33. Sina
What the hell did I do last night?
I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet, and already, a cold knot of anxiety settled in my chest like lead. I could tell I was alone, and for some reason that disappointed me more than it should have. I slid my hand across the sheets just to be sure.
Cold. Empty.
Fuck .
I slowly opened my eyes as the horrified realization crept in, heavy and unavoidable, and stared up at the ceiling fan turning lazily above me. I slept with Nik. And Harlow.
My stomach twisted with unease, but my body was telling a very different story. My core ached in a way that sent heat curling low in my belly, slow and traitorous. I rested a hand there like I could physically calm myself down, letting out a long, shaky breath.
I squeezed my eyes shut against the onslaught of very bad decisions. It didn’t help. If anything, it made the memories sharper.
I also kissed Kiron yesterday.
Heat rushed to my face so fast it burned. I dragged a hand down over it, groaning into my palm.
“Oh my God ,” I muttered to the empty room. “Oh. My . God. Sina, what is wrong with you?”
My hand slid off my face and into my hair as another thought crashed in, heavier than the rest.
Vampires.
I went still.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Why wasn’t I running away screaming?
Well, maybe because they were all hot as fuck and I apparently loved my men broken and murderous .
“Sina, you slut.”
I buried my face in the pillows that still smelled like Harlow. Minty, like wintergreen. I inhaled, letting his scent calm me. Thank God no one was watching me internally combust. I absolutely did not need an audience for this level of internal meltdown.
But where were they? Were they all downstairs talking about me? There was no way everyone didn’t know what happened last night, right?
I mean, I didn’t exactly try to be quiet.
Vampires had super hearing or whatever. Heat flooded my face, and I smothered my burning cheeks with my hands.
At this rate, my cheeks were about to burst into flames from utter horror.
I swear I don’t mean to get myself into these types of situations on purpose.
Liar .
I totally taunted a vampire.
I rolled over and stared out the window.
The sun was well up in the sky, and I couldn’t hide out here much longer.
My stomach growled. I was starving . Apparently emotional breakdowns and poor life choices burned calories.
Nope , that was definitely from having three orgasms. I snorted at the absurdity of it all.
The last thing I’d eaten was cookies and milk.
Shit . I was spiraling. No . I was running full speed toward a brick wall.
I needed to get up. Go home. I needed space to think and process the last twenty-four hours before I accidentally joined the undead.
…Were they even technically dead?
I had no freaking clue.
You probably should’ve figured that out before you slept with one, Sina. Two , my brain corrected helpfully. Oh goodie. Even my inner bitch was keeping score.
I sat up quickly. Shit . Ghost.
How had I forgotten about him ?
Poor baby had been stuck out in the storm all night. That alone shoved me into motion. The last I’d seen of him, I’d sent him out onto the fire escape. Guilt settled heavy in my chest as I paced back and forth, very naked, in Nik’s space.
“ Damn it .”. I had nothing to wear. My clothes were still in Rafe’s room.
Would I be able to sprint down the hall without being seen? What if Rafe was in there?
I dragged a hand through my hair, groaning softly. This was about to be the worst walk of shame of my entire life.
I had two choices: wear Nik’s clothes or go streaking down the hallway. I frowned. I didn’t like either option. Neither one got me off this fucking island.
My gaze drifted toward Nik’s closet, and I actually considered it for a second.
I could just grab something, find Rafe and beg him to take me home.
But then Kiron popped into my head. Walking out wrapped in Nik’s scent probably wasn’t the wisest idea.
The last thing I needed was to trigger the giant, growly vampire who already looked like he was one inconvenience away from punching a hole through a wall on a good day.
God.
Who would’ve thought getting into a bar fight would catapult me into being trapped in a house full of vampires?
Because let’s be honest, meeting these vampires at group therapy wasn’t a fucking coincidence. They had inserted themselves into my life on purpose.
Damn it, Sina. Focus.
I didn’t have time to psychoanalyze monsters. I needed to leave. Immediately . But in order to do that, I had to get out of Nik’s bed and acquire clothing like a normal, functioning human being.
So. Hallway sprint of shame it was .
I cracked the door open and peeked out.
Empty.
Okay. Okay. This was doable.
I darted out, bare feet silent against the floor, heart pounding like I was committing a felony. I made it three doors down before I grabbed a handle, slipped inside, and shut the door behind me.
Victory.
I turned around—
And froze.
This wasn't Rafe’s room.
I picked the wrong door. Of course I did. Why would anything in my life be simple right now?
“Wait, what?” I whispered to the empty room and winced, blinking in confusion. I must’ve miscounted which door was Rafe’s since I was coming from the opposite direction of the stairs.
So whose room was I in?
The walls were dark and the furniture sparse. And draped over the back of a chair was a leather jacket.
Kiron’s jacket.
I don’t know what I did in a past life, but if karma could stop being a bitch and laughing at me right now, I’d really appreciate her cutting me some slack.
I stood there, very naked, in Kiron’s room.
My eyes drifted to the dresser. To the neatly folded clothes on top.
Well… I couldn’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t commit shirt theft.
I grabbed the dark gray shirt off the top of the stack and pulled it over my head.
It fell past my hips, soft and warm and smelling like cinnamon—like him.
I tried very hard not to think about that.
Okay . Step one complete. Step two, escape with dignity .
Anything is possible if you just believe. Right ?
I cracked the door open and slipped into the hallway. And walked straight into a brick wall of muscle.
“Oof!” Hands caught my arms before I could stumble back. I looked up. And up. I gasped at his sudden proximity. “Kiron. Hi.”
Of course it was Kiron.
He was standing right outside his own bedroom door, like he had been about to go in… or like he had been standing there for a while. His hair was still damp, pushed back from his face, and he wore a pair of low-slung sweats that did absolutely nothing to make this situation survivable.
Did none of these men own shirts?
I knew they did at this point. I had worn two myself. So why didn’t they ever actually wear them? It was sexy and infuriating and made my brain short-circuit, and when that happened, dumb shit slipped past my lips.
“Holy hot abs,” I squeaked.
We were close. Way too close. My palms were braced against his bare chest, and I became painfully aware of the solid heat of him under my hands.
“Sorry! I was just—I mean , I didn’t mean to be in there.
Well, I did, but not like that . I just needed clothes and I took the wrong door and then your dresser was right there and—” I stopped.
I inhaled sharply, trying to calm the hell down.
Kiron’s lip twitched but he said nothing, a dark brow rasing in question.
“I wasn’t snooping. I was strategically borrowing.
For survival. Very different crime. I got lost.”
His hands were still on my arms, steadying me, and there was the faintest curve tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You got… lost, spitfire?”His voice was low, rough, and far too calm for a man who had just caught a near-stranger stealing his shirt.
“ Yep , in a straight hallway. It’s a special talent of mine. ”
I rolled my lips between my teeth to stop talking. Trust me I was flabbergasted too, straining to keep my eyes on his face. Apparently my brain malfunctioned when dick was on my mind.
I took a step back. My neck was starting to hurt from looking up at him, and I was afraid if my eyes wandered again I would forget how to form sentences. Though maybe at this point I should just shut up.
I wasn't being subtle in the slightest.
That corner of his mouth twitched harder. He was fighting a smile. His gaze dropped to the shirt swallowing my frame. Recognition flickered. Then something darker flashed in his eyes.
“You’re wearing my shirt,” he growled, and I nearly combusted from the vibration of it.
“I panicked. It was the closest thing to not being naked.”
He huffed softly through his nose, and I swear his grip on my arms tightened just a fraction, like he was grounding himself.
“I heard you in there,” he admitted.
My eyes widened. “Oh God.”
“You were panicking."
“I was having an emotional crisis!”
“I noticed.”
I groaned and dropped my forehead briefly against his chest before I could stop myself. “This is the worst morning of my life.”
That did it. The small, restrained smile broke.
A quiet laugh slipped out of him, low and warm, rough at the edges like he didn’t use it often.
I froze. Because I had never heard that sound from him before.
It wasn’t sharp or mocking. It wasn’t sarcastic.
It was real. And God help me, I loved it instantly. My head lifted slowly.
“Was that… a laugh? ”
“Don’t get used to it.” He tried to rein it back in, but the smile was still there, softer now. Lighter. “I find your flustered state adorable.”
I grumbled something unintelligible, suddenly flustered at being called adorable. His thumb shifted slightly against my arm, brushing warm over my skin before he seemed to realize he was doing it. His eyes held mine, and the laughter faded into something deeper. Darker.
“I like seeing you in my shirt,” he said quietly, his eyes glowing red.
I sucked in a breath. “I knew I wasn’t imagining that. Your eyes. It’s a vampire thing?”
He nodded, the red irises fading back to endless black. “If you’re looking for Rafe’s room, it’s that one.” He nodded toward the next door down the hall.
Oh. I bit my lip.
“Go get dressed i n your own clothes, Sina. Meet me downstairs.”
I tilted my head. “Why? You don’t like seeing me in your clothes?”
For some reason the thought of him not liking it hurt my feelings.
His jaw ticked. “I like it too much.”
The growl had my knees shaking.
He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his knuckles brushing my cheek.
The touch was gentle, but the heat in his eyes was anything but.
“If you stay standing here in nothing but my shirt, I’m going to forget I’m trying to be a gentleman, bend your sexy ass over my bed and fuck you like I want to and replace my hive’s scent with mine . ”
The promise in his tone was unmistakable. Dark. Rough. Hungry. Those crimson eyes burned brighter again, and the air between us turned thick and charged. My breath caught, warmth blooming low in my stomach before I could stop it .
His nostrils flared slightly, like he caught the shift in me, and the intensity in his expression deepened for half a second before he dragged it back under control. I could almost see the restraint settling over him.
“After the last twenty-four hours, I’m guessing you have questions. So please . Go change. I’m taking you to breakfast so we can talk.”
Breakfast. I was starving, and the idea of spending alone time with Kiron sent a little spark of excitement through me. Though, I absolutely refused to examine it too closely.
Neither of us moved right away.
His hand lingered near my face like he wanted to touch me again but was choosing not to. The effort in that choice was written all over him—in the tight line of his shoulders, in the way his jaw stayed clenched.
“Go on, my princess. Get dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs.
” He stepped back, then moved past me and pushed his bedroom door open.
“I need a shirt,” he muttered, mostly to himself.
His gaze dragged over me one last time, slow and heated.
His mouth curved slightly. “The others aren’t here so don’t worry, your walk of shame ends with me. ”
He winked then disappeared inside his room, the door clicking shut behind him. And just like that, I was alone in the hallway, wearing his shirt, trying very hard to remember how breathing worked.