Chapter 29 Aurora
Aurora
My heart stutters, my breath catches, and my muscles tense up, leaving me frozen in place as every thought in my head comes grinding to a halt.
Everything shuts down, the way an old house always blows a fuse when it rains.
Eve has Thane’s full attention now, gently kissing him and whispering more dirty things in his ear.
I sneak a glance—yep, his eyes are definitely a beautiful shade of emerald green.
Eve pulls away from Thane long enough to ask, “Are you ready to go home, Aury?”
“Uh, yeah … yes. Sorry, I kind of zoned out for a second.”
I’m certain Ezra doesn’t know about Thane. He would have told me, right?
As we walk to Thane’s car, I tick through my checklist of things I know are true to keep myself calm. Thane has had plenty of chances to hurt me, but he never has. He called me “queen,” so he knows what I am. No Disciples tattoo, so probably not one of them.
And when he’s with Eve?
There’s no creeping, oil-slick blackness. Just something soft and steady and bright.
But then his eyes glowed. Just for a second.
That means … what? Underborne? Something worse?
Does Eve know? Why wouldn’t he tell Ezra?
And what is he even doing in Lorewood, working in a bookshop like he’s not made of fucking light?
Does he eat humans, too?
By the time Thane pulls into Ezra’s driveway, my head is spinning.
“Aurora! Are you okay? You’re really pale. Do you want me to stay the night?”
Eve’s offer is sweet, but I need to be alone. The pain’s dulled, but my neck’s still tender as hell and nowhere close to healed.
“No, I’m okay. Just in some pain, I guess. Nothing a little ibuprofen won’t fix,” I say, shooting them a quick smile.
“Call if you need anything. Ezra showed you how to use the security system, right?” Thane’s look is stern, but there’s a hopeful glint in his eyes.
“Uh, nope. I know his doors beep when I open them, but he never said anything about a security system.”
Forgetting to tell me about something like that is so purely Ezra, it makes me smile.
“That flighty, technology-adverse motherfucker,” Thane mumbles as he jumps out of the car. “Ladies, please stay here a moment. I’m going to check the house, just to be safe. That way, Aurora can rest easy tonight.”
Eve sighs happily in the front seat while Thane curses Ezra under his breath and stomps toward the door. This is my chance to find out what Eve knows about Thane.
“Hey, E, do you know where Thane was before he came here? Or what happened that Ezra took him in?”
I’m almost certain Eve doesn’t know much more than I do, but it’s worth a shot.
“I don’t know specifically what happened in the woods, but Thane said he’s missing huge chunks of his memory and that he’d be dead if it wasn’t for Ezra.
I’m not sure he knows where he was before he showed up on the trail.
You know, it’s funny, the way he talks? It’s kinda like he’s only been alive for five years.
Not stuffy and old-fashioned like Ezra, but more like clueless about world events, stuff like that.
I don’t know …” Eve trails off with a frown.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like,” I say quietly, “not knowing where you came from or who you are. Thane’s a great guy. I’m just curious about the man my best friend is falling in love with.”
“What? Aurora, don’t you dare say that again—especially in front of Thane! I have a reputation to uphold!” Eve says with a loud laugh. “But I guess you’re right. I’ve never felt this way before, about anyone. He’s a real angel.”
She sighs, hearts and hormones leaking from every pore.
“And honestly? Has a dick blessed by Lucifer himself. Like, I should be tithing.”
Oh my god.
Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t—
Too late.
Cool. Now I’m cursed with the image of my great-times-infinity granddad blessing dicks and praying for pussies.
Footsteps creak on the porch. I glance up and spot Thane heading down the steps, moving like he already knows he’s the subject of conversation.
I lean toward Eve and whisper, “Tell me quick. How big is Thane’s dick?”
In the few quick seconds it takes Thane to reach the car, we’re both laughing so hard that tears stream down our faces.
“What did I miss?” Thane asks with a warm smile directed at Eve.
“Oh, I think the stress finally broke us,” Eve says, reaching for Thane’s hand.
He leans down to kiss her, and I sigh again, ignoring the fact that Thane is hiding something.
They’re so freaking cute it makes my heart ache.
“I searched the house, and everything looks good,” Thane says as he reluctantly pulls away from Eve.
“I’m not surprised Ezra didn’t mention the security system. Hell, he probably doesn’t even use it.” Thane sighs. “It’s simple enough. He just hates tech on principle.”
The three of us walk back to the house so Thane can show me where the control panel is located and how to use it. He also surprises me with a Wi-Fi password so I can connect my devices.
Another thing Ezra probably doesn’t give a shit about.
I hug Eve and Thane goodbye, thank them for being the best friends anyone could ask for, and wave as they drive away.
Thane’s search of the house and the newly discovered security system wipe away some of my concerns from this afternoon.
I double-check the door locks, arm the security system, and then drag myself upstairs to Ezra’s empty bed.
It’s late, my neck throbs, and I’m utterly exhausted. When I pass Louie’s room on my way to Ezra’s, I press my ear against the door and sigh when I still hear nothing.
Shit.
With a disappointed grunt, I drag my aching body to the bedroom, pull on my pajamas, and fall into the cloud that is Ezra’s enormous bed. I snuggle into the duvet, breathing in the scent of pine and cinnamon—pure Ezra.
The thread between us tugs, gentle but constant, an annoying reminder that he’s gone.
And I’m very alone.
I’m about to set my phone down when Ezra’s name lights up my screen.
My heart lurches like that horny, sexist cartoon wolf with bugged-out eyes.
Great. Now I have cartoon emotions to go along with my severe trauma.
His home is mine. The thought settles deep—and okay, maybe it makes my stomach flip like sugar-coated vertigo.
Too much, too soon? Maybe. But I like it.
Also, Ezra signing his name, as if I might forget which ancient shadow god is currently slipping into my DMs, is so on brand.
It won’t hurt to send him a quick reply, even if he can’t respond.
I shake my head, grinning as I toss my phone onto the pillow. Of course he forgot. That’s so Ezra—divine in the streets, depraved in the sheets, and a total disaster with modern tech.
My phone dings the minute it hits the pillow.
Jesus Christ. I’m already smiling like a lovesick idiot.
Goddamn him and his filthy words. Heat sparks low in my belly, throbbing between my legs like a bruise begging to be touched.
I would beg on my knees if he asked me. My fingers trail down my stomach and under the edge of my underwear, finding my clit with a soft press and drawing circles that make my thighs tremble.
I slide two fingers into my pussy, curling them with each thrust while my thumb keeps its rhythm. My breathing picks up, and I moan when I remember the way his hands felt on my body.
Fuck.
My back arches off the bed, lights bursting behind my eyes as heat floods my veins. I gasp his name, lost in the violent, breathless wave that crashes through every inch of me.
Lying back on the bed, I clutch the phone to my chest, smiling until my cheeks ache. Ezra does things to me I can’t explain, and I’m becoming addicted.
The tremor in my breath lingers as I plug in my phone, swallow some ibuprofen, and sink into the pillows.
Sleep drags me under, and I dream of my dark, devoted Grim whispering filth I can still feel between my thighs.