Chapter 58
I woke with a heavy arm thrown over me. Declan’s scent of fresh rain and mint filled my nose, and I burrowed back against him. He’d stayed. All night. And I hadn’t had a single nightmare.
“Mmmmm. Like waking up like this,” he mumbled.
The words waking up had my eyes flying to the clock on my bedside table. “Crap!”
I threw the covers back and flew out of bed and toward the closet.
“Hey, where you going?” Declan called.
“We’re gonna be late. Why didn’t anyone knock on my door?”
He lumbered out of bed. “Someone did, but I didn’t want to get up.”
I gaped at him as I pulled on a fresh uniform. “You should’ve woken me.”
Declan shrugged as he followed me into the bathroom. “School’s overrated.”
“Not for those of us who’d like to get college scholarships,” I grumbled around my toothbrush.
He leaned a hip on the counter. “Scholarship, huh? What do you want to major in?”
I rinsed my toothbrush. “I’m not totally sure. Something that will get me a good job after school.”
Declan grabbed my toothbrush, squirted some toothpaste on it, and started brushing his teeth.
My nose scrunched. “That was just in my mouth.”
He arched a brow. “And my mouth was between those pretty little legs all night. Don’t think we need to worry about swapping a little saliva.”
My cheeks heated. “Hurry up, would you?”
Declan chuckled as he grabbed the clothes he’d discarded yesterday and pulled them on. When he straightened, he reached out to try to scratch behind Briar’s ear. She hissed and swatted him.
He snatched his hand back. “Geez, she’s feisty.”
I gave Briar a scolding look. “That’s not very nice.”
She simply licked her paw as if to say, “Whatever”.
We hurried out of my room and down the stairs. All the guys were waiting.
Ronan’s jaw ticked as he took in his brother, and my stomach dropped. The idea of the two of them sharing a candy bar was a stretch. Sharing a partner seemed impossible.
Colt arched a brow at me. “Left a bit of a mess in the kitchen.”
My face flamed. “I’m sorry. I can clean it up—”
He shook his head. “Already dealt with it.”
Dash smirked at me and Declan. “I’d say they both left a mess.” He reached out and picked something out of my hair. “Got a little chocolate there…”
I covered my face with my hands, and Dash burst out laughing, then pulled me into a hug. “It’s good, mon coeur. We need a little levity around here.”
That had my gaze seeking out Trace. “Are you okay?”
His jaw clenched. “I’ll be fine.”
Which meant he wasn’t right now. And he didn’t need anyone bringing up my sexual exploits.
“Let’s go,” I said, then paused. “Do you want me to ride in a separate car?”
“No,” Trace growled. “You ride with me.”
Okay, then.
We all filed out of the house. Instead of the usual Range Rover, there was a souped-up Escalade. It looked swanky with the same blacked-out windows.
Colt swung a set of keys around his finger. “Thought we needed something with a little more room.”
My heart clenched as I looked at Declan. I didn’t miss the gleam of hope in his eyes. This was the first step of them welcoming him in.
We climbed into the SUV. Dash and Declan took the back row, Ronan and I in the middle, and Colt and Trace in the front, as usual.
As Colt started down the drive, Declan leaned forward. “How was the meeting with Darius?”
My stomach tightened as I waited for Colt to answer. But the tensing of his fingers on the wheel didn’t give me the warm fuzzies.
“He’s not swaying, neither are any of The Assembly elders. They think Chloe is our best option.”
My heart thudded against my ribs. “Who are the elders?” Maybe if I could focus on an endless stream of questions, I could ignore the fact that Chloe might be the only one who could keep them alive.
Ronan shifted to face me. “There’s one from each clan. Someone who has been around for centuries and is supposed to have the gifts of wisdom and discernment.”
“Centuries?” I squeaked.
Dash chuckled. “Did we forget to mention that we live a really long time?”
“Like how long?”
“Usually about five hundred years,” Declan offered nonchalantly.
“Will I live that long?”
The SUV was quiet.
Colt’s gaze met mine through the rearview mirror. “We don’t know.”
Just one more thing stacked against us.
I was quiet the rest of the drive to school, mulling over these newest revelations. By the time we reached campus, my insides were tied in a knot.
Ronan leaned over and pressed his lips to my temple. “We’ll find a way.”
I wanted to believe him, wanted to believe I could have all of this, but I wasn’t so sure.
We climbed out of the SUV, the guys surrounding me. Trace took the spot furthest from me, and it killed, even though I knew it was likely for the best. Declan’s words from yesterday swirled in my mind.
Trace had the weight of a gift with a dark side. I had no idea what it was like to live every day with that. But my heart ached for him.
Students parted as someone stalked through the crowd. Blonde hair flew in disarray around Mimi’s head, and there was a frantic look in her eyes.
“You!” she screeched at me as she charged forward. “You ruined everything! Chloe won’t even talk to me.” Panic leaked into her voice. “She’s going to lead the anchors, and you made her hate me!”
Trace stepped into Mimi’s path. “Don’t. Don’t even look at her. You want to be pissed at someone, that’s me. But fair warning, princess. I fight back.”
Redness crept up her neck. “You’re just as bad! I can’t believe I wasted so much time on you. And for what?”
“Some earth-shattering orgasms, I’d guess,” Ronan drawled.
The idea made me sick to my stomach, but I shoved it down. It wasn’t Trace’s fault. It wasn’t even his choice, but it didn’t change that I hated it all just the same.
Mimi’s eyes sparked with rage. “So, you’ve got some talented fingers. So what? Anyone who’s with you will hate themselves. Because they know the truth. That you ruin every person you touch. That you’re a monster. A murderer.”
Each word from Mimi’s mouth sliced at Trace. I could feel each blow as if it were my own.
“Who would actually want you as their damned mate, Trace? You’re a curse. A—”
I couldn’t take it. I charged forward, my fist lashing out without me consciously moving. My knuckles smashed into Mimi’s nose with a satisfying crunch.
She howled in pain as she collapsed to the floor, blood gushing everywhere.
The guys turned and gaped at me. Ronan was the first to start laughing. “Firecracker, that was a thing of beauty.”
The shock of the moment faded, and I cursed as pain radiated up my arm. I shook out my hand. “Shit! That hurts. Why don’t they tell you punching someone hurts?”
Trace took my hand. His fingers were so gentle it made my heart ache. “Little Bird. Why?”
The pain eased at the contact with Trace. “No one gets to spew lies about you when I’m around.”
Those violet eyes blazed as his chest heaved. “I was wrong. I think it’s you who’s going to ruin me.”