CHAPTER 13
Rue
Footsteps on the porch alert us to their arrival and I leap off the couch, mind racing. Well, they didn’t keep us waiting long. If anything, I’m impressed by how fast they managed to get here. Unlike Slade, they don’t have to wait for an invitation inside, and the door bangs open with a loud thwack.
My heart leaps to my throat as their hulking figures step through the entryway, each looking like avenging angels of death. They’re clothed, sadly—I mean, thankfully, so they must’ve driven. Or brought a change of clothes.
The three of them stare at me with golden eyes, their beasts at the surface, their chests rumbling with growls. My traitorous body reacts to the sound, remembering how the vibrations feel when they’re between my thighs.
For the first time, I find myself anxious about what to do next, which guts me because, before Kathan took off, I’d never felt unsure around them.
What do I even say after everything that’s happened?
How do I act?
A part of me wants to run up and hug them, but will they welcome that? I’m a traitor in their eyes. A spy.
For a beat, it seems none of us know what to do. But Rhys breaks the tension first, striding forward with purpose. His arms envelope me in a tight embrace, and I can’t help but melt into his warmth. The familiarity of his sugary scent washes over me, grounding me as a sob escapes. He strokes a hand through my hair before moving it from my neck to bury his nose there.
“Rue,” Rhys whispers against my skin, his tone a mix of relief and longing. “You have no idea how fucking worried we were.”
Tears fall freely as Caylix’s heat warms my back, his fresh linen scent mingling with Rhys’. He leans in, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. “Little witch,” he murmurs, his voice laced with a hint of possessiveness. The intensity of their presence surrounds me, their combined scents overwhelming my senses.
This is so not what I expected.
Torn between wanting to pull away and craving their touch, I find myself frozen in their embrace. There’s so many unspoken things between us... but they can wait a little longer, can’t they?
Kathan steps forward hesitantly, a flicker of uncertainty in his green eyes. He looks like shit. There’s a bit of mud in his hair and his clothes seem like they were thrown on haphazardly. Now that I’m paying attention, the other two aren’t any better. Rhys’ sleeves are ripped to shreds, and Caylix has his shirt on backwards.
It hurts my heart when Kathan’s hand hovers mid-air, his fingers reaching for me, before he drops it to his side and turns away. Nope. He’s not doing this brewshit again. I wiggle my way out of Rhys and Caylix’s embrace, prowling toward the grumpy wolf. He hasn’t seen me coming yet, seemingly buried deep in his mind.
Without giving myself time to second guess it, I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. Shock registers across his face and he stands stock still, barely breathing as I hug him. Seconds tick by without him moving an inch, and my cheeks flame in embarrassment. Wow, this is awkward. What the hex was I thinking?
As I turn to pull away, it’s like a switch flips and he lifts his arms, tugging me into chest. He presses his nose against the sensitive skin of my neck. When he exhales a warm puff of air, it causes goosebumps to rise.
My fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt as I bury my face in his chest, breathing in his familiar scent of fresh pine. I’ve missed wearing his clothes and having it on me constantly. Speaking of which, it hits me that, once again, I’m only wearing Slade’s dress shirt. Why the hex didn’t I change?
Oh, right, probably because I was too busy staring at a wall, trying to decide what to say and what to do when they got here. Curses.
Ah, well. Too late to change it now.
“Rue,” Kathan rumbles, pulling me from my thoughts. “Fuck. I don’t know what to say other than I’m sorry—“ His voice cracks on the last syllable and his arms tighten around me, his grip protective. I cling to him, unwilling to let go just yet.
Like our budding bond was simply waiting for this moment, the threads that connect us flare to life. They start out dull, but as the others surround me and allow the emotions to flow between us, they begin to glow a bright, brilliant gold.
Tears leak down my cheeks as I come to the realization that the bond wasn’t severed. It’s been here, laying in wait for us to make our ways back to one another.
Everything that’s happened since we were separated plays out in quick succession. Me from Kathan’s perspective as he sees me with Lance. I’m struck by how different it feels from his point of view. We appear close, cozy even. I notice Lance flick his fingers at Kathan, and a trail of magic whizz by before snapping into him. The hurt in this moment is almost enough to flay me open. No wonder he took off.
Then it switches to him running through the swamps, attempting to out run his pain. There’s more here too, something between him and Lance, but it’s as if the bond knows we need to have a conversation about that instead. I watch in horror as his paws slide out from under him and he topples into a tree, breaking his ribs.
The next part flashes by in rapid succession, waiting with Caylix and Rhys to be healed enough to walk, getting back to the cabin to discover I’m missing and the utter devastation that they’d inadvertently allowed me to be taken. Them searching for my scent in town and discovering the enforcer took me, but not knowing where.
Now it’s time to reveal my side of the events—proving I’m not a spy. Everything is laid bare. All of it hangs between us as the vision stops. But I’m not ready to tackle it head on yet. I’ve been through a lot, and obviously so have they. He hurt me, and he’ll need to answer for it. But sometimes, you simply need a hug from those you love, even when you’re upset with them.
Love doesn’t simply happen. It’s a choice. One you have to make every single day. One you have to fight for.
When Kathan pulls back a fraction to say something else, his demeanor instantly changes. His body pliant seconds ago turns rigid as he lets out a ferocious growl. I follow his line of sight to find the collar of Slade’s shirt has slipped enough my neck is visible. Oh no, I totally forgot I’m still sporting a nasty bruise from this morning.
“Yes, I was attacked but it looks worse than it is—“ I start at the same time as Kathan says, “You bonded with him?”
His puzzled gaze snaps back to me. “You were attacked this morning?” he snarls, his tone deadly as he focuses that rage on Slade.
Now I’m the one confused.
“What the hell are you two talking about—“ Caylix begins, but stops as his hazel eyes zero in on it too.
Rhys’ eyes widen in shock before narrowing in fury. All hell breaks loose seconds later when he lunges for Slade, who’d been silently watching our exchange. Slade dodges the sloppy attack easily, phasing out of the way with a lazy smirk on his face.
I clear my throat in an attempt to get them to focus on me, and lay into them about their priorities, but it does nothing. Caylix takes a swing at Slade next, letting out a frustrated howl when his partially shifted claws swipe through empty air, and Slade materializes behind him, cackling. I roll my eyes. The fangwad is enjoying this, but I am not. I like all of their insides being insides and their outsides being exactly where they are.
“Stop!” I yell, hoping they’ll listen before this becomes an all-out brawl. Of course they don’t. Slade’s mocking laughter echoes around the room as he phases out of their reach, his fangs glinting in the dim light. The tension as they circle one another is thick enough I could cut it with a knife.
When someone tips over a vase and it shatters to the ground, something inside me snaps. “Enough!” I shout, my voice a thunderous clap. The room silences and all eyes snap to me. Phew, it’s a heady thing to be the entire focus of these men’s attention.
It’s quiet enough you could hear a pin drop. My mouth goes dry as all thought suddenly flies out the window, and I struggle to find the right words to say next.
Focus, Rue. Right. I’m angry. I’ve got this.
“Yes, Slade and I bonded. He’s my soulmatch and I expect you three to respect that. While we have a connection, I’m not yours. Yet. So, we did nothing wrong.” I let out a breath, then level them all with a look, satisfied when I get sheepish winces in return. “And yes. I was attacked this morning by one of Slade’s clan.”
Slade’s lip curls as he remembers what happened. “And I ripped her heart out for her transgression.”
Caylix’s chest rumbles. “Bring her back so I can do it again.”
Kathan turns a questioning eyebrow in my direction. “I think wires were crossed somewhere, sunshine. What did you think I saw?”
“Am I not bruised?” I ask, unbuttoning Slade’s shirt and pushing it out of the way. Their eyes widen at my bold display, but I don’t care. Everyone in this room has seen me naked and two of them have been inside me. And I’d be lying if I said the other two won’t be eventually.
“No,” Kathan replies, staring at me like I’ve grown another head.
A flicker of hurt crosses Rhys’ eyes before it vanishes. “The only thing on your neck is his mark.”
I reach a hand up to my neck, surprised to find there’s not an ounce of pain. My brow dips and I glance at Slade who’s staring at me, an odd expression I can’t quite place on his face. “There are some things I still need to tell you. And I don’t want you to freak out, okay?”
Sigh. When has that statement ever not made things worse?