Chapter 36
Thirty-Six
IZZY
Ethan texts us to say he has to stay later for work, so the three of us decide to walk home instead.
Reid’s house is on the way, though he insists that he needs to walk me home. Emery and I both assure him that we’ll be fine and that it doesn’t make sense for him to backtrack. He concedes with a chaste kiss to my lips.
I notice, somewhat belatedly, that all of the lights are off in his home, the shutters drawn tight. Are his parents already asleep?
“Come on, pretty girl. It’s my turn with you.” Emery waggles his eyebrows salaciously as he interlocks his fingers with mine and begins to swing our conjoined hands.
We walk in companionable silence—holding hands the entire time—when Emery pauses abruptly. A flush crawls up his neck and settles in his cheeks. He glances over at me and then quickly looks away.
“You had fun tonight, right?” He chews on his lower lip.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Emery shy before. The man practically exudes confidence. It’s strange to see him like this, almost as if Ethan and Emery swapped places at some point when I wasn’t looking.
But I know this is Emery—a side of him he rarely lets people see.
“I had a lot of fun,” I assure him, smiling widely.
The tentative grin on his face broadens, morphing into something that I would almost describe as mischievous. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nod resolutely.
I did have fun. Way more than I expected, if I’m being completely honest. Being with Reid and Emery…
It was like the rest of the world faded away, including the events of the last few days.
I wasn’t worried about Christian or Ashton or the witches or the Hunters or the shifters.
Everything felt inherently right in a way I’ve only felt a handful of times before.
“So how long have you guys been planning this?” I ask, resuming the swinging of our hands as we continue walking.
A sparkle materializes in his green eyes. “What ‘this’ are you referring to? Getting you alone?”
“I meant the date, you dork.” I playfully slap my shoulder against his.
“Since we heard you were returning on the weekend,” Emery confesses, the light of the moon reflecting off his hair and making the strands appear an almost burnished shade of gold.
He really is a beautiful man. Both the twins are, though they’re as different from each other as night and day, as cliché as that sounds. I’ve seen beautiful men before, but usually, it’s a toxic type of beauty that seeps into your system, poisoning you.
But not my twins.
Never them.
I become acutely aware of his hand in mine, the delicious friction of his calluses brushing against my skin. My instincts rev at full throttle, and they all scream at me to take him. Make him mine.
My heartbeat speeds up, tripping hastily over itself, and I work to keep my expression calm. The last thing I want to do is lose my damn mind while walking home in the middle of the night.
“I wonder what we should do for our next date,” Emery muses, using his free hand to tap at his chin. “The zoo, maybe? Scuba diving?”
“There aren’t any oceans to scuba dive in,” I retort with a snort.
“We can scuba dive in a pond,” he insists. “See little goldfish.”
I shake my head ruefully. “Oh my god, you’re ridiculous.”
“What’s wrong with cute, little goldfish?” He gapes at me. “There goes your birthday present.”
I arch an eyebrow. “A goldfish? That’s your birthday present idea?”
“We’ll name him Bubbles,” he deadpans.
“Well, it’s a little too late for that. My birthday was weeks ago. Months ago? Fuck, time doesn’t make sense anymore.”
I think back to my time in the covenstead. It felt as if I was there for just over a month, but technically, it has only been a week. Freaking witches.
“And?” Em turns to stare at me incredulously. “As your mate, it’s my job to overwhelm you with presents, even if I am a little behind.” Abruptly, he snaps his lips together, his cheeks turning a bright red. “I mean, your friend. Obviously. Because, um…”
“You can say the M-word,” I tell him, keeping my voice purposefully light. “It’s not going to scare me away.”
“You say that now…” Emery licks his lips and glances away, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “I keep thinking you’ll just…disappear, you know? Or you’ll decide this is too much for you and you’ll want nothing to do with any of us.”
“That’s never going to happen,” I assure him.
Indecision paints lines across his face. “Even with Ashton?”
At that, I hesitate, thinking of the surly, angry shifter who has done nothing but push me away since we met.
“Ashton is…complicated,” I settle on at last. It’s the only thing I can think to say that isn’t an outright insult. “Speaking of him, you guys are truly not worried? Does he often disappear like this?”
Emery shrugs and shakes his head simultaneously. “I mean, it’s a little strange, but it wouldn’t be the first time Ashton has done something like this. You may not know this, but he has a tiny bit of a hero complex. He likes to save people, no matter the consequences.”
“Like pushing me away because I’m the big, scary threat?” I raise my eyebrows, even as a strange feeling arrows through my heart.
Because…isn’t Ashton right, after all? I am a threat. Even now, I can remember the taste of power on my tongue when I unleashed the torrent inside of me at the covenstead. Then again, when I dispatched the Hunters without breaking a sweat or feeling guilt after the fact.
What if I lose control of my abilities around my mates? Around my family? I could never live with myself if I hurt someone accidentally.
“Hey.” Emery gently grabs my chin and forces my eyes to his. “What’s going through that pretty head of yours? You got all…sad.”
A frown touches his forehead, creating a furrow between his brows.
“Just thinking.”
“About Christian?” He cocks his head to the side. “Because I promise you, Izzy, we’ll find him. We’ve been looking, but I’ll do even more—”
“No. I mean, yes.” I’m always thinking of Christian. “Just everything, you know? The last few months have been—”
“Crazy with a side of absolutely unhinged?” Emery supplies, a wry twist to his lips.
“Crazy with a side of absolutely unhinged,” I agree.
Emery nods once, a contemplative expression on his face, before his eyes light up. He begins to all but drag me down the street, a literal skip to his steps.
“Where are we going?” I ask, laughing slightly.
“You okay if we extend our date?” Emery glances over his shoulder at me, gauging my reaction.
“What do you have in mind?”