“Laikynn did something to me.”
Jason’s eyes were bright with rage. “What did that bastard do?”
I reached behind my neck, feeling the spot where everything had originated. The cold burn jumped to my fingers and I gasped, jerking in Foster’s arms. He pushed my head into his chest as I bit my cheek, trying not to scream as another wave of coldness ached through me. Jason moved my hair and took in a sharp breath.
“Is that a burn?”
“She’s too cold,” Foster said, his grip tightening on me.
He used magic to hurt you, Berry said. I do not know what he did, but he hurt you.
Berry was still on the ground, Waylon checking him over attentively. Waylon was so careful with my familiar that I almost smiled, my heart melting at his thoughtfulness and gentleness.
Judah came into view, breathing heavily. “I found where he teleported out. I’ll be able to track him.”
“You can do that?” I asked.
His smile was challenging as he said, “I wouldn’t be good at my job if I couldn’t. I’ll find him, or at least, I’ll be able to narrow in on him. Once I know something, I’ll contact you.” He glanced over me before disappearing into the woods, not making a single noise.
“He’s the best when it comes to tracking people,” Foster admitted, staring after his employee.
“We need to get you back to the hotel,” Jason said.
I nodded, gripping tight to Foster as he supported me. Staying on my feet was a battle on its own. Waylon carefully carried Berry, not straining with my familiar’s weight. I met his eyes and gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”
Waylon’s eyes widened, knowing how big of a deal me saying that to him was. He gave me a curt nod as he followed.
I tried to stay aware, but I was so cold and so tired. It felt like everything inside of me had been zapped out. Before we even made it out of the area, I passed out.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
~Jason’s POV~
I couldn’t process today. My brain refused to absorb all the new things it had seen. Fae in the bar. Josie standing before them like a real queen, demanding their attention and gaining it. She had made them fucking kneel before her. Forced them to with her magic. Something about her was powerful in a way my human brain couldn’t understand. My eyes felt like liars as they reminded me what she had looked like. The way Josie had become more right in front of my eyes, changing so much, I thought I no longer recognized her. Then as we were leaving, she had disappeared on us. She was there, and then she wasn’t. Only the fact that we could track her allowed us to catch up to her and her damn wolf.
No one said anything as we walked back to the car, but I had a million questions for Josie. Foster and Waylon wouldn’t ask, never like how I did when I needed answers. They seemed to take it all in far better than I could and that pissed me off.
How the fuck were they not throwing questions at her right now?
How come I wasn’t?
Josie walked in front of me, next to Foster, back to looking like the Josie I had come to know since she returned. She wasn’t walking as well as she should have, more like she was leaning into Foster. Jealousy surged through me. I wanted to be her support. I wanted her to lean on me. I shook my head, getting rid of those thoughts.
She did lean on me. If I were by her side instead, no doubt she’d look to me for support. The closer we got to the car, the worse off she was beginning to look.
“Josie?” I asked, but it was already too late. She was falling.
“Shit.” Foster scooped her up. She was completely out of it.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked, rushing to her side. Her skin was so cold I thought my fingers were going to get frostbite. “Fuck.”
“Hospital?” Waylon asked, frowning down at her with worry. He was still carrying Berry, who was whining as he stared at Josie.
Berry growled at us when Waylon made that suggestion.
“I’m going to take that as a no,” Foster said. He practically ran with her in his arms to the car. He jumped into the back while Waylon took the driver’s side and I hopped in the passenger seat. The fucking wolf shoved himself in the back, practically on top of Josie and Foster, whining as he nudged his nose at her, blue eyes dull with fear.
I turned in my seat to stare at her as Waylon practically screeched his way out of the park and back to the hotel.
“We need to get her warm,” Foster said, wrapping a coat that was in the car around her.
“No shit,” I said.
He glared at me. I glared back.
“Fuck.” I grabbed my phone and began reading up on how to get her body warm again. I blasted the heat in the car, hoping it’d help.
As soon as we were parked, we were running into the elevator.
“Get the tub filled with hot water,” Foster snapped out, trying to strip her of her clothes.
“On it,” I called out, already running to the bathroom. My heart was in panic mode, my hands shaking as I turned the nobs, getting the hot water going.
Only a couple minutes later, Foster came in, still carrying her.
“Keep her arms and legs out, don’t want the cold blood rushing to her core.”
“Right,” I said and grabbed her legs as Foster lowered her into the water.
The moment she touched the water, she began screaming as if someone was killing her.
“Take me out! Take me out!”
I was ready to do just that when Foster glared at me and explained why that wasn’t a good idea. I bit my lip, wanting to take away all her pain, but feeling defenseless to do so.
It was hard to watch her in pain like that, begging us to let her out. We had to fight to keep her in the tub. She was too strong and desperate. I hadn’t realized it right away; not until Waylon brushed my face did I realize the burning in my eyes was because I was crying.
“We’re going to hurt her,” I said.
“She has to stay in.”
Josie thrashed around again, and Foster went to hold her shoulders down. Her hands slipped from gripping on the sides of the tub as she fought to get back out. There was a loud thud before she slipped under.
“Shit,” I said.
There wasn’t a warning before Berry pounced onto Foster’s back. He fell forward, his chest smashing into the side of the tub. He grunted, face twisted in pain. Berry growled again, saliva dripping from his body.
As if on instinct, Foster twisted his head to the side, baring his neck. “Let us help Josie. She needs us. You know it too.”
For a long moment, Berry glared hard at Foster before moving back to the door. His hair was still ruffled and I was pretty sure he had grown in size. Given the chance, there was no doubt he’d tear our heads off in retribution.
Josie wasn’t the only one we had to look out for. That damn wolf was close to creating a bloodbath inside in the bathroom for her.
I turned to Josie as Foster lifted her head above the water and carefully prodded her head. She was out now, so we no longer had to fight to keep her in the water.
Berry growled again, but I didn’t care. If it meant Josie would be okay, I didn’t care if her fucking dog tore us apart.
She only needed to be okay.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
My body ached, chilled, but not freezing like it had been. I tried to move and the pounding in my head told me it was a bad idea. Groaning, I pushed closer into Berry’s warmth, recognizing the tickle of his fur against my face.
You are finally awake.
I hummed an affirmative.
It is night now.
I forced my eyes open. The blinds had been closed to keep the light out, but that didn’t matter anymore since the sun set. A lamp at my bedside was on, its glow soft and yellow.
A water bottle sat by the lamp, condensation still dripping down the side. I grabbed it and downed the delicious water like I hadn’t had any in days.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, glancing around, surp
rised they weren’t there waiting for me. I tried to not overthink it. It’d have been nice to wake up to them, but I couldn’t expect them to be around me twenty-four seven just to wait for me to wake up.
They tried to hurt you.
I frowned, putting all the pieces together. I felt okay. A little cold, but not like earlier. Exhausted too. So exhausted. I reached for my power, but it felt sluggish as it tried to respond to me. More rest. I needed more rest. I furrowed my brows, trying to remember everything that happened.
Laikynn.
We fought.
I basically lost.
The pain in my neck.
The cold. So much of it.
The last thing I remembered was Berry threatening to kill the guys.
“Berriar,” I said in a hard voice. “What did you do?”
He snorted. They live.
“We’re okay,” Jason called out.
The door had been cracked open, but it swung the rest of the way. Berry got up and growled, showing all his canines, his black fur rustling. And just in case that didn’t show he was ready to tear them apart, he also grew in size. Not full-blown battle form, but close.
Jason was sitting on the floor across from the door. Foster and Waylon were with him, all huddled together, looking absolutely exhausted.
I blinked, confused about this setup.
“What is going on?” I asked.
“Ask your pet.” Jason scowled at Berry.
“Berry?”
They hurt you.
“Ah.” That really wasn’t much of a reason. I’d been hurt before.
Berry snorted and tossed his head in agitation. They do not get to hurt you. If they come near, I’m biting them.
I sighed. They had set off his protective instincts.
“What happened?” I asked.
“You were too cold,” Foster said, eyes never leaving Berry’s. I had a feeling something more happened between the two of them and Foster came out as the loser.
“We gave you a hot bath, hoping to warm you up. It worked, but you were so cold that it pained you. Berry didn’t like that and tried to eat us.”
I did not try to eat them. I only tried to bite off their hands for touching you.
I tilted my head and counted to ten, hoping for patience. Berry could be a stubborn asshole when he wanted.
“How are you feeling?” Foster asked.
“Still a little cold,” I admitted.
“Wrap up in the blankets. Keep warm.”
Feeling brave and knowing I needed body heat more than anything else, I asked, “How about you come and cuddle me?”
No.
“Stop it, Berry. They won’t hurt me.”
They already did.
“No,” I said firmly. “Laikynn did. Whatever he did made me sick. They helped me. And they can still help me now.”
If you need a warm body, I am enough.
I gave him an unamused look, raising an eyebrow. “No. You aren’t.”
Berry released a low growl. I patted his head, giving him a good petting. “Please, let them come in. They won’t hurt me.”
He refused to move for the longest time before finally jumping off the bed and going to the door. The other three scrambled to their feet, eyeing him warily as he walked by them. To mess with them, Berry ruffled his fur and swished his tail in an agitated movement that made Jason jump.
Unable to help myself, I snickered as he left. The moment he was gone, they were inside, surrounding me.
“How are you feeling? Cold? Tired? Hurt anywhere?” Foster fired off the questions.
“I’m only a little chilled like I said.” I held in a giggle. “And exhausted.”
“Come on.” Foster pulled me back into the bed as he settled in behind me. The bed was huge, but definitely not big enough for the four of us. They made it work.
I was on top of Foster, Jason on one side, and Waylon on the other. Their warmth seeped into me, slowly chasing away the cold. I hummed in contentment, enjoying the feel of Jason’s hand on my back as he rubbed it, hitting all the right spots. He’d find a tense spot and slowly work out the kinks before moving on.
Dozing off was easy as I turned into goo with them all around me. It felt like it did so long ago.
“I miss this,” Jason whispered.
“Mm?”
“Whenever you felt sick, we’d all crawl into bed and hold you. I missed that.”
I blinked open my sleepy eyes to stare at Jason. He had a soft smile on his lips as he reached out and ran his hand over my hair. Foster’s grip on my waist tightened.
“Agreed.” Foster kissed the top of my head.
I smiled, enjoying the moment. They were right, it was nice to lay like this together. It had always made me feel so much better, safer, loved.
“Me too,” I whispered.
The bed shifted. “Shit.” Waylon jumped to his feet, the expression on his face a mixture of guilt and sadness. Our eyes met briefly and I knew. It was his girlfriend. “I’ll be back.” He stalked out of the room, answering the phone. I heard his greeting and only a few words from his girlfriend before he was too far away, and I wasn’t about to eavesdrop on his private conversation.
I also had to fight back the pain. It was a perfect moment, but it ended when I was reminded that it wasn’t going to happen again. I snuggled into Foster as he played with my hair.
“What are you thinking about?” Jason asked.
After mulling over his question carefully, I said, “How greedy I am.”
Jason snorted. “You are far from greedy.”
“If that were true, then why am I mad that Waylon isn’t with me right now, that he has a girlfriend. That he doesn’t belong to me. It feels good having you two, almost perfect. It’s like I can feel your presence in my soul, but something’s missing, and that empty spot aches to have it filled. I’m greedy.”
No one said anything for the longest time. Our breathing was in sync and once again, I found myself dozing.
“We are yours,” Foster said distantly. “We have been since we met you. For part of that time, we didn’t know it yet. And once we all finally figured it out and were about to start our life together, you were taken from us. But you were never really gone. Even now.”
“But that can’t be true.”
Foster squeezed me tightly.
Jason spoke up. “We may be able to lie, Josie. But on this, he’s right. We tried to get over you. Even replace you. But no one ever meshed well with us. Even before we knew you were near, we were still yours.”
“And yes, that includes Waylon too.”
“He has a girlfriend. She seems nice too. Meshes well with you guys.”
“Enough of that,” Foster said, slapping my ass. “You of all people know someone is capable of having more than one person in their heart. I don’t know what Waylon thinks of his girlfriend, but I do know that you are still in his heart. That has never changed. He’s always loved you. Still does. Now stop fretting and take my cuddles.” He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tight. “I’ll give you enough to cover Waylon’s share since he can’t.”
I giggled, trusting that he was telling me the truth. His words did soothe something deep inside of me. The door clicked open, but I was too tired and lazy to open my eyes. The bed dipped before I felt Waylon back at my side.
“How is she?” he whispered.
Jason was the one to answer. “Exhausted. Confused. Cold. She’s overthinking again.”
“Overthinking what?”
“I’m still awake,” I mumbled, not willing to let them think I was actually sleeping.
Foster chuckled. “Go to sleep.”
“I don’t want to.” I snuggled closer, noticing the feel of Waylon’s touch in my hair as he played with it. “I don’t want this moment to be over.”
“See, overthinking,” Jason said.
“Why don’t we make her not overthink anything anymore?” Foster said.
“I’m always dow
n for that. Sorry, Waylon, but can we get some privacy?” Jason asked.
Waylon didn’t say anything for the longest time, and I kept waiting to feel him leave. The bed never moved.
“What’s going on?” Jason asked. I opened my eyes, turning to stare at Waylon. His eyes were dark, deep concentration etched into his face. If anything hadn’t changed, it was that look. He always looked at me like that when he was about to sexually drive me wild.
“That’s his ‘I’m going to fuck you crazy’ look,” I whispered, my stomach suddenly tightening, remembering all those moments when he did just that. Waylon’s control meant he knew how to drag moments out until I was begging and screaming for more.
“I broke up with her.”
“You did what?” I asked. The others echoed my confusion.
“Broke up with her.”
“But... why? What?” I tried to sit up, but Foster refused to let me go. “No. Call her. Tell her it was a mistake.”
“No.” Waylon shook his head. “It was a mistake to date her.”
“Please tell me it’s not because of me.”
“No, it’s because of me. I haven’t been fair to her for a while, even before you came back.” Waylon blinked and looked away. “I only did what the both of us wanted. What I thought was expected. We shackled ourselves to each other for different reasons. She needed someone to show off, someone her parents would approve of rather than who she wanted. I wanted...” His gaze went to me and he didn’t need to finish his sentence. I got it.
He wanted me.
“I loved her, but not in the right way.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. It was an instant shock to my system, a wake-up call to my heart. That hole I had just mentioned was buzzing with excitement, knowing it was about to finally be filled. “Not the way that I loved you.” He brushed his nose against mine. An intimate move he used to do with me all the time. “Not the way that I do now.”
“You really broke up with her?” I tried to work through my emotions, but having him so close to me, talking and looking like a weight had been lifted off of him made that impossible. I was on the edge, about to get lost in him.
He only needed to give me the right nudge.
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