatpants up over his bare butt. I freeze. He told me to come in, right? He straightens and turns to face me. Forgetting I caught him dressing, and that he still doesn’t have a shirt on, my only thought is to go to him.

  In the blink of an eye I’m there. Only I didn’t walk. A wave of vertigo washes over me, so I stumble against him. Ares catches me, his eyes wide in shock. “Holy hell, are you all right?”

  Ignoring his concern, I blurt, “Why didn’t you call, is everything okay?” His eyes search mine as his brow furrows.

  “I knew you’d be asleep when we got back from the meeting. I didn’t want to wake you.” He runs his fingers along the side of my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I told you to call, I wouldn’t have cared if you woke me. What about today then, why didn’t you call today?” My worry that something might have happened to them morphs into anger now that I know they’re both fine.

  “We got a late start this morning, once I knew we were coming home today, I wanted to get home to you as soon as possible.”

  “Well, you guys should have called. I’ve been worried all day.” I plant my cheek against his bare chest and wrap my arms around his back.

  “Are you mad at me?” Ares’s question sounds slightly pleased and a little incredulous.

  “It’s not funny. And yes, I think I am.” I didn’t even realize it myself until I knew he was safe. I pull back, looking into his eyes. He’s sporting a slight grin, and he tries in vain to stifle it when I narrow my eyes at him.

  “Don’t be upset.” He licks his bottom lip, dipping his head closer to mine. “I was thinking about you every second.” His words are spoken just above a whisper. I swallow, licking my own lip. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s seducing me, and he’s not even trying.

  “If you were thinking about me, then you should have called,” I chide him, but my voice is breathy.

  “I like the more direct approach,” he tells me, taking a step closer and forcing me to take a step back. I start to pull away but he grabs my hand, laying it over his chest, up near his heart. I feel the steady beat under my palm. His pupils dilate as he walks me backward, never getting more than a breath’s width away from me. “I missed you, did you miss me?” Ares bumps his nose against mine as he nuzzles me.

  I nod. “Yes.” My eyes fall closed. I expect him to kiss me, but he makes me wait. I feel the brush of his body connecting with mine as my back hits the wall. He crowds me, taking up every inch of available space, so he’s all I can see, feel.

  Ares’s hands skim up my sides, and he lifts my arms as he continues trailing his fingers up,
so my arms are above my head. Only then does he lean in and seal his lips to mine. His kiss is slow, drugging.

  Taking my arms from the wall, I reach for him. My hand glides over his taut jawline, feeling the rasp of his stubble on my palm as I continue until my fingertips sink into his damp hair. He tilts his head, angling to take the kiss deeper.

  I part my lips, letting him take the lead. Ares makes a satisfied noise, more of a groan of approval really. I wrap my other hand under his arm and around his back, and explore the way his muscles move under my fingers, the way he arches into my touch the same way I arch into his.

  Ares’s weight has me pinned to the wall, but I don’t feel trapped, if anything the pressure from his body feels comforting.

  I stroke my hand down his spine, feeling the curve of his backside, then the fabric of his pants, stopping my descent.

  Ares pulls his mouth from mine and he’s panting. His forehead hits my collarbone as he takes deep, steadying breaths. “Sorry I got carried away,” he murmurs.

  I tip my head back, letting it thud against the wall behind me. My breath is choppy, my heart is racing, and I can’t figure out why he stopped.

  Ares eventually lifts his head, his eyes are dark, but I can still make out the tawny brown color behind his pupils. “Hey,” he mutters, looking at my lips. At least I’m not the only one affected here. “I, ah… oh, yes. Next time I’ll call.” He takes a moment to stumble over the words.

  That brings a genuine smile to my lips. Ares is always so cool, it seems like he can walk away from our encounters without a problem, but not now. He’s struggling just as much as I am. I slide my hand over his shoulder, stopping where our chests are pressed together. He still hasn’t backed up.

  He takes a step back, like he’s just come to the same realization. I fold my arms under my chest. “You better call next time, and Dante’s not off the hook either. I didn’t want to wake him up.”

  Ares tries again to hide a smile but fails. “Got it, from now on we’ll check in. Be home when the street light come on.”

  I snort and roll my eyes at him. I’m not being unreasonable. “Like you wouldn’t have freaked out if I turned the tables.”

  He shakes his head in denial. “Wouldn’t happen,” he states with complete confidence.

  “I know. I wouldn’t do that to you guys.”

  Ares keeps his eyes locked on mine, but takes a few more steps away from me. He reaches for a folded t-shirt sitting on the bench seat. Shaking it out he slides his arms in, then ducks a little to pull it over his head. The fabric gets bunched up on his side, leaving a revealing glimpse of his lower stomach and abs. I don’t even try to look away. Ares’s clothing fits him well enough that it hints at the body beneath, but there’s nothing like seeing the real thing.

  “Wouldn’t happen, Cara, because nothing could keep me from you.” He’s not being cocky or saying it in jest. The conviction in his words settle somewhere deep inside me. Ares would always come for me, no matter what.

  I close the distance between us again. Wrapping my arms around his torso and burying my head under his chin. I’ve never experienced the absolute certainty of knowing I have a home, and that’s what Ares is. He’s my home, they all are. It doesn’t matter if we had to live in my old camper, they would never leave me to fend for myself. I love him, I love all of them, for giving me that.

  “I love you.” I look up into his face. Ares’s eyes widen for the briefest second before he tucks me back into his chest.

  “Love you too,” he adds gruffly.

  Chapter 11

  “So, tell us what happened, did you find anything out?” Milo is leaning against the wall where a headboard would be.

  I cuddle further into Dante’s embrace. Ollie didn’t have the same reservations about waking him up that I did. He gives me a slight squeeze and lets out a long sigh.

  “Nothing, it was a total waste of time,” Ares confesses, looking at the bed. Ollie has his head on my thigh, taking up almost the entire second king sized bed by lying sideways.

  “Really, nothing?” Milo sounds skeptical.

  “It wasn’t a complete waste of time, we figured out they’re hiding something, but we don’t know what,” Dante offers.

  Finally taking a seat, Ares settles at the edge of the bed. “Yeah, but we’re no closer to figuring out what happened to Laura’s mom or Leon.”

  I run my toe along Ares’s leg, getting his attention. “I’m happy you came home. I’d rather you be here, all together. We’ll figure it out.” He turns to look at me, but he doesn’t look convinced.

  “She’s right, it’s better if we’re all together,” Milo adds, surprising me a little. “I think we should make the announcement, we’re not doing ourselves any good by hiding her, or the fact that she’s with us. Anyone interested in Laura would know what she is to us, and there’s no other explanation why she would stay with us if she wasn’t our Synergist.”

  “You’re right. She’s been with us too long for there to be any other excuse.” Ares rolls his head on his shoulders. “We can say we were waiting for our parents so we could tell them before we announced our pairing.”

  Ollie lets out a long sigh. “Good, that’s good.”

  “We’ll have to have a ceremony. We can do it Saturday. That’ll give Mom, Carolyn, and Linda time to put something together,” Dante rumbles.

  This is the first I’ve heard about any ceremony. “Yeah that should be plenty of time for them, they’ve probably all been planning it for years anyways,” Ollie adds, completely unaware of my thoughts.

  “What kind of ceremony are we talking about?” I ask, pulling away from Dante so I can sit up.

  Ollie’s head hits the bed when I move, “It’s just a party. A reason for everyone to get together,” he mutters dismissively.

  I glance at the others. None of them are meeting my gaze so I’m immediately suspicious. “Really?” I cross my arms over my chest and let my doubt come through my tone.

  “It’s not as bad as you’re thinking, Cara,” Ares caves. “Food and dancing.” His shoulders bunch up with a small shrug. I’m still not convinced and I glare at him.

  “We are a bit of an anomaly though, so there will probably be a lot of people who will show up,” Milo amends.

  “Not to mention Ares is somewhat of a celebrity,” Ollie adds.

  “A what?” I gape.

  “I’m more worried about how many people our families will invite.” Ares ignores my comment altogether.

  “They have been waiting for a long time.” Dante reclines back on the bed, his arms behind his head, completely relaxed.

  “You’re a celebrity?” I accuse.

  Ares shakes his head in denial. “No,” he scoffs. “I’m just good at what I do,” he assures me, turning to climb up the bed to his usual spot.

  “Seriously Ares?”

  “I am being serious. He was exaggerating. I’m well known because I work for the council sometimes. We talked about this.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t realize it meant that the entire community would watch our every move.” I fluff the pillow behind me with a little more force than necessary.

  “It won’t be that bad. I promise,” Ares cajoles.

  I still don’t believe him. “Is it really just a party? He said ceremony.” I point in Milo’s direction.

  “That’s just what they call it, a declaration ceremony. Think of it like a wedding reception,” Milo explains, and my eyes go wide at the word ‘reception.’

  I let out a huff. “You guys better not be lying. If I walk into some… some,” I stammer, trying to find the right words, “some fucking ceremony I will be furious.”

  Ollie lets out a low chuckle. I whip the pillow that was behind me in his direction, he lets out a grunt when it connects with his abdomen.

  Ollie gets a gleam in his eyes when he turns to look at me. “That wasn’t very nice, Muenster.”

  I tip my chin up in defiance. Quicker than I can blink, Ollie launch
es himself forward and grabs my foot. He yanks me down the bed so I’m flat on my back and he’s above me. I’m breathless but a smile forms on my lips. There’s no other place I’d rather be. All my guys are home safe.

  “You want to have a pillow fight?” Ollie’s hair is loose, hanging down around his face, and I sigh. Reaching up, I trace my fingertip over the crest of his cheek, and when he closes his eyes and leans into my touch, I brush across his long eyelashes. He’s too damn pretty for his own good.

  “We need to talk about finding a new place. I don’t mind you guys, but I need sleep, preferably without you three in my bed every night,” Ares mumbles, ignoring Ollie’s threat of a pillow fight.

  “You know we’d all end up together anyway,” Ollie tells Ares, before he falls to the mattress next to me with an exaggerated ooaf.

  I turn on my side so I can look in Ares’s direction. “Did you not sleep well last night?”

  “More like didn’t sleep at all,” Dante answers for him.

  “Why didn’t you sleep?” I ask them both.

  “I did, he didn’t. He never sleeps unless he’s with you.” Dante points to Ares.

  “I do sleep, just not very much,” Ares argues, settling back on the bed, his eyes falling shut when his leg connects with my side.

  “You’ve said that before, is it really that bad?” Moving to my hands and knees, I climb up so I’m between the two brothers at the head of the bed.

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  Dante and Ares answer at the same time with conflicting responses.

  Ares lifts up his arm, inviting me to cuddle up next to him. “I was used to it, but it seems I’ve grown accustomed to having you next to me, helping me sleep.”

  I place my palm on Ares’s chest, under my cheek. “Sleep, we can talk tomorrow.” I place a gentle kiss on his side near his ribs.

  “I’m not going to sleep yet,” he mutters, already sounding like he’s halfway there.