Landon
W hy would you do that?
Why wouldn’t I?
Kingston stared at me in disbelief. Eyes wide, his chest heaved like he was sucking air in through a straw.
Why are you so upset?
My father—If he’d seen you, he’ll ? —
I’m not scared of him. He’s a bully.
Kingston growled, tearing away from me in frustration. Pacing the ground beneath our feet like he might spiral under the surface.
He can’t make you ? —
Yes, Landon. He can! He can, and he will!
I shook my head. But you don’t want to marry her. You don’t love ? —
What I want doesn’t matter, Landon. Don’t you get that?
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. Kingston should have a choice.
He deserved a choice.
We can find a way around him. Kingston, you can’t ? —
Her family offered him their vote. Everything he wants, Landon! He laughed harshly, derision laced through his voice. The school. More power. Didn’t you hear what he said?
He strode forward, capturing my shoulders in his hands and jarring me forcefully.
She is exactly what Camelot Court needs .
He spat out the words as I grabbed him in return, pushing and pulling against him like I always had.
What about you? What about what you need?
A voice cut through the trees. Landon!
I bolted upright.
Sweat dripping down my face, my heart raced as if I’d run through those trees for hours. The way we always had.
That memory…
That voice…
Pain shot through my skull.
It cleared the lingering haze of sleep, right as my name rang out through the darkness.
I was out of bed before I registered my body moving. Halfway to the door before I realized what I was doing. Opening Kingston’s door, he lay on his bed beside Quinn. She knelt over him, hands hovering over his body, unsure where or how to touch him.
“He’s having a nightmare, but I-I can’t wake him. I’m scared to hurt him. Or make it worse.” The words rushed out of her as I approached the side of the bed.
“You won’t hurt him.”
I didn’t know how I knew it, but I did.
Tear tracks stained her cheeks. “I pushed him to open up. I must have?—”
“Just hold onto him.” I urged her softly, stepping closer. “Let him know he’s not alone.”
Her voice shook. “Will you help me?”
I swallowed, staring between them and momentarily unsure, but when Kingston thrashed in his sleep, Quinn’s mewl of pain mirrored his own. My knee hit the mattress before I decided to climb on the bed.
“It’s alright.”
“Is this what it’s like with me?”
The sheer horror in her voice almost made me laugh, but I smothered it. “Oh, no. You are gentle like a flower, even in sleep, my Lady.”
She shot me an exasperated look but smiled despite her fears. Running a hand through her sleep-tousled hair, she blew a breath out from between pursed lips.
“I’m adding like five brownie points to your scoreboard for this. At least.”
I arched a brow. “My scoreboard?”
She waved a hand at me as she reclined beside Kingston. “The one that gets you fully out of the doghouse, of course.”
“Ah.” I nodded, carefully keeping my distance as I mirrored her actions on Kingston’s other side. “How am I doing?”
“Not bad, actually. The orgasms go a long way. I double the points when you bring in another player.”
She had no idea how adorable she was like this. Nervous and rambling.
“Noted.” I bit back a smile as she flashed her eyes to mine. “Does the other player have to actively participate, or can he just be in the room?” I flicked my gaze to Kingston and winked, joking to ease her mind. “Because I’ll help you back to sleep right now.”
Her laugh settled any lingering unease, and a weight lifted from my chest. She centered herself, giving me one last smile and mouthing a quick thank you before refocusing on Kingston.
Wrapping her arms around him, she murmured reassurances in his ear.
Her fingers ran through his hair, drawing patterns I recognized but wasn’t sure she realized she was drawing.
I lay there on standby, gauging every move Kingston made in case I needed to intervene.
It wasn’t the first time he’d had a nightmare, but the first time I’d witnessed it.
At least, I thought it was the first time.
Resting my arm on his bicep, I gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re alright,” I whispered.
And slowly, just like Quinn usually did, Kingston settled.
I eased backward, thinking I should give them space. “If you need me, just call for me again, okay?”
“No, wait!” When Kingston groaned again, she lowered her voice. “Please don’t leave.”
My lips quirked. “What if he wakes up like you?”
“Well, then you can earn some more points.”
I tried not to let her sass affect me, but my cock twitched.
Adjusting myself, I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling.
After the talk we had earlier, I didn’t think Kingston would appreciate waking up to my erection against his ass.
Quinn giggled, assuring me she’d followed my train of thought and felt the opposite.
“He wants us all to love without limits, Buns. Just get comfy.”
Stifling a yawn as her body relaxed, she’d fall back asleep in no time. So, as much as I wanted to take up space behind her and press against her ass, I stayed on the other side of the bed.
“Good night, beautiful.”
“Night, Honey Bunny,” she mumbled sleepily in response, her hand reaching for me over Kingston’s body. I took her hand and held it in mine, smiling as she dozed off.
Staring at them both, I wondered if I should’ve felt like an intruder.
If I should’ve felt like I was crossing lines by being there during this time meant for just the two of them.
But, with her hand in mine, and the heat of Kingston’s back warming my arm where it lay beside him, I didn’t feel any of that.
I felt like I was right where I belonged.
And, for the first time, I wanted— needed —to remember why.