Thirty-Three
I am yours,” I whisper again. Willing my words to reach into whatever subconscious she has where she still believes we don’t deserve her. That she isn’t worthy enough. That she isn’t already mine.
She trembles beneath my touch and unholy gods, the things I wish to do to her. There’s so much I have yet to explore. From body, mind, and soul. I want it all.
Her lips tremble and softer than I thought possible she breathes one single word.
“No.” Her head shakes subtly against mine. “I will not destroy your soul.”
My fingers tighten around her throat and I bring her just close enough so when I speak my lips now brush against hers.
“Then stop saying we have no choice if you will not give a choice to back out.”
She pulls back and I allow her the space. But when she opens her eyes I feel like I should never let her leave my side again. Because she is not looking at me with her defiance or sorrow or anything else I’ve seen through her eyes. She’s looking at me like she’s accepting her fate.
“I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my lap.
Her legs curl around my waist and her arms squeeze my neck as she buries her head into the crook of my neck.
Her body fitting perfectly against mine as I tighten my arm around her back and use my other to cradle her head. Letting my fingers stroke her hair.
“Never again,” I promise. “You never have to be alone again.”
I can feel Varian, Castiel, and Callahan in the back of my mind agreeing. There are more questions, concerns, fear about her and what she believes will be her end, but for right now none of that matters. Not as I feel her tears damping my shirt and so much weight pressing down on her shoulders.
I stand and the others follow. Turning towards the bed, I don’t wait for the others and crawl in. If Varian has a problem with it then he can deal with it elsewhere.
I do not, demon. So long as you know how to share.
My arm tightens around Mavyn, but my soul does not fight against the thought of sharing Mavyn with them.
Someone pull back the sheets and I maneuver us so I’m on my back and Mavyn is on top of me.
Her body becoming slightly heavier as she becomes dead weight.
Drifting into sleep as Varian climbs in on my left side in only a pair of sweats.
He lays on his back and pulls her hand to lay over his chest and he lets out a content sigh.
As if he’s just now relaxing with her skin on his.
Callahan tentatively climbs in on my right side and I grab his t-shirt to jerk him down to lay right beside me. He scoffs but I know him. I know his thoughts and sufferance within his mind and how he feels because Mavyn has not accepted him yet.
Grabbing his arm, I drape it over Mavyn’s back and just like Varian, he lets out a subtle content sigh. His body immediately relaxing now that he’s touching his fated.
All that’s left is Castiel. The demigod who is watching from the foot of the bed with longing and so much emotion I constantly see in Callahan’s eyes.
“She doesn’t want me,” he whispers. His dark eyes not wavering from Mavyn. She’s fully out now and Callahan and Varian are both asleep too.
I’m on my way with my heartbeat wanting to sync with her deep, steady one.
“She does. She just has a twisted view about not wanting to hurt us.”
He shakes his head and takes a step back. “She hates me. I’ve seen it in her eyes. She tried to kill me in Darian’s rooms. She’d rather I stay away.”
“If she wanted you dead, Castiel,” I drawl, “you would be dead. And she does not hate you.”
Hope glimmers in his eyes but it’s drowned. Still, he whispers, “How do you know?”
I shift my hips and then relax into the bed as my heartbeat finally syncs with hers. “Because I’ve seen part of her soul.” My eyes drift shut. “She doesn’t believe she’s worthy of us. All of us. But I’ve seen it. The reason she’s trying so hard to push us away. It’s because she loves us too.”
The last thing I process is the bed dipping and then spicy clove and citrus mingling with the rest of our scents. It nearly feels complete. One scent still missing. But it feels like home, nonetheless. It feels like peace.