Chapter 28 Thayla
Thayla
My eyes squint and flutter against the light shining through the living room.
Living room…
My mind races to catch up with my confusion, and I exhale as I recall falling asleep on the combined mattresses on the floor.
As soon as my thoughts settle, for a blissful, fleeting second, I don’t move.
I don’t think about anything else. I exist and stare at the beautiful stain glass windows. The steady beat against my ear and the warmth beneath me have me burrowing deeper.
Wait…I don’t recall the bed being this hot and hard.
I rise with the deep breath expanding the chest under me and my eyes fly wide open. My head shifts slightly, then I freeze.
The tug of something sticky and wet on my chin has me sucking down the embarrassed-ass gasp that tries to escape my mouth.
Too bad I didn’t swallow down the fucking drool pooling on someone’s chest.
Kyzen’s chest, to be exact.
I don’t have to see his face to know that. His smell, the shape of his body, and the weight of his hand resting on my lower back are all him.
A sleepy yawn rings in my ears, and I squeeze my lids shut. My mind begs him to go back to sleep for like five seconds. No matter how much I tell my body to relax, it doesn’t listen.
Fucking traitor.
It’s comfortable enough to let him obviously lift me while I’m unconscious and drool all over him, but won’t listen to me long enough to pretend to still be sleeping so I can wipe this disgusting evidence off my face discreetly.
“You awake, gorgeous?”
I sigh.
Fuck.
Might as well get it over with.
My arm drags across my mouth, and I cringe as I push myself up so I can look down at his chest.
The sweet, drowsy smirk on his face makes my heart race.
“I’m sorry I drooled on you.”
He snorts before he can stop himself. I stare as he runs his tongue across his bottom lip, then bites away his smile.
“It’s perfectly fine. Riven’s drooling on my arm, and if I had to pick between the two, it’ll always be you.”
I turn my head in the direction of the arm that isn’t holding me and a breathy laugh escapes me.
Sure enough, Riven’s mouth is relaxed open and a stream of drool is sliding down Kyzen’s bicep. My fingers press against my lips when he waves his hand at me from behind Riven’s head.
“Why is he lying on you?”
He huffs as he wiggles his arm free, causing Riven to grumble some nonsense as he rolls over.
“Beats me. He was probably trying to get closer to you, but my body got in the way.”
I hum, but anything I may have thought of saying next fades from my mind. I get lost in the tender look in his eyes and the sensation of his finger tucking my hair behind my ear.
“Did you get enough sleep?”
I nod. “Yeah. Did you?”
“Best sleep I’ve had in days.”
I tear my attention from him as I clear my throat.
Unfortunately, I end up just staring down at the big-ass wet spot on his shirt.
A grunt from above us has Kyzen tilting his neck back, which shifts me all over the place. My hands instinctively tangle against his chest, and he wraps his arms around me to hold me steady.
“I’ll get some coffee on the table. Lunch will be ready in a little bit.”
“Lunch?” I ask, cocking my head at Creed. “Didn’t we just eat breakfast?”
“Yeah, seven hours ago.”
My eyes widen.
“I slept seven hours straight?”
He nods. “You should’ve slept longer. I wasn’t going to wake you up until the food was ready.”
A gasp slips through my lips as my arms wrap around Kyzen’s neck. Quicker than my ass can process what’s happening, he flips us, then stands with ease while I cling to him.
“I can’t believe I slept that long. No wonder my power feels so energetic.”
My vision tunnels as my body becomes insanely aware of every spot the two of us are touching. His palms are branding marks on my thighs, and the pulse in his neck pounds against my fingers. Our hearts beat to the same rhythm.
A shuddering breath escapes me.
“Thayla?”
I blink. The kitchen and both Creed’s and Kyzen’s faces come back into focus.
“I’m sorry, did you ask me something?” I peer over my shoulder and notice he’s trying to put me in a chair. “Oh, damn, sorry.”
My fingers release the death grip I had in the collar of his shirt and my ankles unlock from around his back. Once my feet hit the floor, I unbunch my shorts, then sit cross-legged in my chair.
They both stare at me.
“Um…did you ask me something?”
Kyzen rubs at the back of his neck and clears his throat.
Damn, I hope I didn’t scratch him by accident.
“Do you have a particular cream you want today?”
I think about that for maybe a second.
“Any is fine with me. Thank you.”
He nods and heads into the kitchen with Creed.
I just…sit here.
A loud-ass, groggy groan echoes throughout the whole house and my eyes cast up to Riven. My gaze traces every muscle that ripples as he bends and twists, making the bones in his back crack.
“Gods, you all are so loud. How’s anyone supposed to get good sleep around here?”
My lips twitch as I peer over at the sneers Creed and Kyzen give him. They really weren’t loud at all. The mugs sliding across the counter and the icebox opening were minimal noise.
“You slept so hard you were fucking snoring,” Creed says and Kyzen snorts.
“And drooling.”
“I did no such things.” He gasps, then his attention whips to my small chuckle. “Tell me the truth, angel.”
“I was sleeping, so I didn’t hear the snoring, but you definitely drooled on Kyzen.”
“Oh damn.” He snickers. “My bad.”
His brothers roll their eyes at him as he bounds over to the table and plops down in a chair at the exact moment a mug is placed in front of me.
Kyzen’s warm lips dust my forehead and my lashes flutter.
“Where’s Amick’s ass? There’s no way he’s still snoozing,” Riven asks.
My attention darts to Amick’s door, then at the lack of response coming from Kyzen and Creed.
“Where is he?” I ask.
“He had a meeting this morning and said he’d be back before lunch. He should be home any minute now.”
My relieved breath is short-lived.
He had a meeting with the Chancellors today.
My fingers wrap around my mug, and my nails clank against the porcelain a few times before I bring it to my lips. The movement makes me acutely aware of the tension in my back, but the warmth of the drink soothes the lingering ache in my throat.
I take another slow sip as the guys settle into a heavy quiet. The type that screams, we’re watching everything you do and every reaction you make.
My hands are steady.
My breathing is even.
My chest feels full and content with the tight knot in my soul gone.
My mind is a little loud. It’s making it a tad hard to focus completely, but I’m not confused or foggy.
I’m sitting with them at the table rather than curled in my bed or sobbing on the ground.
So this is a win. They can calm down.
I, of course, don’t say that to them. It’s clear their apprehension is coming from a place of worry.
“So,” I start, but a vibration passes across my skin.
We all shift and stare toward the entrance of the house.
The air rushes from my lungs when my gaze falls on Amick.
Thank fuck any minute literally meant any minute.
He crosses the space, eyes locked on me like his brothers aren’t even here. My head tilts back as he stands and stares down at me.
“You look rested, Mysenta.”
I swallow.
“Hey, Candyman.”
He hums and leans down. Without a second thought, I turn into him, sealing his lips to mine rather than my cheek. Warmth spreads from my toes to my scalp and my soul sings in my chest.
His surprise washes away in less than a breath, and I shudder as he cups both my cheeks. I give myself over fully to his embrace and let the rest of the realm fade away.
My eyes stay shut even as he pulls back. His lips still dust across mine as he speaks low.
“Are you okay?”
I nod as I search for my voice.
That wasn’t bad. Wasn’t bad at all.
Opposite actually.
“Yeah. I’m okay.”
He doesn’t push. He doesn’t dive deeper or search for a more detailed answer. He accepts my response and heads to the cabinet to get his own mug.
My cheeks blaze as the other three stare at me. I reach for my drink so I don’t have to look at any of them.
Creed clears his voice as soon as Amick joins us once again and I peek over my rim to watch them.
“How did it go?”
“Painstakingly pointless. I stood at the door and stewed in my annoyance quietly like an obedient Rising Chancellor.”
Riven snickers, and my mouth twitches.
“Nothing was addressed or discussed?” Kyzen asks cryptically.
My mug clinks against the table, louder than normal since they all went quiet after that question. They each turn to me and I exhale.
“I don’t want all of you to dance around the subject because you’re worried about me. I’m fine.”
“Fine?”
They all repeat it like they heard me wrong. I grit my teeth and trace the rim of my cup with my finger.
“Maybe that’s a poor word choice, but I don’t know how you all want me to describe it. It happened. It’s done. Time to move on.”
I swear to the Valories, the temperature drops like twenty degrees. The glares on their faces are just as cold. If it weren’t for the fact their souls are saying something different than those looks, I’d be worried they were directing them at me.
“No one’s moving on from shit,” Riven snarks.
“You can’t just shove this—”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Creed.” I slam my coffee down, hissing and cussing as the hot liquid spills across my hand.
I hold it up and shake my head at them as they jump up from their chairs.
“Don’t. I got it.”
My fingers flex as I grab the rag off the counter and stomp back to the table. No one says anything. They don’t even twitch as I wipe my mess up like a mad woman.
A heavy breath falls from me as I tilt the kettle and pour myself some more coffee.
Calm yourself down and stop acting like a crazy bitch.
I lower myself back in my seat and lace my fingers together under the table as my gaze roams over each of them. My eyes stop on Creed.
“I’m sorry for snapping.”
His jaw muscles clench.
“It’s fine.”