Chapter 16 Sai #2
I cock my head and grin wide at Zeek who glares at me, before looking back at my phone to tap in the final touches. “Done. You’re all in there, so you fuckers can do it.”
I walk round to Zeek’s chair and drop into it, kicking my feet up onto his desk, ready to watch the drama unfold.
And one by one, they each pull out their phones and stare at their screens.
Red's Enforcers (Definitely Just Friends)
“I know, not my best work, but I figured ‘Red’s little lap dogs (totally platonic)’ might not go down as well.”
I tilt my head one way, then the other, then snap my fingers with the click of my tongue. “Got it, what about ‘Four shades of desperation (for friendship)’ ?”
Julien nods approvingly. “I like it.”
I smile. “Thanks, buddy.”
Kane remains silent.
“How do you come up with these so quickly?” Zeek sounds equal parts exasperated and impressed, which does awful things to my ego.
My markings pulse. “Mate, if you think that’s impressive, you should hear the things I say in the bedroom—”
All our phones vibrate at once.
I shut up, and watch every gaze drop straight to their screens, including mine.
Red: Cute group name.
Seeing as I created the name, she’s basically calling me ‘cute’, right? Right.
Me: Thanks, Red. You wanna hear the other options?
(Btw, that’s twice you’ve called me cute today).
“No, no she doesn’t,” Zeek murmurs, but he doesn’t look at me, his fingers are too busy tapping away.
Geeklord Supreme: We’re sorry, about earlier. We’re discussing ways to combat the issue and wanted to keep you involved.
“Nice save, Lordy.” I smile down at my phone, feeling Zeek’s gaze burning into me. “But if she asks, I’m going with ‘lap dogs’.”
Red: And how do we go about combatting... it?
I pretend to type while saying loudly, “By letting you have your wicked way with us—”
Two vicious glares land on me, one blaring silver and the other deathly black.
I glance at Julien, and his eyes gleam, the flicker of his mouth telling me—like usual—we’re on the same page. Big fucker won’t say that though, likes to act all moral when, deep down, the things that man has done put my kinks to shame.
My phone clatters onto Zeek’s desk as I hold my palms up in surrender.
“I was kidding guys, sheesh. You’re all on edge today.” I grin, but their glares never waver. I sigh. “Go on then, share the plan with our girl.”
I don’t even read what Zeek types. I just wait until he’s done and watch the other guys for a cue of when she’s replied.
When I hear a muffled huff of frustration, I quirk a brow at Zeek.
“She wants to know who’s staying tonight,” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose and scrunching his eyes, hurriedly slipping his glasses back on.
Huh.
I could tease him about that, how I know it’s a nervous tick he does when he’s stressed, and he’s already done it about three times, but I let it go.
“I will try to feed… again,” Julien announces, but we all hear the bitter twist in those words.
He doesn’t want to, he just has to.
Out of the four of us, he was the worst today, which was saying something considering how cosy he normally is with the dark. But bloodlust is a whole other beast.
He once tried explaining it to me, all serious and poetic, then it ended with ‘incomparable’ to all other needs.
Which leaves only three eligible bachelors for tonight.
Do I want it to be me? Fuck yes, I do.
Me and that wall would be best friends by sunrise.
But am I really what Red needs right now? Would I be able to resist? I almost followed Julien into the dark, was more than ready to hunt her down, Dark Sai can’t seem to fuck off…
But before I can be all chivalrous and back out, Zeek and Kane set their sights on me.
“No,” they say.
My mouth drops open on a scoff, then I flip them off. “Hey, fuck you guys. I was literally about to back out.”
“Really?” Julien perches on the desk, smiling down at me.
I huff. “I’m making that second group chat.” His smile widens.
“But I already stayed last night.” Zeek’s voice is suddenly raised, and normally I’d enjoy the show, except this isn’t aimed at me.
Julien quirks a brow before we both tune in to the brothers’ conversation.
“Ezekial, you have the most control.” Kane keeps his voice low and level, no room for doubt.
“But you’ve spent the most time with her. Surely you’re more adjusted?” Ezekial presses, tone sharpening.
“Yet you were the one who raised a mental barrier. You held our darkness long enough for us to regain control.”
“But…” Zeek is losing, his brows drawing tight with frustration. “But you managed to flit.”
“And I was seconds from doing something she’d never forgive.
” Kane’s words grind out between his teeth and my eyes damn near pop.
Judging by the silence, I’m not the only one shocked by Kane’s response.
“My darkness pushed me to flit, but not to protect her. It wanted to…” He shakes his head. “To claim her.”
To claim her.
“My darkness was too close to the surface, and when I touched her.” He closes his eyes, and a chill runs through me at how unlike Kane that tiny action is. “I sensed Kacey, and that broke the… urge. That was the only reason I was able to leave.”
We’re all silent, but I’m locked on Kane, on the way his chest rises and falls a little too quickly.
Our little Red really has fucked us up.
“Breathe, Kane,” I murmur, only to him. I see him flinch in response to my voice, but then he listens.
After a few more breaths, he tries again, “Ezekial, your barrier, your light, without it, we would’ve lost ourselves to the dark completely. Without you, I would have… We would have…”
He doesn’t finish his sentence, but the rest rips through us anyway.
Take her. Bond her. She needs it. Needs us. Now. We can take turns. Touch. Taste. Bond. Claim.
I scrunch my eyes shut as violent, carnal images claw at me. All our dark urges tangling into one big, feral mess that has the shadows spiking towards us.
“Can we not talk about that,” I grit, shooting the brothers a sharp look and lining up a shock to the ribs if necessary.
Zeek rakes a hand through his hair, subduing the thoughts with a mental block I feel press in place.
“Brother, I already showed you what happened last night,” he says, and I don’t miss the edge of distress in his tone. “I can’t do that again.”
I lean back in Zeek’s chair so far, so fast, I nearly fall off.
“What the fuck happened last night, Zeek?” I look to Julien who also appears confused.
“She… I…” Zeek stumbles over the words, and my eyes narrow.
First Kane, now Zeek? What the fuck did our girl do that has the Ezekial tongue-tied?
Then he shows us. Just a snippet, just a tiny glimpse, but holy hell—
Red’s gorgeous eyes flutter up at him, all wide and doe-eyed, her back pinned to a door, pale skin flush, voice a husky rasp as she murmurs, “My lord.”
I topple off the chair, hit the floor with a thud, and stay there. “Fuck.”
Julien leans over to peer down at me.
“Fuck,” I mutter again, staring up at the ceiling and part of Julien’s face. “Zeek, I’m gonna need an extended cut of that.” I don’t move. Can’t. If my dick feels the slightest bit of friction, I’m done. “The full, uncut, director’s edition, bonus features included.”
“Which is why I can’t stay again.” Zeek drops into the chair I’ve just fallen from while I stay on the floor beside him. “What if she does that again?”
“Ezekial, that memory alone proves you hold more control than any of us,” Julien chimes in. “The first night will have been the most difficult, but with more time together, it will grow easier.”
Zeek doesn’t look convinced. He’s glaring at his monitor, which I can see from the floor is very much off.
“I will try to feed,” Julien says again, moving towards the shadows. I’m about to stand and follow, when he adds in my mind: “Help him, Sai.”
Then he flits. Rude, but also, really fucking worrying...
“Convince him, Sai.” Kane’s eyes lock with mine, before they dart to his brother to make his words clearer. Then aloud: “I’ll accompany Julien.”
“Go easy on him, mate,” I murmur, floor still my throne. “He’s struggling. He’ll pretend he’s fine, but he’s not. Not this time.”
Kane nods, then the shadows take him.
Leaving just Zeek and me.
I sigh, jump up from the floor, and knock Zeek’s shoulder with my knuckles before parking myself on his desk corner. I’m facing him, but he just stares at the screen. At least it’s actually on this time.
“Come on, man. It’ll be fine.” I lean back on my palms, smirk tugging at my mouth. “The wall’s gagging for round two.”
From the corner of his eye, he glares at me, then that narrowed silver gaze snaps back to his precious screen.
“That’s all I get?” I huff. “No come back? No insult? I’m honestly disappointed.” I hop off and turn. “Whatever’s on that screen must be—”
My mouth falls open. Zeek clocks it the same second.
“It’s not what it looks like,” he blurts, all certainty gone.
Oh, it’s exactly what it looks like.
“My, my, my… and you called me a perv.”
My gaze skims across a dozen little screens, all angles of the atrium. But only one that really matters, and it’s huge, front and centre, locked on a stunning redhead.
Our girl. Our bond.
She’s perched on a planting bench, chatting with Kace, twirling a curl of hair around her finger.
“You absolute freak.” I grin, proud as hell.
“You’re going to tell the others, aren’t you?” he murmurs.
“You fucking know it.” I give his shoulder a reassuring pat.
He exhales slowly, then his voice dips. “I just feel so… restless. If I can’t see her, or feel her, I just… I can’t… I feel like I’m losing it, man.”
Fuck. He’s being serious with me, which means this is worse than we thought.
“Listen, I get it.” I ease onto the arm of his chair, both of us staring at the girl of our dreams. She’s smiling at something, Kacey I think, and the sharp tug of jealousy that causes is crazy. “We all do.”