CHAPTER Twenty-ONE
ELYSIA
Moonlight spills through the balcony doors of my private quarters, silvering the glowing leaves of all my plants potted across it.
The moonlillies are in full bloom tonight, their petals unfurled and softly glowing, casting pale light across the stone, the night’s warm breeze mixing with the scent of the sea below and my florals.
Sirena sits cross-legged against the stone railing, knees pulled to her chest, fingers brushing reverently over the luminous moonlillie petals like they might disappear if she presses too hard.
We decided on a girly night after Thane and Enzo insisted on dragging Cole out for a few drinks.
Ronan and Kaden were invited too, but Ronan has an early synchronisation class with Brynn in the morning.
And apparently, Kaden had far better plans—namely, brooding, scowling, and then brooding some more. Truly an impressive show of dedication.
“I could just… sit here forever,” Sirena murmurs at my side, pulling me from my thoughts. “Honestly, I’m insanely jealous of your room.”
A quiet laugh slips from me as I sip my tea, moonleaf and rose drifting upward in curling phantoms of steam. “You can take some with you if you want; I can always grow more.”
Her eyes light up instantly. “I’m not even going to pretend to say no.” She scoots closer and hooks an arm around my waist. “You’re the best.”
“I know,” I say lightly. “I don’t even have to try.”
She laughs a soft and unguarded sound, the kind that settles warm in your chest. After a moment, she slides down just enough to rest her head against my shoulder, her voice turning quieter and more thoughtful.
“So,” she says, like it’s an afterthought. “What’s going on between you and Kaden?”
I scoff before I can stop myself. “Nothing.”
She hums and gives me a pointed look.
“Nothing is going on between Kaden and me,” I press, voice more defensive than I intended.
Her face tells me she’s clearly unconvinced but mercifully doesn’t push. Instead, she shifts and glances up at me with a knowing tilt to her smile. “Okay then. What about you and Ronan?”
I shrug, a small smile tugging my lips. “We’ve been on a couple of dates, but nothing serious.”
She waits.
“…I like him,” I add, softer this time. “A lot.”
Her smile turns genuine. “Good. You deserve someone who makes you smile, not someone who gives you a constant headache.”
“That feels suspiciously specific.” I chuckle, shaking my head, “Alright. New topic, first kisses—let me guess.” I squint theatrically. “Thane, right?”
“Obviously,” Sirena says without shame. “We were ten, and it was at one of The Council’s annual balls, there was music and terrible dancing and all the sweet treats a girl could dream of—then I stepped on his feet during the kiss.”
A chuckle works up my throat, “That’s actually really cute.”
She nods, “Looking back, it was, but in the moment… gods, I was mortified.” She laughs, recalling the memory. “What about you?”
“Cole.”
Her head snaps up from my shoulder. “Fuck off!”
“What?” I laugh, shrugging. “We were eight and saw my parents kiss, so we thought we’d try it.” I shudder, “Never again.”
Sirena explodes into laughter… full, belly-aching laughter, clutching her sides. “That does not count. That’s like going to kiss your brother’s cheek and accidentally getting his lips.” She wipes at her eyes. “Come on. Who was your first real kiss?”
I hesitate for a second. Not because I don’t want to tell her, but because the memory is too painful.
I clear my throat and sigh, “My ex-boyfriend, Ash. He was one of Cole’s friends when we were teenagers. My first kiss was with him when I was twelve. We were together for seven years.”
“Ooo,” she singsongs immediately. “What was he like?”
I let out a short breath. “An asshole... or at least, he was in the end. I left him when I was nineteen.”
Her smile fades, brows furrowing. “Why did you break up?”
“He cheated on me,” I say plainly, my fingers tightening around the cup unconsciously. “I only found out because I had turned up at his place slightly earlier than planned. Walking in on him and his families maid going at it on the kitchen counter.”
Sirena stiffens, sitting up straight. “Holy shit.”
“I’d asked him how long it had been going on for,” I continue, “and after what seemed like hours of arguing and lots of crying, he finally admitted that he’d first slept with her the night of my father’s funeral.”
“What!” Sirena’s voice is equal parts shock and growing fury, “Wait, wait, wait… you said your dad died when you were seventeen, right?”
I nod, taking a sip of my tea.
“So, he was cheating on you for two whole years?!”
I hum, swirling the tea in my cup. “He said it started because he was ‘grieving with me’ and seeking comfort, whatever the fuck that means. But then it became a habit he couldn’t seem to break.
” A bitter laugh escapes my throat, “The most fucked up part is I’d given him my virginity that same night, seeking comfort in one of the few people I thought I could trust and lean on. ”
She sits up properly now, anger flashing across her face on my behalf. “Gods, I’m so sorry. What a prick.” She shifts closer, pulling me into her and squeezing me tight, like I might crumble away without her holding me together. “You deserved better than that asshole. You still do.”
I smile softly, deciding to change the subject, “So, have you got any disastrous exes?”
She looks up at me, eyebrow raised. “You’re joking, right?”
“Yes,” I chuckle, “I know very well you have only ever been with Thane. You talk about him constantly.”
She gasps theatrically, pushing my shoulder playfully, “I do not talk about him that much.”
“You do… all the time.” I tease, smiling into my cup. “It’s cute, really. You’ve been together what, twelve years? And you’re still infatuated. It’s what every woman dreams of.”
She shrugs, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “He’s my favourite person and the greatest gift of my life. I’m sorry, though… if my babbling about him is annoying.”
I give her shoulder a playful nudge. “Oh, shh. Talk about him till your heart’s content. Honestly, I don’t mind. I actually enjoy it. It’s nice hearing about a healthy, stable relationship for once.”
Sirena smiles, relief softening her expression as she takes a sip of her own tea.
Muffled voices sound down the corridor, laughter, slurring… unsteady feet. I lower my cup, smiling. “Cole and Thane are back.”
Her eyebrows crease, “How do you know that?”
Boots scrape against stone at her words, followed by a muffled curse and the unmistakable sound of someone knocking into the wall. Loud and uneven, definitely Cole.
“They’re stumbling down the hallway,” I say. “Louder than a stampede of horses.”
“You can hear them from here?” She squints at me, “How?”
I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “My hearing has always been really good.”
Sirena huffs as she rises to her feet, “I wish mine was. Come on, we should probably go out to greet them,” she says, already heading for the door. “Before they walk straight into a scowling Kaden.”
I laugh, “That does sound like a disaster waiting to happen.”
We enter the shared living quarters and set our empty cups on the kitchen counter as I flick my wrist to boil the kettle.
A heartbeat later, the front door to the suite swings open with a loud thud.
Thane and Cole stumble through it in a tangle of limbs and laughter, nearly taking the damn door down with them. Cole catches himself on the doorframe, only to miss his footing entirely and lean far too heavily into Thane.
“We’re fine,” Cole announces brightly, words slurring together as he grins at no one in particular. “Perfectly coordinated.”
Thane snorts, bracing them both. “You walked into a table,” he reminds him. “Twice.”
“In my defence, it attacked me,” Cole insists, waving a dismissive hand.
Thane chuckles, then stumbles forward before his gaze finally lands on Sirena. His entire expression softens, melting into something gooey and unguarded.
“There she is,” he murmurs, his attention narrowing until she’s the only thing left in focus. He crosses the suite with questionable balance and pulls her into his arms, resting his forehead against hers. “Have I told you tonight that you’re the most beautiful woman in existence?”
Sirena laughs, cupping his face before he can sway too far. “At least three times before you left,” she says gently.
I can’t help smiling.
Even drenched in drink and barely upright, Thane’s attention never wavers from Sirena. Every word out of his mouth seems to find its way back to her… how beautiful she looks; how lucky he is. The room could be packed with hundreds of breathtaking women, and he would still only see her.
Cole drops onto the nearby armchair next to Kaden with the grace of a man who has lost negotiations with gravity. He stretches out like he owns the place, kicking his feet up on the coffee table, then shooting me a knowing grin.
He knows Kaden hates when people put their feet up on the table, and fucking with him has become Cole’s favourite pastime.
Kaden remains seated on the ivory couch, a mug of coffee cradled in his hands as he stares Cole down with a glare that would make anyone else cower away… but Cole simply does not care.
“Really? Not going to say anything, huh?” He tunes. “A few days ago, you would’ve threatened to dislocate my kneecaps.”
Kaden takes a slow sip of coffee. “There’s still time.”
“Promises, promises.” Cole grins wider, clearly pleased with himself and no concern for the very real possibility that Kaden can and would do precisely what he threatens.
I pour a glass of water and sit on the arm of the chair, pressing the glass into Cole’s chest. “Come on, Clutz. Drink this before you get your head chewed off.”
Cole blinks, then looks between me and the glass. “Aw, look at you taking care of me. You love me.” He slurs, dragging out the last words.
“I just don’t want to deal with your insistent moaning when you have a hangover in the morning.” I press the glass into his chest again. “Drink.”
Reluctantly and with a groan, he takes a small sip before his voice goes syrupy. “Concern. Tenderness. Hydrating me? Gods, Reinheart, are you seeing this? She’s just the sweetest, isn’t she?”
“Drink your water.” Kaden deadpans.
Cole does, grimacing exaggeratedly before handing the empty glass back to me. “You two are fascinating,” he continues. “All that glaring and tension, yet… nothing.”
I stiffen. “There is no—”
“Oh, there absolutely is.” Cole waves a hand between us. “It’s practically oozing off you both.”
Thane perks up from where he’s half-draped over Sirena in the kitchen. “They do have chemistry,” he says proudly, as if he’s solved something important.
“Like proper, furious, can’t-stand-each-other chemistry,” Cole adds, grinning wide.
“You should just fuck—”
“Thane!” Sirena cuts in sharply, laughing despite herself as she clamps a hand over his mouth.
Cole flat-out laughs, pitching forward with his arm wrapped around his stomach.
“They should,” he declares. “Why don’t you both just get it over with and fuck already?”
A flicker of amusement skims along the bond quick and illicit, gone before I can latch onto it, drowned beneath a wall of calm restraint and simmering frustration that doesn’t feel entirely my own.
Kaden leans back into the couch, arms stretching along the backrest in practised nonchalance, voice maddeningly even. “I think you’re mistaking mutual tolerance for attraction. She’s not really my type.”
The words sting more than I expect, landing sharp and sudden as heat creeps up my neck, my cheeks flushing pink. Embarrassment, irritation, wounded pride—maybe all of it.
I resent the fact that I even care at all.
“Oh, fuck off, man.” Cole shoots back, grinning wider… if such a thing were even possible. “She’s not my type is the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard.”
“Cole—” I warn, my tone sharpening.
He ignores me completely.
“I’ve seen the way you look at her. So has everyone else,” he continues, gesturing lazily around the room. “Thane’s seen it. Sirena’s seen it. I’m fairly certain even Ronan’s seen it. I mean, the man would have to be fucking blind not to.”
Kaden’s jaw tightens, barely contained restraint rolling through the bond.
“Okay, come on,” I say softly, already reaching for Cole’s arm. “I think it’s time for bed.”
If I don’t get him hydrated and in bed now, I fear I’ll be in for one hell of a headache tomorrow. And not just from him complaining about his hangover.
He looks up at me, still smiling and utterly unrepentant. “You have seen the way he looks at you, right?”
“Yes,” I say flatly. “Like he hates me. Let’s go.”
I tug harder.
He pulls free and slumps back into the armchair like a defiant child. “No,” he tunes, too cheerful. “Like he wants to fuck you.”
Heat floods my face as Kaden’s annoyance and fast-growing anger surges violently through the bond. Noctis, take me, I’m not going to hear the end of this tomorrow.
“I mean, come on,” Cole presses, digging himself a deeper grave. “You undid your hair the other night, and he practically came in his pants—”
“You done?” Kaden cuts in sharply, frustration colliding with my own mortification so abruptly it almost knocks the wind from my lungs.
Across the room, Thane loses it entirely, dissolving into drunken laughter as Sirena clutches onto his chest to anchor herself, laughing so hard she can barely stand. Kaden shoots them a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
It only makes them laugh harder.
“No,” Cole continues, delighted. “I’m not. Why don’t you both just admit you want each other?”
Kaden exhales slowly, tension coiled tight beneath his skin. “Keep running your mouth, cadet, and I’ll rip your tongue out so you can no longer use it.”
Cole beams, clearly satisfied. “Ooo,” he says. “Defensive. You do like her.”
“I don’t,” Kaden snaps, fists clenched.
Cole studies him for a long, exaggerated moment. “Uh-huh,” he says. “And I drink moderately.”
“Okay. Bedtime.” The words tumble from my lips as I flick my wrist, a sharp tug of telekinesis hauling Cole out of the chair and unsteadily onto his feet.
“Hey—! That’s cheating, Sparks.”
“I don’t care. Bed. Now.” I grab his hand and start dragging him toward my private quarters before he can argue again. As we walk, I glance back towards the kitchen, offering Sirena and Thane a soft smile. “See you both tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” they echo, still laughing.
“Drink water,” Sirena adds. “And sleep it off, Cole.”
“I make no promises,” he mutters, just before collapsing face-first onto my bed the moment the door shuts behind us.
I press my fingers to my temples and sigh.
Gods. This is going to be a long night.