by J. Kearston
She turns to Cole with her brow scrunched in confusion. “Why are the flowers closed during the day? Aren’t they just…I don’t know, flowers? They sprout, bloom, and die?”
Ares startles her when he answers, his footsteps silent and catching her off guard. “Night blooming water lilies. They’ve seriously kept you so locked down in that city you’ve never even seen flowers?”
Cole punches him in the shoulder. “Don’t make her feel bad!”
Ares instantly looks contrite, trying to get ahold of himself. “Sorry, I just…” He picks up a few tools from the ground, busying himself to buy time to work through his thoughts. “I don’t see the appeal, I suppose. Just building after building and so many people you’re tripping over them. Nowhere to just run, or be alone. All the beauty of nature destroyed for those cement jungles they think are so superior.”
Rin’s face turns wistful, redirecting her attention to the unfinished piece. She crouches down, soaking up every minute detail as if the concept of night blooming flowers are the most fascinating thing in the universe.
“Is this based off a real place?” she asks, turning her hopeful gaze in Ares’ direction. Though she doesn’t have the same vibrant tone to her eyes that we do, the gold flecks in her emerald irises look no less bright in here.
Ares stands a bit taller, and I know he’s going to be absolutely incorrigible now. We’ve given him enough shit over the years about his obsession with plants, but Rin feeding into it is going to make him ten times worse to have to listen to.
“It is. Bit of a trek from here, but not impossible. With as cold as the weather’s gotten, they might have already gone dormant though,” he frowns. “But even if so, the place is breathtaking.”
Rin smiles, and I swear, he’s about two seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and dragging her back into the house and throwing caution to the wind. “Can we go, maybe?”
“Absolutely,” Cole answers, vying to not be left out. “How about we make that tomorrow’s date?” She tosses that soft look in his direction, agreeing, before going back to her perusal of all of the partially completed projects. “But circling back to your earlier question; no, there’s not some high dollar market like you’re thinking. We don’t deal with the cities, just the wilds and a few neighboring towns.”
She blinks. “It can’t be cost effective spending this much time on projects if you’re not getting much for them, though. So why?”
Ares snarls, “Because fuck Gage, that’s why.”
Rin snorts out a laugh and I find myself leaping from my perch, just wanting to be closer to her. I rub my side against her leg, communicating with her the only way that I’m currently able.
“I mean, if that’s your prerogative, but I don’t know what that has to do with profit margins,” she teases.
Cole joins in her chuckling before explaining. “There’s a wolf pack that lives not too far, and one of them dabbles with woodworking too.”
Ares cuts in, “As if being an architect wasn’t enough? He’s got to try and move in on our thing too?”
Cole leans in close to dramatically whisper, “And one’s a doctor.”
Ares just growls, storming around the shop and putting things away in a huff. “Bunch of show-offs are what they are!”
Rin starts snickering, catching on. “So you need to one up them? Isn’t that rather petty?”
He whirls around to look at her in shock. “I don’t know how things work where you grew up, but we take our feuds seriously out here.”
She tilts her head, asking, “So one of those things where you hate someone forever on principle?”
Red alert! It’s a trap!
Cole butts in before Ares can say something in a fit of indignation and completely damn himself in her eyes. “Nah, if the pups ever showed up needing anything, of course we’d help. We take care of each other out here. The rest of the world is already against us, we don’t need to turn on one another as well. Petty wars are just another way to pass the time and keep from getting too bored in a land where you have to invent your own entertainment.”
She seems to accept that answer, tipping her head respectfully before heading over to a few of the jewelry boxes we sell out of a boutique in one of the neighboring towns. It’s a good way to get our name out there more, able to slip a brochure inside to showcase some custom work we’ve done.
My mind starts wandering as the others pick up idle conversation, answering the multitude of questions she has about everything. I adore the way she seems to have an actual interest in this beyond just being polite, and I can see her becoming more comfortable the longer we’re in here. I can picture her being right at home here, Ares and Cole hovering over her the first time she gets her hands on a power tool. But not me, the one resigned to a fate of merely watching and being forced to simply be grateful I’m alive.
I can still feel the phantom pains from that night, of the blades tearing through my flesh. Three mages, ambushing me and goading me into shifting. It didn’t even take much with as high strung as I was when I got to the city, just another stark reminder that it was a fool’s errand.
The way they wrapped a chain around my neck, using their abilities to force me to the ground. Dragging me into some building and forcing me into a cage. There were several, but they made sure to jam me into the smallest one. Strike after strike through the bars, they reduced me to a bloody mess on the verge of bleeding out.
If it wasn’t for the way they began fighting between each other as I struggled not to pass out, I have no doubt I would have died there without anyone ever knowing what happened to me. But when one of the men sent a pulse of his energy at the other, throwing him back into my cage and knocking it off the table, the hinges couldn’t stand up to the force.
Adrenaline was the only thing that kept me going as I scrambled free, lashing out at the man in my haste. I broke through the small basement window, and sprinted like my ass was on fire. Only after I was several blocks away did I stop to fight with the chain, but without them yanking on it to keep it tight, I was able to slip it over my head. All I could do was run; lost, afraid, and in agony. Fuck, just so much pain. The way my muscles screamed, the scent of blood and fear so thick I was choking on it…
“Ssh, hey, it’s alright,” a voice whispers and I jolt, swiping out a claw as my lips pull back to bare my teeth.
A savage snarl rips through my throat the same time a hand clamps around my front leg, nearly knocking me off of the table I’m perched on. I blink several times, heart racing a mile a minute before horror washes over me.
I almost hurt her.
So lost in thought, I never noticed them get so close. If it wasn’t for Ares’ quick reflexes, I would have slashed into her chest. He still hasn’t let go, and that’s all that’s keeping me from sprinting from the room, absolutely disgusted with myself.
“I don’t need to be able to read your mind to know what you’re thinking,” she says softly, not stepping any closer, but not running away either.
Her heart beats quickly, but she gives no other sign of being afraid. She simply tucks part of her chestnut hair behind her ear casually, pretending nothing’s wrong.
“It’s okay to not be okay,” she declares with a sad smile. “I don’t know all of the details of what you went through, but by the shape you were in when we met, I can imagine it was pretty horrific. Even with your superior healing, something like that is bound to leave a few scars. Gods know I’m messed up, but I like to think I’m growing on you.”
She winks, shooing Ares away so she can sit beside me on the edge of the table. He steps back reluctantly, eyeing me with caution and that rips me apart in a way nothing else could. Trust is the biggest foundation of any pride, and without my family, I have nothing.
“You’re not messed up,” Cole cuts in, but she waves him away, her heart slowing to a normal rhythm now.
“Of course I am, but that’s not a bad thing. The best people are the ones that deviate fro
m the norm. The ones that never have to go through some sort of trauma won’t understand, but I really believe it makes you a better person. You’re forced to see the world in a new light, get a glimpse of all the ugly hiding in plain sight you were oblivious to before. Survivors are forged in Hell, but it just makes them see how resilient they really are.”
She turns to me, keeping her movements easy to anticipate as she starts scratching behind my ear, trying to prove she isn’t afraid of me. “Ignoring those trials is a disservice to all you’ve endured. Wear your flaws with pride.”
Cole’s face pinches, his own struggles brought to the forefront of his mind with her words. He doesn’t speak, but just her easy acceptance is enough to help him, I’d like to think. I can’t bring myself to lean closer to her right now, because the last thing I deserve is her comfort or forgiveness.
When I don’t budge, she scoots closer instead until her thigh is brushing my side. “You were the only thing to get me through the last month,” she admits quietly. “You saw what I was like when I came back at night, covered in bruises and crying. So let me return the favor. That’s what a pride’s supposed to be, right? People you can lean on when things are hard so you don’t have to deal with them alone?”
Cole leaves the room without a word before she can see the way his eyes were starting to get glassy, torn between wanting the comfort she offers and appearing like he has everything together for her to lean on. She frowns, not understanding the war he’s having with himself and turns to Ares.
“I’m sorry. I know I came off opinionated for a hot minute there. I just got caught up in the moment, and-” Her words morph into a squeak of surprise, Ares bending down to kiss her.
One of his hands is braced between my front paws and the other beside her thigh, forcing her to lean back. Her hand darts out to clutch his shirt so she doesn’t fall backward, pulling him that much closer unintentionally. He doesn’t deepen it, just keeps it a harsh press of lips as he tries to convey everything he doesn’t know how to put into words.
Time seems to slow as I wait to see how she’ll react, not surprised at Ares pulling something like this. He’s ruled by his instincts far more than any of us, and he’s never had the best patience to begin with.
“Nothing to apologize for,” he mutters, pulling back enough that she doesn’t feel trapped. “I just didn’t know how to thank you for being the answer we didn’t even know we were searching for.”
“What do you mean?” Her voice sounds breathless, but she doesn’t seem upset.
Ares looks about two seconds away from pushing her back on the table and claiming her as ours, his pulse leaping at his throat a dead giveaway. “You just gave Cole a bigger gift than anyone has before, and gods know we’ve tried our best over the years. Yet here you are, waltzing into our lives and healing wounds we’ve long since resigned ourselves to being beyond repair.”
She swallows. “Sounds like you know how to thank me after all. Not sure why you felt you had to kiss me instead.”
“Should I be apologizing rather than thanking you, then?” he challenges, staying unnaturally still the way only a predator can.
“Nothing to apologize for,” she quotes, pulling him closer and kissing him again.
I don’t think I’ve ever missed my human body more than right now, when the desire to bury myself inside of my mate is burning through my veins. I can’t even fucking jack off right now, and though my worries of dying at the hands of mages are starting to fade, a very new fear is taking root.
Death via blue balls.
Ten
Rin
I stretch, the bed feeling far larger than before, namely because it’s empty. After dinner I heard them arguing over the fact that they should give me some space after my moment with Ares, that Cole crawling into bed with me would just leave me overwhelmed. While a part of me is annoyed that they’re trying to decide what’s best for me, treating me like I’m made of glass, I can’t really be mad.
As Cole said, relationships work when people are open and honest with each other. The fact that I didn’t speak up and instead kept my annoyance to myself is exactly why I’m feeling this way.
There’s no doubt in my mind if I’d just shouted down the stairs that I didn’t mind, actually enjoy the warmth and security that comes from lying between a couple of shifters, that they would have jogged right up. But how am I supposed to say that out loud when I’m barely able to admit it to myself? Every rule I grew up with says that people need to date, get engaged, and married. It’s a long process. Yet just a few days with these men and I feel right at home.
Who knew that affection was so addictive?
I didn’t balk when Ares kissed me, because to be frank, I’m not blind. The man is hot as hell and I have no doubt he’d be a fun way to spend an evening. It was only the last month or so that my father snapped and my life went to shit. He’s always been overprotective, but I had far more freedom. As long as I stayed in the penthouse district, I had free reign to do as I pleased. And despite the pretentious assholes that live there, a few of them were tolerable enough to have flings with. Now? I can’t help but frown at everyone I’ve fucked, incredibly unmemorable. But there’s a big difference between sex and affection, which is becoming abundantly clear the longer I’m here.
Osiris I’m sure was busy beating himself up about the incident in the wood shop, and I wish that I could find a way to get through to him. Even if he had scratched me, I wouldn’t have been upset. Despite what I just went through, there’s not a single concern in my mind that he would have intentionally hurt me. No one does well being caught off guard and startled on the best of days, but so soon after a traumatic event? I’m honestly surprised something like that hadn’t happened sooner.
I get it, especially since he had a front row seat to the way my father hurt me, but I desperately wish I shared their telepathy so I could really convince him.
The door creaks open and Ozzy pads in on silent feet, a paper clutched in his mouth. I shake myself out of my internal ramblings, sliding my sleeve back down to conceal the fading bruises I was absentmindedly tracing.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I throw my hair back in a ponytail and reach for the note. “Timmy fall down the well again? Seriously, that boy. Wells, electric fences; I’m pretty sure anyone that names their child Tim is secretly hoping they carry on the curse.”
Ozzy gives me a droll look that I’m becoming incredibly familiar with. He sits at my feet, resting his head on my knee.
“Hey, don’t give me that look.” Still, I scratch the top of his head. “You’re the one that encouraged me to make out with your brother while you watched like a weirdo.” He starts meowing his protest and I snicker. “Hey, I’m not kink shaming! Heck, a little voyeurism could be fun, but then you all dropped me a hot second later. You’re going to give a girl a complex.”
He nips at my leg before hopping up beside me, rubbing the length of his body against my arm and back. All the while he tries to voice his objections, just sounding like a pissed off kitten. Still, it’s far easier to practice talking about this stuff with someone that can’t tell me I’m being ridiculous.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t make things about me when someone so clearly needs our help.”
I pick up the note, wiping the drool off of it, and try to decipher the writing. Clearly another Ozzy original he wants me to display on the fridge, no doubt, because he put some effort into this one. I can actually discern most of the letters.
“How come one of the others didn’t just shout that I needed to get my lazy butt out of bed?” Faced with the self-deprecation in his eyes as he glances away, I set the note aside, stretching out on my side and coaxing him closer. “I’m sorry, Oz. I can’t imagine how hard all of this is on you, being stuck like this. If I’m ever making you feel left out, bite me, alright?”
He growls his displeasure at the idea, but it promptly cuts off when I kiss the top of his head. “Seriously. I know I make a ton
of jokes, but it’s just how I cope. Everything about this is pretty terrifying, not even taking into account the larger issues. Ignoring things won’t make them go away, but I’m not quite sure how to face them either. So bear with me if I mess up, okay?”
He purrs against me, tucking his face into my collar. Gently, I trace the patterns in his fur, all of the elegant stripes and spots that I can reach. We just lay like that for a while in comfortable silence, lost in our own thoughts.
“I envy you, you know,” I finally murmur, swallowing. “I don’t have claws, sharp teeth, or speed. I’m just…me. But you? You could run for miles without slowing, tear someone apart if you needed to. There’s all this power in your tiny body; it’s special. So why would the three of you look at me twice? There’s nothing special about me and I bring nothing to the table. So a part of me keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop and for you guys to realize it too. I think that’s why I’m so hesitant to dive all in on this, despite the fact that I want it.”
Osiris licks my neck before worming his way off the bed. He snatches a pen from the end table and paws at the note until it flips over, going to work with intense concentration. By the time he’s done, my stomach flips with nerves and I narrow my eyes at him.
“You couldn’t have given me a heads up that you have super hearing as humans too? That they could hear everything I was saying?” His eyes twinkle with mirth as I throw a pillow at him, rolling out of bed and getting to my feet. “Be happy you still get sympathy points for now, but the second you shift back? I’m punching you.”
He smirks, watching as I grab a change of clothes and waiting outside the door while I shower and dress. Nearly tripping over him on my way out, we head down to the kitchen. The table’s piled high with breakfast and my mouth waters before I even pull out my chair.
