Chapter 31 #2
“And WE ARE YOUR HUSBAND-ISHES,” Zane declared, waving his arms. “Your Faction… we are IMPORTANT.”
“Are you on something?” Jet asked him.
“No,” Zane glared his way. “I’m making a point, Jolly.”
I facepalmed.
Zeke ignored his brother. “Reverie, listen to me. I love you. I adore you. I would kill for you. But the one thing I can’t do is let you walk into Trent’s presence without backup. I won’t allow it.”
Zane slapped Zeke’s back. “Exactly what I meant.” He turned to me, “Now that that’s solved, how about a repeat of last night? Shadows activate… or however you got them to work before.”
“Zane,” Jet snapped, “shut the fuck up, or I’ll null your vocal cords.”
He pouted but then winked at me. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood. I also knew that if I even thought about heading toward the door, he’d be on me before I moved.
Oren grabbed my chin, eyes burning, shadows swirling like storm clouds. “You walk in alone,” he whispered, “and Trent will kill you just to break the bond.”
“I won’t let him—"
“No,” he cut in sharply. “We won’t let him.”
Shadows wrapped around my waist, soft as silk, firm as iron. “You go,” Oren murmured, “and we go with you. Trust us to help you with this.” His voice dropped into a dark, hungry growl. “I’ll get to your father and keep you safe, even if I have to kill every last one of the DF to do it.”
It was the first time since we met that he scared me a little.
It was hot, in a shadow-daddy, being firm kind of way.
Zane leaned in. ‘Tell her, Oren. Tell her about the plan.”
“What plan?” I wrinkled my brow.
Nathan teleported out of the room, then came back seconds later, handing Zeke and Jet something.
Zeke held up a rope. “Plan Rope.”
Jet held up what I assumed to be sedatives. “Plan Sleep.”
Nathan lit his hands on fire. “Plan Force.”
Oren’s shadow brushed over my cheek. “Plan Don’t You Ever Say ‘Alone’ Again.”
My voice cracked. “You’re all insane.”
Zane gasped. “We’re in love.” He winked again, “And maybe just a little insane.”
“I love y'all too! So very much, but that’s not the point. I really believe if I’m alone, Trent will listen.” I tried to reason with them, but the room became a hurricane at my words.
Zane lost all his playfulness and started pacing in circles, with Drakk clearly in charge, smoke billowing from his nostrils.
Zeke was muttering curses in three languages I didn’t even know he spoke.
Jet was staring at me so intensely that I could feel the heat on my face.
Nathan had that look he wore before I admitted my feelings to him, and Oren looked like a living shadow.
“Please listen to reason—”
The door blasted open so hard it ricocheted off the wall and nearly decapitated Zane.
Chloe burst in first. “What the hell? Everyone can hear you four tunnels away.”
My parents strode in next with Pantar and Mira behind them, both showing their teeth to everyone in the room, including me—Kharox prowled in, the caboose of this shit train.
Adelaide strode to the center of the room. “Reverie Hawthorne,” she snapped, “are you screaming at your men or are your men screaming at you? Because the acoustics don’t make it clear.”
“All of the above,” I frowned down at the floor.
My fathers fanned out behind her like an intimidating parental wall.
Grumpy pointed at the broken chair. “Who did that?”
“Zeke,” we all said in unison.
Zeke lifted his hands. “It was an emotional moment!”
Dad stared at the scorch marks on the floor. “And that?”
Nathan coughed. “Also, an emotional moment.”
Zeke frowned at him, then turned to my mom. “Reverie feels it would be better to meet with Trent alone. We stringently disagree.”
All three of my fathers turned to me as my mother’s eyes went nuclear. “Absolutely not. No. That’s not going to fucking happen.”
“Adelaide!” Grumpy admonished.
She rolled her eyes. “Now’s not the time, John.
We just found out Rue is alive—” She choked up for a moment, “and our baby girl is the one who needs to take Trent to find him.” Mom took a deep breath, “We don’t even know where Rue is, so I think the first step is more information.
Reverie. You tell us everything you’re thinking. Exactly why you want to go alone.”
I swallowed. “Because I think… if everyone came… Trent is less likely to listen. And I don’t want to lose Rue before I even get to meet him.”
Oren walked over to me and took me into his arms.
Zane stepped toward us. “Precious girl, we understand how you feel, but don’t shut us out. We are stronger together.”
Pops put his arm around Mom. “We want Rue back, but not at the cost of our child.” He smiled slightly, lost in memories. “Believe me, Rue wouldn’t want that either.”
My mother nodded. “We’ll come up with a plan. Together. But we do it smart. Strategically. No rash heroics. No suicide missions.”
Kharox had been very quiet since we’d come to the caves, but chose this moment to speak. “The two-faced one will not run… if he believes she chooses him.”
Every man in the room went rigid.
My mother pinched the bridge of her nose. “Let’s… table that comment for now.”
Chloe sidled up to me and whispered, “This is going to be a long day.”
I exhaled, shaking.
But for the first time since reading the note…
…I didn’t feel alone.