49. Sina
The room Rafe took me to was on the third floor. I felt like jelly as exhaustion started setting in. He pushed the door open, revealing a beautiful room done in reds and blacks, the faint smell of fresh paint still lingering in the air.
The center of the room held the biggest bed I’d ever seen, and I had the sudden urge to curl up right in the middle of it, already picturing my guys piled around me, limbs and warmth and safety in every direction.
“What is this?”
“Nik made it for you.”
My eyes snapped back to Rafe’s. “For me? Why?”
“He wanted something that was yours. A place for us to be together, if you wished it.”
My heart squeezed painfully at that, emotion swelling fast and unexpected. Guilt . Sharp and heavy. Why did I let Harlow talk me into punishing Nik?
Rafe started walking past the bed, and without thinking, I reached for it.
“Wait. But bed ,” I whined.
Rafe chuckled, leaning in to kiss my cheek. “Let me get you cleaned up first, honey. Then you can rest.”
I pouted, but when I glanced down at myself, the sight of blood streaked across my skin and the reminder of what we’d done made heat rush to my cheeks.
He was right.
“Fine.” I sighed, snuggling into his hold more. As much as I wanted to curl up in that nice, comfy bed, I definitely needed to get clean first.
Rafe walked into the biggest bathroom I’d ever seen, my eyes bouncing everywhere at once.
A shower with four showerheads. A tub the size of an eight-seater hot tub.
Nik made this for his hive. For me. And he wasn’t here showing it to me himself.
My eyes pricked with tears, and I blinked them back, refusing to let them fall.
I wasn’t sure why I was crying—exhaustion, maybe?
Rafe sat me down on the edge of the tub and knelt on one knee in front of me. He tilted my chin up gently, his thumb brushing away the tear that escaped.
He brought his other hand up, cupping my face fully now, thumbs warm against my cheeks. The ache in my chest dulled almost instantly, like someone had turned down the volume on the pain. Guilt hit me sharper than the sadness.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head and taking his hands in mine. “Rafe… that hurts you.”
His thumbs brushed the top of my hand. “That’s what mates do. We carry each other when it’s heavy.”
The words only made it worse. Rafe was hurting for me. And Nik was hurting because of me.
“I don’t want you to.”
My throat burned.
“Alright, honey. I won’t.”
I exhaled softly and leaned forward, resting my forehead against his, breathing him in, wishing I knew how to stop breaking the people who loved me. And the tears came again, more freely this time.
His brow furrowed. “Why are you crying, honey?”
My lip wobbled as I fought back my emotions. “Why isn’t he here, Rafe? Does he not want me?”
He didn’t rush to answer. He made sure I was looking at him first. “Oh, Sina. That’s not it. Not even close. ”
He waited a beat longer, like he was making sure I was really there with him, not spiraling somewhere else. His thumbs stayed warm and steady against my cheeks, anchoring me.
“Nik wants you. He’ll come around. Give him time.
” That didn’t explain anything, but it softened the sharpest edge of the fear curling in my chest. I nodded, even though my eyes still burned.
Rafe leaned in and pressed a slow kiss to my forehead, then another to my temple. “Come on. Let’s get you settled.”
He stood and turned the water on, testing it with his fingers before adjusting the temperature.
When he was satisfied, he helped me up and guided me into the tub, keeping one hand firm at my back the whole time.
The warmth wrapped around me as I sank down, seeping into muscles I hadn’t realized were tense.
I let out a shaky breath.
“Just relax my love. Let me take care of you.”
He stayed kneeling beside the tub, rolling up his sleeves before dipping a cloth into the water. His touch was careful and deliberate as he washed my arms, my shoulders, the places I could reach but didn’t have the energy to. I closed my eyes, my head tipping back against the edge of the tub.
When my eyelids started to droop and my body felt heavy in that good, loose way, Rafe noticed immediately.
He drained the tub, wrapped me in a towel, and lifted me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I curled into him without thinking, my face pressing into his chest as he carried me back toward the bedroom.
“I’ve got you, Sina. Rest, I’m not leaving you.”
And for some reason, knowing he wouldn't leave like he did last time, emotion squeezed my chest like a noose.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time honey.”
I gave him a watery smile. “Make me forget about it all, Rafe.”
And for the rest of the night he did.