Chapter Nineteen
Sage
Outside, Kayden pulls the car out of the garage, and damn, it's something. He hops out as the tires crunch over gravel, that cocky grin already in place.
"Impressed?"
I cross my arms. "Maybe a little."
I've never been one to obsess over cars, but some things are objectively sexy. And this one—sleek, low, purring like a beast in heat? Yeah. It counts.
"Dodge Charger Hellcat," Kayden says, leaning casually against the hood like he's the advertisement. "She's a special kind of beauty."
"I'm surprised it doesn't bite," I mutter, running my fingers along the smooth, black surface.
He winks. "That's the driver's job."
I roll my eyes so hard it might count as cardio.
"You've gloated enough, brother," Asher cuts in. "Let's move, or even with your fancy car, we won't be back before midnight." Then he looks at me. "Do you want the front seat?"
I shake my head. "Back is fine."
He gives a small smile. "All right."
And then he slides in next to me in the back...
Kayden gets behind the wheel and we take off, the engine roaring to life like it's got something to prove. Judging by the way Kayden handles the acceleration, we'll make that six-hour drive feel like three.
Asher doesn't crowd me and doesn't touch. But his presence is impossible to ignore. It's a steady hum in the air, like a low-frequency current brushing against my skin. The space between us might as well be zero.
But he doesn't push. Maybe he senses my hesitation. Maybe it's just his military grade self-control. Either way, I'm grateful, because I need this stretch of road to screw my head back on.
I keep telling myself I should pull away. That I shouldn't let anything happen. That I need clear boundaries and emotional distance. And then… I go and do the exact opposite. I let them in, again and again. And what's worse—part of me wants to. Craves it more than anything.
But nothing good can come of this. Okay, maybe not nothing.
If I were smart, I'd let it be just physical. The visceral part with no emotions or attachment. But even thinking about that makes something bloom inside me. And outside. Literally. I swear, somewhere out there, a pine tree just sprouted.
I'm halfway lost in my thoughts when a sudden bang jolts the entire car. We skid hard to the right.
Asher moves lightning-fast, his arm braced across my chest, holding me steady as the car shudders to a stop.
Kayden swears, yanking the wheel, but manages to control the swerve. Thankfully, there's no one else on the road. We end up pulled to the shoulder, no damage, just a lot of adrenaline.
"What the—"
"You okay?" Asher asks, already scanning me with that hyper-focused gaze.
I nod, still catching my breath. "Yeah. I think so."
"Flat tire," Kayden calls, already out and circling the car.
Asher jumps out next, and I follow, stepping onto the gravel.
"You don't have a spare in the trunk, do you?" Asher asks, already sounding like he knows the answer.
Kayden scratches the back of his neck, sheepish. "I… might've forgotten to put it back in after the last time."
Asher's arms cross. "I had a spare. In my car."
"But it's not here," Kayden says with a shrug and a grin.
"No. It's not," Asher replies flatly.
"What do you want me to say? Oops?" Kayden grins wider. And for a second, they're just brothers. Bickering like humans do. No blood, no fangs. Just mutual irritation and mileage.
Asher exhales sharply and pulls out his phone. He steps away to make a call, calm and efficient as usual.
I lean back against the car with a sigh. Of course there's a delay. There always is. The universe seems committed to keeping me from getting where I need to go.
Kayden ambles back over, a familiar mischief in his eyes.
"Looks like we've got time to kill. How about we do something productive, nymph?" He nods toward the trees. "Maybe grow a new grove. Plant some tension relief."
I give him a flat look.
When he leans in, I swat him. Not hard, just enough to make a point.
"No, thank you. And you, sir, are on official time-out."
He smirks. "Not the first time. Won't be the last."
He leans against the car beside me, smug and unbothered.
Asher returns, slipping the phone back into his coat. "Someone's bringing spare tires. They'll be a while."
He settles on my other side, all composed calm, one shoulder against the car.
And just like that, the three of us stand there in a row. The sky overhead is a dull, cloud-washed gray, early March chill still clinging to the air, but the wind's gentle today. The forest is quiet. The road is empty.
And for once, nothing feels urgent. No one's chasing me. No one's bleeding. It's still. Like we're just... people.
Two vampires. One runaway nymph. Waiting for roadside assistance. I start chuckling. Then laughing. The kind of laugh that bubbles up when you least expect it and just takes you.
Both brothers look over—Asher's brow raised, Kayden visibly intrigued.
"It's just—" I gesture around us, still laughing, "look at us. This is absurd. A nymph and two vampires, stuck on the side of the road like we're in a car commercial gone rogue. It's so… normal."
Asher's lips twitch into a smile. "Supernatural life has its mundane moments."
Kayden snorts. "Yeah, well, nobody's making a reality show out of this."
And somehow, we're all laughing then. Not a sarcastic laugh, nor a defensive one. Something lighter. Something like peace. Even if it's just for that moment.