2. Finn
After everyone used the bathroom, we climbed into Torin’s bed. Thank goodness it was a king or we likely wouldn’t have fit. Although we were cuddled so close together that we might. Kill and I surrounded our sweet vampire, and I was happy to get a chance to be the big spoon. Killian was bigger than me, so I was usually the small spoon, but Torin was even smaller than I was, and I kinda loved it.
We lay there like that in a tangle of arms, legs, and skin, and I wanted to stay in this place, in this afterglow, forever, but I knew we couldn’t. The whole reason Killian and I had come over here in the first place was to find out what Torin was running from so we could protect him.
The last thing I’d expected was to end up sleeping with the vampire five seconds after we’d met.
Not that I was complaining because that had been the best sex of my life.
And the fact that our magics and souls had reached out to each other had made everything feel more intense, more special, more tender.
It made me want to cherish our little vampire the way Kill and I already cherished each other.
But a big part of the viramore bond activated our protective instincts, and honestly, most supes were a bit… overprotective with the ones we loved even without the mate aspect. Getting between viramores was a surefire way to end up dead. So we really needed to make sure Torin was safe. My instincts were already headed for hyperdrive.
So after about an hour of cuddling, I asked, “What are you running from?”
Torin tensed between us, but I was happy he didn’t try to pull away. Obviously, he was feeling just as drawn to us as we were to him, and this tentative bond we were forming meant something to him too.
He let out a sigh and tucked his head under Killian’s chin so he was speaking to his skin. Kill sent me a soft smile over the top of Torin’s head, clearly pleased that our vamp was seeking him for comfort.
“I… ran away from home.”
My brow furrowed because I’d been under the impression that Torin was at least in his late twenties when he’d been turned, and he absolutely wasn’t a newly turned vamp at that. There was no way he’d been a vamp for less than two decades. No way.
I blinked. Oh.
He meant he’d run away from his vampire den.
“What happened, darling? Why’d you run from your den?” Killian asked in a voice that was softer than usual. I sent him another smile, glad he was already showing his gentle side that no one other than me ever saw.
“My maker isn’t a good man. He’s hurt and killed more people than I care to remember—and that’s just who I saw him hurt. He’s been around for hundreds of years, so who knows how many others there were.”
He cleared his throat and seemed uncomfortable, so I pressed my chest closer to his back and started rubbing his arm, offering comfort.
He took a shuddering breath. “I’ve wanted to leave practically since he turned me, but he… he would… he locked me in a… cage. He had this… large cage in his family room. It was probably close to the size of this bedroom, and he… kept me there like I was some kind of prized bird.”
My wide eyes met Killian’s, and I could see and feel how horrified and pissed off he was. His feelings matched my own, and I had no doubt that the two of us were going to hunt this vampire down and take him out so he could never hurt our sweetheart again.
What the hell kind of person locks someone else in a cage? What the actual hell?
And… what kind of horrors had our mate faced? He sounded like he was just scratching the surface of what’d happened there. I almost didn’t want to ever find out because knowing there was nothing I could do to take away that hurt was going to kill me.
But Killian and I would be there for him when he was ready to talk. We were his now, in every way.
Torin, oblivious to our silent conversation about murder, continued, “He wouldn’t let me out unless it was under his protection, as he called it. What it really was, was him guarding me so I didn’t run away. I don’t even know why he kept me there like that, except to show me off to his friends and the other masters. He has plenty of followers, plenty of den mates, but he just… I guess I was a toy to him. A plaything.”
I kissed his shoulder. “You don’t have to tell us if you’re not ready.”
We needed to keep him safe, but as long as he gave us his sire’s name, we could find the bastard and keep him away from our vampire for good.
Torin said, “I want to.”
“What’s your maker’s name?” Killian asked.
Torin took so long to answer, I wasn’t sure he’d tell us, but finally, he said, “Joseph Renwick.”
Killian kissed the top of his head. “Thank you for telling us.”
Torin nodded. “Anyway, I befriended the bloodslave that brought me blood bags in between, uh, live feedings. She liked being a bloodslave, though I don’t understand why anyone would choose that life.” He waved it away. “But she knew I hated it there. She had more freedoms than I ever did, and I guess she felt bad for me or something.
“So a few nights ago, she unlocked my cage and walked away without a word. I wasn’t about to let an opportunity like that slip away, so I snuck out.” He sucked in a breath. “This isn’t the first time I’ve run away, but it’s the first time I got this far. But I… I don’t think it’s far enough. He’s going to come for me, if only to prove that he has control over me. And he… he can use our bond to find me, so there’s… there’s nowhere I can hide. I could go to the other side of the world, and he’d still find me if he went looking. He’s my sire. Our blood is bound together, no matter the distance, no matter the time that passes. I’m not safe, and I never will be.”
Killian and I tightened our hold on him, squishing him between us and pushing waves of comfort and safety through our delicate bond. He was quivering between us, terrified.
I kissed the back of his neck. “You have us now, love. We’ll keep you safe.”
Killian kissed his hair. “Always, darling. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”
“We won’t,” Killian said. “We’ve fought plenty of vampires in the past. We know what we’re doing.”
I shot Killian a small smile. “We also have people we can bring in as backup. And if worst comes to worst, Kill can throw a shield over all three of us and hold it for hours until help arrives.”
“It’s true. No amount of vampires will be able to get through one of my shields. We’ll keep you safe, darling. I promise.”
Torin inhaled sharply but eventually gave a single nod. “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble? I don’t want to?—”
I cut him off. “It’s not. Keeping you safe isn’t trouble, love, and it never will be. We’re honored to do it.”
“What Finn said,” Killian added.
“Okay.” He breathed out. “Okay.”
Killian and I kept whispering sweet nothings to him and rubbed his skin and played with his hair to wipe the tension away. It took a long time, but he eventually relaxed into sleep.
But Kill and I were wide awake.
Through our bond, Kill said telepathically, “We have his name. All we need is a location, and we can take this fucker out.”
“I’ll text Basil the name now so he can start a search.” I was relieved how easily the telepathy was coming now.Basil was a coworker and someone with a lot of connections. If anyone could find this Joseph Renwick bastard, it was him. “I know you’re rearing to go, but I think we need to stay here with Torin.”
“I agree. We’ll guard him in case his den comes for him.”
“Exactly. And… I think he might need us right now anyway.” I gave them both a squeeze so he’d know what I meant. “When we get up, we can make a plan to take this guy out.”
“Out for good.”
“Obviously. No one threatens our viramore.”
“Just so you know,” Torin mumbled. “I can totally hear every single word you’re saying right now.”
“You can?” I asked out loud. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t think you’d be able to hear…”
Torin twisted around to look at me. “You two said I’m your viramore.”
“Yes, but the two of us didn’t develop the telepathic link until we’d been dating for a few months, and it’s never been very strong. It feels stronger and easier now than it did before today.”
Torin shrugged. “Maybe I’m just special.”
Killian chuckled and kissed his temple. “You are. But I think it’s probably because we’ve finally found our missing piece. We’re whole with you.”
“If I hadn’t just heard your entire conversation inside my own head, I might not have believed you. But… you’re definitely my viramores, so…” He smiled and shook his head. “I never, ever thought I’d find my viramore, let alone two of them.”
I rested my forehead against his temple, then gave his cheek a kiss. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“So am I.” Killian gave his other cheek a kiss.
“Me too.” Torin smiled softly, but then his face went through a strange array of emotions before settling on horror. “Oh, no, no, no, no, no.”
Killian and I both sat up in alarm, and Kill said, “What’s wrong?”
“He found me. He’s coming for me.” Torin jumped out of bed and started frantically pulling clothes out of a duffle bag on the floor, slipping them on.
“Make the call,” Killian said, getting out of bed. “I’ll make sure he’s okay.”
I got out of bed too and ran for my pants in the living room. I pulled out my cell phone as I tugged the jeans on. I hit the call button and was relieved when it was answered on the second ring.
“Ellwood. Basil,” the man said over the line. Since there were several Ellwoods in the BCA, they always had to say their first names too. “What’s up, Finn?”
I walked out of the apartment and across the hall to my and Kill’s place. As soon as I opened the door, Viper rushed across the hall and into Torin’s apartment, clearly ready to help defend our vampire. I felt better knowing he was in there with the two of them.
In a rush, I said, “Bas, I need you to send a team to my apartment building. We’re in the apartment across the hall, and there’s a master vamp on his way to kidnap my viramore.”
“Calm down and take a breath. I’m already on my way, but I need you to explain. I thought Killian was your viramore?” Understandable that he was confused.
I grabbed guns, knives, and swords, strapping some on and tucking others under my arms, then headed back toward Torin’s apartment.
“He is. But we found our third. He’s a vampire named Torin, and his sire is after him. He’s hunting him, Bas, and Torin can feel him closing in.”
“Two options. I can get to your apartment in about a minute or less, if this is an emergency-emergency. Or I can be there in probably twenty minutes with more than just myself and Hiro. I’ll pick up a team on the way, but Hiro and I can be there now if you need it.” Hiro was Basil’s viramore.
I’d forgotten about Basil’s ability to travel through realms and pop up in a place he’d been before or one he had a picture of. He’d been to my apartment plenty of times, but I was leaning toward him bringing a force with him since we had no idea how many people Torin’s sire was bringing.
After a moment’s hesitation, I shut Torin’s door and said, “Bring extra people. I have a feeling we’re going to need them.”
“Okay. We’ll be there in about twenty minutes. Lock all the doors and windows. Barricade yourselves in an interior room if you can. Push furniture in front of any doors and windows if you have to. We’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you.” I hung up, grabbed my shirt and Killian’s clothes, and checked that the door was locked, went around to check the windows, and then headed back to the bedroom. Kill was holding Torin in a tight embrace on the bed. Viper was lying on the bed at their feet, but his ears were perked up and his legs were under him, so I knew he was ready to defend all three of us if need be.
I shut the door, then moved the long dresser in front of it before pushing the tall one in front of the single window. Luckily, the window had steel shutters to keep the light out for vampire residents, but I wanted the extra security, just in case. We were on the third floor, but vamps could scale the brick building with minimum effort.
“What are you doing?” Torin asked me as he sat up and Killian followed suit, pulling Torin’s back to his front.
“Keeping us safe until help arrives.”
“Locked doors and dressers aren’t going to keep him out.”
“Maybe not, but they’ll slow him down and keep it so only one person can enter at a time, hopefully. Don’t worry, love, we’re going to keep you safe. Backup’s on its way.”
“Who’s that?” Torin asked, gesturing to Viper. I suppose he hadn’t seen the cat when he’d had his face buried in my witch’s chest.
The cat stood and moved close to him, and Torin held his hand out so the cat could sniff it.
Killian said, “That’s Viper, my Bonded.”
“Nice to meet you, Viper. You’re such a pretty kitty.” Torin gave him a few pets while the cat preened before our vampire faced me. “You called the BCA?”
“I called a friend who works with us, yeah.”
Torin grimaced. “The first time I asked the BCA for help, they told me they couldn’t do anything and sent me on my way. The last time, I talked to the same BCA agent, and he told me it wasn’t their business what goes on inside our den. And then he called Joseph himself to come pick me up.”
“The hell it isn’t when there’s abuse happening,” Killian growled out.
“I don’t know who you talked to, but if you have their name, I’d like it.”
“Why?”
I sent him a not-so-nice smile. “So I can find him and have a few… words.”
His eyebrows rose. “You want to beat him up?”
“Hell, yes, I do. What kind of asshole sends someone back to an abusive situation without at least trying to help them?”
“I think he’s on Joseph’s payroll.”
“Even more reason to give him a beating.”
Killian added, “And get him kicked off the BCA. Someone like that doesn’t deserve a badge.”
I nodded. “As soon as we tell Basil about this, that guy will be gone before he can even say his full name.”
“Who’s Basil? Is that who you called?”
“Yep. He’s a friend, and his family basically runs the BCA, so he can absolutely get someone removed.”
Torin stared at me for a moment, and I noticed that the longer he let Killian hold him, the calmer he was becoming. “Basil? Holy shit, you don’t mean Basil Ellwood, do you?”
I grinned. “I sure do.”
“Holy shit.”
Kill snorted. “Heard of him, eh?”
“Holy shit, yes, I’ve fucking heard of him. That’s who’s coming to help? Joseph’s going to get his ass kicked.”
“Hey,” Kill said, trying to frown while also being amused by Torin’s response. “I’ll have you know that Finn and I can hold our own with Basil.”
“Yeah, but he’s an Ellwood.”
I snorted at that. The Ellwoods were more than a little famous in Brinnswick, and they basically ran the whole country. Plus, the Ellwoods absolutely protected it from all kinds of seen and unseen threats. I wasn’t surprised that Torin felt better knowing we had an Ellwood in our corner. But it would’ve been nice if he believed we could protect him ourselves—because we could.
And we would.
Only a minute or two later, Torin stiffened and said, “He’s here.”
I checked the time and realized that Basil was still almost ten minutes away. I grimaced. Maybe I should’ve just had him come straight here. We’d be fine no matter what, but I still hoped we didn’t have a ton of vampires about to knock on our door.
We all jumped when the front door of the apartment slammed open. I’d be surprised if it was still on its hinges.
“Oh, Torin!” a voice called out. “Come out and pla-ay!”
I wrinkled my nose because ew. What a dickhead.
Killian set Torin on the bed beside Viper and said, “Remember I said I’d only put you in a shield to protect you?”
Torin nodded, but he seemed so consumed with fear of his sire that I wasn’t sure he was really listening.
“This is one of those times.” Killian kissed his forehead, stepped away, and called on his shadow magic. His magic had a dark tint, but Kill could make it transparent when he wanted. He did that now, so it looked like Torin and Viper were inside a bubble that glinted gray in certain light.
I was glad Viper was in the shield with him because he’d be a last defense—not that I thought we’d need it, but it was a good plan just in case. Plus, being Killian’s Bonded meant he could hop through the shield without disrupting its integrity and without needing Killian to open a hole in it.
I passed Killian a sword, three daggers, and a gun filled with spelled bullets that would work against nearly all supernatural creatures, and definitely against vamps.
Closing my eyes, I reached out with my magic, letting it spread beyond myself and out into the rest of the apartment, trying to get a sense of how many people the master vamp had brought with him.
My magic was very nature oriented, so vampires always felt odd to my magic sense. Where humans, witches, and many other creatures were filled with life, a vampire was filled with death, so their presence against my magic felt cold and icy—although Torin didn’t feel that way at all.
He felt almost… bright to my mind’s eye. Killian felt like a warm glow, but Torin felt bright. It almost felt like I’d open my eyes and see a bright star shining on the bed instead of a sweet vampire.
Viper felt like an extension of Killian but with a little bit of wildness in him.
And the vampires invading this apartment, they felt like the normal vamp coldness. But one vampire felt colder, icier than the others. His aura screamed malice, and I shivered away from him, pulling my magic back before he noticed and tried to do something. I had no doubt that the malicious vamp was Torin’s sire.
“There’s fifteen vamps, including the master vamp,” I said.
Killian gave a nod. “Damn.”
Yeah, I hadn’t really expected that many either, but hopefully, that was everyone who’d be coming after Torin, and once they were all behind bars—or dead—we wouldn’t have to go after anyone else.
“How many were in your old den, love?” When Torin didn’t answer, I asked in my head, hoping to get him out of his own thoughts. “How many were in your old den, love?”
I felt more than saw him jerk to awareness, and he answered back through our link. “Twenty-five, including me.” Then out loud, he whispered, “Could you hear that?”
“Sure could, darling,” Killian said. “Why don’t you put Viper on your lap? He’s a good cuddler and will help keep you safe.”
“How can a cat keep me safe?” he asked, but I glanced back and saw him scoop Viper up.
“He’s no regular cat,” Kill said through the bond. “He’s a Bonded One, and he can change form into a manticore if he wants. He can take the form of any cat, actually.”
“He can?” Torin squeaked out.
I chuckled. I always forgot that it wasn’t common knowledge that a witch’s Bonded animal was a magical creature all on its own, with its own magic. To my guys, I said in my head, “He sure can. Wait till you see his manticore form. It’s amazing. Lion head, dragon wings, and scorpion tail, and probably the size of a small dragon. Viper’s huge and majestic. We’ll have to take you flying one day.”
“Holy shit.”
I chuckled at that, then sobered when one of the vamps started banging on the bedroom door.
It didn’t take long for them to push the dresser away—vamps had superior strength—and the first one came inside. Killian was closest to the door, and he didn’t waste any time slicing at the vampire’s throat. In only two strikes, he cut the head clean off, and I heard Torin make a strangled sound in his throat.
The vampire would turn to ash eventually, but it was a much slower process than television would lead you to believe.
Two more vamps came in, so I engaged one while Killian took care of the other.
This one had his claws and fangs out, but he also had a sword and parried my attack. I feigned right, but he wasn’t fooled, and our swords clacked back and forth a few times before I finally got a good hit in. Vamps had strength, but then, so did I. I was fae, and I used my magic to add to the power of my sword, pushing it to its limits to ensure the safety of both my mates.
I sliced across his biceps, and the vampire hissed.
I said, “Surrender, and I’ll let you live.”
“Never.”
That was all I needed to hear. I redoubled my efforts, and in only three swings, his head went rolling too.
“Surrender yourselves, and we’ll let you live,” Killian said loud enough for the vamps in the hall to hear.
He was answered with laughter and an angry cry as one of them rushed him.
Under normal circumstances, we would’ve tried to arrest them all, but these weren’t normal circumstances. If our lives were in danger, the BCA granted permission to use deadly force.
Kill and I fought off four more vampires, killing or injuring them enough that it’d take a long time for their bodies to heal, before the master vampire finally yelled, “Halt!”
We didn’t listen of course, still fighting the vampires in front of us, but the remaining vamps stopped what they were doing and retreated into the hallway.
The master vamp said, “All I want is my fledgling back. You have no right to take him from me.”
I was out of breath, but I snorted at that. “We didn’t take him. He left of his own accord, and therefore, you cannot take him back. Not unless he wants it.”
There was a slight pause before he spoke again. “Torin, my dear, come on out to your sire. Let me take you back home.”
“He’s not going with you,” Killian said, making it a growl.
“Torin, come on out. You want to come back home, don’t you?” This time, I paid closer attention to the air around us, and I could feel the master vamp using his sire power on our vampire.
“You’re not allowed to compel him,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Who said anything about compulsion? I asked him a question. Torin, do you want to come home with your master?”
His voice gave me chills, and I turned to see Torin sitting rigid and sweating profusely. Shit. He was trying to fight his sire, trying to fight the pull to obey his maker, and I didn’t know how to help him. That was a fight in his own head, not an enemy I could cut down with my sword.
Although… no. I cut off that thought. I couldn’t run out into the hallway and try to take out the master vamp. There were too many out there, and I’d be overrun in an instant. Killian would try to follow, and where would that leave our sweet vampire mate? Alone?
No, I wouldn’t do that to him, to either of them.
“Killian,” I said. “What do we do?”
Killian glanced away from the door to look at Torin, and he cursed under his breath. A second later, I heard Kill’s voice in my head. “We need to use our bond to help him fight.”
“Torin, come out to your master. Now.” The disgusting vamp sounded angry now.
“Come on, love, you have to fight it,” I said in my head. “He doesn’t have a hold on you anymore.”
“I’m… trying. He… he’s in… my head.” Torin was breathing deeply now, even though vampires didn’t actually have to breathe. Most of them kept up the habit from their human lives.
“We’re right here, and we’re not going to let him take you, okay? We’ll keep you safe,” Killian said.
I added, “No one’s going to take you from us. Not even him.”
Torin let out a long breath. “It’s helping. Your voices overpower his. Keep… keep talking. Please.”
“When this is over, we’re taking you on a date,” Killian said. I was surprised by the subject change, but then again, I shouldn’t have been. Killian knew that distracting our vampire from the violent and ragey master was the best way to get him thinking about us rather than his sire. Our bond, as new as it was, would be the thing to kick that bastard out of his head.
“Where do you want to go, love?” I readied my sword because I had a feeling the master vamp wasn’t going to react kindly to being overpowered.
“Like what? I just moved here, so I have no idea where to go.”
“I don’t know. What do you like to do? Or what do you want to try? Bowling, putt-putt, arcade, dancing. An art class? I don’t know.” Kill and I were boring and mostly just went to dinner. We’d have to do something special with our vampire, though.
“Going flying with Viper sounds fun.”
I smiled at that, and I saw Killian’s mouth tick up.
Killian said, “That sounds perfect. Finn and I will plan a whole night. Maybe we can go this weekend.”
“Holy shit,” Torin said. “I can’t feel him anymore. He’s gone.”
From the scream of rage coming from the living room, I assumed Joseph the Asshole could feel their connection break.
Before we could continue the conversation, the master vamp flashed into the room, stopping in front of Torin in a blink of an eye. He banged on Killian’s shield, and I felt his vampire magic—it was strong as hell because he was ancient—surge inside the room.
He brought his fist back, and I knew he was about to punch the hell out of Kill’s shield. With that boost of magical power and a couple of hits, he’d probably break it. I was moving before I told my feet to go, but I wasn’t the only one.
Viper leapt off Torin’s lap and transformed into a jaguar mid-air. He flew through the shield without issue. As the vampire brought his fist forward, it went straight into Viper’s mouth instead of against the shield. The big cat crunched his jaws onto the vampire’s arm, fangs digging into skin, practically eating the punch meant for the shield.
The vampire hissed out in pain, and I didn’t hesitate to stab him through the side, through his ribs, and straight into his heart. He hissed louder, his uneaten arm reaching out for me, trying to claw my guts out.
But Killian came forward and sliced the master vampire’s head right off.
The head fell to the ground, and as the body began to fall, it started aging progressively. In a few minutes, all that would be left of that bastard was ash. It was a quick death, and to be honest, he’d deserved much worse.
It was quiet for a long moment before the sound of running footsteps filled my ears. The other vamps were making a run for it. Good.
“Oh my god,” Torin gasped out. “Holy shit. He… he’s dead. You killed him.”
Killian and I shared a look because I couldn’t tell if Torin was happy about that or sad. The master vamp may have been evil, but he was still his sire.
After double-checking that no one else was in the apartment, Kill shut the bedroom door again and dropped his shield so we could reach our vampire.
As soon as we were within reach, Torin wrapped an arm around each of our necks and pulled us into a hug, saying, “Thank you. Holy shit, thank you.”
I kissed his head and hugged him back, wrapping an arm around Kill’s back too. Torin was crying, but now that I was close and paying attention to our bond, I knew they were happy tears.
We were still in that position when Basil called out, “We’re here! But it looks like you don’t even need us anymore.”
“In the back bedroom!” I yelled back.
Basil and his viramore, Hiro, came into the room, and I could feel others out in the living room. I was glad they were keeping their distance.
Bas said, “Looks like I missed all the fun. You guys okay?”
“We’re fine,” Killian said. “Thanks for coming.”
“Little late.” Bas grimaced. “Sorry. We were all the way in Almahast.”
My eyes widened. “That’s a few hours away from here.”
He nodded. “Blaze flew us here.” Blaze was his Bonded. Right now, it looked like he had a bearded dragon lizard on his shoulder, but that little guy could transform into a huge-ass dragon.
Hiro said, “Looks like you guys did good work.”
Killian shrugged. “Thanks.”
“Shoulda left us a few.”
“They made a run for it.”
Hiro nodded like he’d expected that response.
Basil looked at the carnage as he gave Viper, who’d transformed back into his house cat form, a few pets. “I’ll get a cleanup crew out here tonight. It’ll be ash by then, but the blood needs to be cleaned up too. I assume your, uh, vampire can stay with you tonight? Or do I need to arrange a hotel?”
“He’s staying with us,” I said before anyone could argue with me.
Torin searched my eyes. “You sure?”
“We want you with us.”
He gave me a small smile and a nod.
To Basil, Killian said, “This is Torin, our other viramore. Darling, this is Basil and Hiro.”
Bas said, “Nice to meet you,” and his viramore gave a nod from where he stood leaning against the doorjamb. “Do you need medical attention? I can look over your injuries and?—”
Kill let out a low growl that was honestly impressive for a witch. “If you touch him, I’ll probably break your hand off.”
“I’d break your other hand,” I admitted.
My protectiveness was in overdrive right now, and even though I knew Basil wasn’t a threat to my viramore, I didn’t want him to touch Torin either.
Bas lifted his hands in the air. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to set you off.”
“We know,” Kill said.
I huffed. “Sorry.”
Basil only grinned at us. “No problem. I know exactly how you feel.”
I imagined he did.
Since Basil, Hiro, and the others they brought had it well in hand, Killian and I took Torin across the hall to our own apartment where we all took turns in the shower. Torin wasn’t covered in blood like we were, but he’d still wanted to get clean after witnessing all of that.
We climbed into bed with Torin in the center and Viper on his chest, then decided to watch a movie.
I didn’t think anyone was actually paying attention. Everyone’s minds were far away, and I wasn’t sure what to do to help other than stay by Torin’s side.
“You’re already helping,” Torin said, clearly overhearing my thoughts.
“Yeah?”
He nodded. “It’s weird because I don’t even know either of you, but I feel safe with you. Safer than I’ve felt since before I was turned.”
I kissed his temple. “I’m happy to hear it.”
Killian said, “We don’t know each other yet, but our souls recognize each other, and there’s plenty of time to get to know one another.”
I nuzzled Torin’s temple. “The rest of our lives.”
Torin smiled and gave me a quick peck, then gave Killian one as well. “Thanks for saving me.”
“Anytime, love.”
Torin snorted. “Honestly, I really hope that was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of a thing because I do not want to relive that.”
“Neither do we.”
Torin snuggled into me a little, and my heart lit up in joy with the amount of trust he was showing me. So I wrapped my arm tighter around him.
Killian shot me a smile that I returned, and he winked before mouthing, I love you.
I love you too, I mouthed back.
Torin murmured, “You guys can kiss over top of me if you want.”
A chuckle bubbled out, and Killian leaned over Torin to press a soft kiss to my lips. I smiled at my mate, beyond happy that we’d finally found our missing piece, that we were finally whole.
He kissed Torin’s temple. “Go to sleep, sweet little mate.”
“Promise not to leave while I’m asleep?”
“Now, that’s a promise I can make.”