27. Chapter Twenty-Eight #4
“I heard that.” Tavian complained from my other side, lifting his head from the pillow.
“You were supposed to.” Luca replied as his purr deepened when I laughed. The joke ended there instead of becoming another contest between them. I leaned over and kissed Luca, and his arms came around me as soon as I moved close enough.
“I'll miss you being here.” Luca admitted against my hair as one palm spread across my back.
“I'll miss being here.” I told Luca as I tucked my face briefly against his shoulder and breathed in sandalwood and herbs.
Later, after the room had gone almost completely dark, I lay against Malek's chest with Tavian's leg tangled near mine and Luca close enough that our shoulders touched. Malek's arm rested across my stomach while his nose moved through my hair and slowly followed the line of my temple and jaw.
Cedar strengthened around me as his mouth brushed beneath my ear and traveled lower until his nose passed over my gland. My body responded before anything else happened, warmth gathering low in my stomach while the sensitive skin beneath his mouth began to throb.
Malek pressed his lips there once before his teeth lightly touched the edge of the gland. Every muscle in my body went still, and Malek stopped with me. His teeth remained there only long enough for me to feel exactly what wasn't happening—no pressure, no bite, and no permanent mark.
My fingers tightened around his hand where it rested across my stomach.
Malek pulled his teeth away and replaced them with another kiss, his arm staying firmly around my waist while I exhaled and relaxed against him again.
Nothing had changed since the night before.
I still wanted the marks, and we were still waiting, so neither of us needed to turn the moment into another conversation about it.
I eventually fell asleep surrounded by all three men, although I woke often enough that the night felt much shorter than it actually was.
The first time I surfaced, Tavian's hand rested over my hip beneath Malek's shirt.
Another time, Luca's leg was pressed firmly against mine while his purr rumbled softly in his sleep.
Shortly before morning, Malek's arm remained around my waist and his face was buried near the back of my hair.
When the alarm sounded at four-thirty, nobody complained about it. There was no Tavian growl, irritated comment, or attempt to bargain for another ten minutes, and somehow the silence was worse.
By five, I was dressed with Malek's charcoal shirt folded near the top of my bag after I'd worn it for as long as I reasonably could.
Tavian handed me breakfast and stayed close while I ate, periodically pressing his hand to my shoulder or waist without pretending there was any practical reason for it.
Luca unplugged the radio from the charger, checked the battery indicator, and passed it to me.
“Full.” Luca told me as he placed the radio into my hand, his fingers lingering around mine for a second before releasing it.
“Good.” I answered Luca as I clipped it to my belt and checked that it sat securely beside the locator.
The courtyard was gray with early morning light when we left.
Mist hung low around the vegetation beyond the ruins, everything smelled wet from the night, and my boots darkened immediately when we stepped onto the damp trail while birds began calling farther into the forest.
The three men walked with me until the sanctuary route approached the human-used trail. They couldn't go farther without risking being seen from the station, and no one tried to argue otherwise.
We stopped beneath the broad tree where we'd separated so many times during the assignment, only this time I wasn't coming back after a few hours or later that evening.
Tavian reached me first.
“Be Safe.” Tavian told me as he wrapped both arms around me, pressing his cheek against mine while citrus and spice worked deeply into my hair.
“I will.” I promised Tavian as I hugged him just as tightly, my fingers curling against the muscles of his back while his nose moved slowly along the side of my neck.
He kissed me when he pulled back, then kissed me again before his hands slid down my arms and lingered around my wrists.
Eventually, Tavian made himself release me.
Luca stepped forward next.
“Make sure you actually use the cable wrap before deciding it's terrible.” Luca told me as he pulled me into his arms, the slight roughness in his voice making the practical reminder considerably less convincing.
“No promises.” I answered Luca as I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my cheek briefly against his shoulder, feeling his purr vibrate between us.
“I knew I should've tested it longer.” Luca muttered as he drew back enough to press a kiss to my forehead.
“You'll survive the review.” I told Luca as I touched his cheek, memorizing the faint morning stubble beneath my palm.
“Probably.” Luca replied as he covered my hand with his, keeping it there for another second before letting me go.
Malek waited behind them, exactly as I expected him to.
I went to him first. His arms closed around me immediately, one broad hand spreading between my shoulder blades while the other settled securely at my waist. Cedar surrounded me as he scented my hair and temple before his nose followed the side of my neck and lingered near my gland without letting his teeth touch me.
“Come home, Evie.” Malek told me as he lifted his head, his golden-brown eyes holding mine while his hand stayed firm against my back.
My throat tightened so quickly that answering took me a second.