Chapter 5 Thayla #2
I snatch my shorts up and a shirt over my head, then practically tumble out of the closest so I can look at him.
“You don’t mean that in a literal sense, right? Like if something happens to one, the others would die.” His silence has my breathing growing irregular and my heart pounding away. “Right, V?”
“A piece of them would die. They’d never be the same.”
I rub my chest to relieve the constriction that’s taking over, and my head shakes in denial.
“Well, of course they wouldn’t be the same. No one is after losing a sibling, but you’re making it seem like it’s more than grief and a metaphorical piece of them.”
“It would be, but one of their deaths isn’t something we need to fear. I only told you that to explain that Verlet is the strongest Veilatara ever to be created. He never would’ve got a Godly Companion had the boys not been created. Four of them match Verlet in strength.”
My eyes widen as my hand falls from my chest. The panic that was starting to consume me gives way to pure astonishment.
“Well, shit. Go Verlet. And here I was thinking Seismet was the badass of the meadows after he pinned that god down.”
“Don’t doubt Seismet’s or your strength. You were paired with him, the boys, and myself for a reason.”
Yeah, I’m not going there with him right now.
“Okay, well, I guess—”
“We need to go there, Thayla girl.”
A desperate groan pours from my throat as I belly flop onto my bed, then roll to my back. I cover my eyes with my arm and shake my head.
“Please, V, another time. I can’t take anything else today. I’m only just now accepting everything.”
“That’s far from the truth, but I’ll let it slide for now. We’ll put this off, but not for long. What I need to say is important.”
I roll to my side and prop my head up on my hand so I can stare at him.
“I have no doubt that it is, and of course I want to know, but maybe on a day I don’t have a million other important facts running through my head.”
“Life is going to be like this for a while, my Vedae. You must realize, you’re surrounded by beings who care not only for you but each other. The realm won’t feel so heavy if you all work together.”
“I’m trying to know and believe that.”
“I know that. Your biggest obstacle is yourself. I’ll give you a piece of advice, then we can leave this conversation be and you can introduce me to your men.”
My men…
“They aren’t…never mind. What’s your sage advice?”
“That right there. Stop arguing with yourself.
Choices can be confusing, difficult, and bring forth a never-ending cycle of stress if you allow it.
Make a decision and stand by it just as you do when you feel fiercely about something being right or wrong.
Decide if you really want to move forward with your Valtrue in a romantic way, then go all in.
Decide you want to fully embrace a friendship with Yemi, then stop doubting her motives.
Decide you are ready to become your true self, then accept who you are.
“The constant back and forth in your mind will continue to enable the dark thoughts. It’s okay to get angry about things, but it isn’t something you have to continuously feel within you, then bury it or allow it to explode.
There are many other ways to manage it. Being honest with yourself about your past, the things you’ve been through, will help you grow and heal, Thayla. ”
My hand flies to my cheek to wipe away the slow tear that slipped out. I didn’t expect his advice to be so soft, yet so brutally honest.
It’s all the truth.
I know I go back and forth and do exactly as he’s claiming. Even now, the temperature in my body is rising with the desire to lash out and defend myself. It’s a battle to force myself to stay quiet and let his words marinate.
I stand from the bed and pull my hair up into a loose bun as I give him a small, grateful smile.
“Thank you, V. I promise I’m going to work on that. Starting now with the guys. I’ll go round them up, then come back to get you. I don’t want to shock them.”
“Nonsense. They’re going to be as thrilled as I am.” He hoots as he flies to my shoulder and plucks my hair tie.
My long strands fall down my back until they nearly touch my butt, and he makes himself comfortable while hiding at the nape of my neck.
“Seriously?”
“Am I too large? I can shrink a little more.”
A chuckle slips free from me, but I don’t force my smile away, although everything else inside feels a little heavy.
“No, I guess you’re fine. We’ll find out how my Valtrue likes good surprises.”
“I love a good surprise.”
I laugh once again as I walk us through my bedroom door and enter the quiet kitchen. My fingers flex as I make my way across the living room. I was hoping at least one of them would be in here so I didn’t have to round them up.
I’m still weird about coming to their doors. That wasn’t something I did back home.
After the breakup and once I finally decided enough was enough, the only time I ever invaded Jeremiah’s personal space—I guess Mellcom’s as well—was if I was flipping my shit about something. That always ended in an altercation I paid for in training.
I shake my head to ignore those ugly thoughts and start at the fourth door, which is Kyzen’s. The third is Amick’s, second is Creed’s, and the first is Riven’s.
There’s no answer after my first knock and I wait a second before knocking once again.
“What?”
My jaw drops.
Kyzen’s face is covered by the towel he’s ruffling through his wet hair, and his jeans are unbuttoned like he threw them on quickly to answer the door. My body grows hot as I map every inch of his tanned, shirtless chest.
I hold in my groan when his delicious V-cut disappears into his pants. I see just enough to know he doesn’t have boxers on and my fingers twitch with the desire to strip the single piece of clothing off him.
My nipples grow tight beneath my thin shirt, but I can’t find a care in the realm right now that I didn’t put a bra on.
Fuck. Is this what he felt like when I answered the door half naked?
“My eyes are up here, little goddess.”
My face flames as I whip my devouring gaze up and my mouth dries out. His smile isn’t his normal breathtaking one. Don’t get me wrong, it steals the air from my lungs, but it isn’t playful or just plain flirty.
It’s seductive, laced with countless promises.
“I…You know you’re practically naked, right?”
He throws his head back, laughing as I use his own words against him before settling that yummy smirk right on my chest.
He drags his gaze back up to my face.
“I’m aware. I threw on the first thing I grabbed when I heard the knocking. What’s your excuse?”
“I’m more comfortable without a bra on, thank you very much.”
“You’re not going to hear me complain. You have my permission, and I request that you walk around as unclothed as possible.”
I chuckle and duck to hide my blushing cheeks.
“I’m pretty sure that’d cause a danger to my health. Like your current attire is damaging my ability to think. I need to talk to everyone, so if you wouldn’t mind putting all this”—I hover my hand over his perfect abs—“away for me, I’d appreciate it.”
“Another big talk?”
“No, not a big talk. A surprise, I guess.”
“Well, Riven and I like surprises, but fair warning, Amick and Creed do not.”
“I think they’ll like this one.”
“If you say so, gorgeous. Go get them and I’ll cover my perfect body.”
Fuck, it sure is.
He shoots me a wink and goes back into his room without shutting the door. I’m tempted to follow him in, but the little tickles of feathers against the back of my neck have me moving to Amick’s door instead.
Unlike Kyzen, he answers before I can finish my first repetition of three knocks as he calls it.
To me, that’s knocking once.
I mean really, who just knocks only one time?
“Thayla.”
“Candyman. Can you come to the living room, please? I have a surprise.”
“A surprise?”
“Yes, a good one that I think everyone will both be excited about and benefit greatly from.”
He takes a moment to consider that before nodding, stepping out of his room, and shutting his door. I hold in my laugh at how different the two interactions were, yet how both give me butterflies.
Those same little flutters try to choke me as I raise my fist to Creed’s door. His footsteps stomp closer, and I take a step back so he doesn’t feel like I’m attempting to invade his space.
A small look of surprise crosses his face when he sees it’s me standing here. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m rounding everyone up. I have what I’m calling a surprise.”
“I don’t do surprises.”
“I was warned, but this isn’t anything bad.”
“Is the surprise an orgy or another family meeting?”
I scream and jump forward hard enough I crash right into Creed’s chest. With two hands to my hips, he steadies me but doesn’t release me as I whip back around.
“What the fuck, Riven? Where did you come from?”
“My room.”
“Obviously, but I didn’t even hear you.”
“You can’t have the element of surprise and be loud. By the way, I love surprises, especially if they result in blowing something up. Which I just remembered, I forgot to tell you. I have a surprise for you.”
Valories help me.
“What is it?”
“I burned down Daddy Gladdy’s Valtrue’s house. You should’ve seen it. It was ama—”
“You did what?” Creed shouts as his arm snakes around my waist. I don’t believe he knows he’s done it and I’m too shocked to move.
“Oh yeah. Sent that bad boy up in a blaze of colors. It was stunning, really. I wish you all had been there to see it.”
I cock my head to the side once the initial shock of Creed holding me close wears off. Although the rise and fall of his chest against my back are incredibly distracting.
“You burned his house down, for me? Because of what he did?”
“Well, of course. He’ll think twice before touching what’s mine again if he ever wants to lay his head down on a pillow, or if he wants to keep his head at all, now, won’t he?”