Chapter 104


    I was ripped from what might’ve been the deepest sleep I’ve ever experienced to the shrill sound of an


    rming from the tablet. It vibrated against the Persian rug on the floor, making me scramble even


    faster. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes roughly, tossing the nkets from my body in a rush. The tablet


    had fallen over while I slept, and I practically threw myself from the couch to grab it in time.


    I cringed at the harsh light from the tablet, but forced myself to look until the splotches cleared and I


    could finally see what the h**l was happening. My stomach sank and relief flooded me all at once.


    “We know someone’s there–let us in!”‘ Tori’s voice wasn’t full of panic and fear, but aggression and


    determination.


    For a moment, it surprised me. She’s always been confident and strong, but this was the voice of a


    Luna.


    I tapped furiously on the tablet, scrolling through the oddly in-depth security measures that


    epassed the house. The boundary line within the forest that would set an rm should something


    too heavye crossing through. The cameras that surrounded the house and even peered off into


    the trees. Every single window, vent, and doorway had a sensor. Either Jaspar Fox was paranoid, or he


    truly had some serious enemies to worry about.


    Finally finding the sensor for the main door, I turned it off and listened to the light whirr of locks sliding


    out of ce. The front door was wrenched open, and I watched in stunned surprise as Tori, Ava, and


    an unconscious and half-d**d looking Zayne Novak tumbled inside.


    Neither Tori or Ava, who was pale and wobbling on two legs, could carry Zayne’s weight anymore. The


    three of them fell to the ground in a pile of limbs, and quiet groans. Ava was first to remove herself from


    the wreckage, sitting with her back against the wall. Her onyx hair was a wreck, knotted and matted in


    ces. Her thick eyeliner was smeared down her face, though not from crying. Tori looked much the


    same, haggard and tired, but still with that fierce light in her eyes.


    “The man could stand to skip a few f*****g meals.” Ava hissed, clutching at her head. “First baby sitter


    for sleeping beauty, and now rescue party. Not only does he owe me a new phone, but he better makeContent property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    sure his insane father doesn’t k**l my family for my involvement. The s**t I get myself into.”


    “Thank you, Ava. I might not know all that you risked, but I appreciate it.” Tori said firmly, her eyes


    unwavering as they looked towards Ava.


    That seemed to smooth out some of Ava’s anger, even though she did nothing more than shrug and


    grumble. I made sure to set the locks for the front door and came over to help the two of them.


    “I’m d the two of you are alright, but I’m assuming you didn’t just stumble across Zayne.” I said,


    trying to lighten things, but it was hard considering he was currently bleeding onto the floor. I offered


    out a hand to Tori, “Let’s get him on the couch, I think I saw a first aid kit in the kitchen. You can tell me


    all about this while you patch him up.”


    “Hope Jaspar doesn’t mind some blood on his couch.” Tori murmured, grabbing a pair of scissors to cut


    the shirt from Zayne’s body.


    Her emotions were surprisingly under wraps as she focused on peeling the soaked fabric from any


    wounds he had. She wasn’t doing this out of love or affection, but because we actually needed him. He


    was too great an ally to throw away, a child turned from his dictator of a father.


    “I’m sure there’s at least ten other couches in this house.” Imented, earning the smallest of smiles


    from her.


    The first aid kit was more like a first aid suitcase. I hauled it out of the walk-in pantry in the kitchen and


    brought it over to where Tori sat. Ava wobbled into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of warm water and a


    rag before copsing down on the couch with a bag of chips in hand.


    “All of our abilities have drawbacks.” She exined with a shrug, crunching down on a chip. “I knock


    people out, so if I overuse mine, it can knock me out too. You’ll find out what your drawback is, we all


    do eventually.”


    “I devour the souls from others, and experience the emotions of everyone around me. That feels like


    one big drawback sometimes.” I chuckled lightly, though I had grown just a small appreciation for my


    magic.


    “I’m sure it’s saved your a*s a time or two though.”‘ Ava pointed out with a nod in my direction.


    “It has, but this world is a lot different from the one I grew up in. It’s hard to undo that kind of thinking,


    that everything is ck and white.” I exined, with a shrug. “I’m getting there, though. Every time I


    use them to save a life, I can’t bring myself to regret that.”


    “Aurora, could youe hold this while I stitch him up?” Tori asked, gesturing to the blood coated towel


    in her hands.


    I was as gentle as possible, but every quiet hiss from Zayne had me stilling. There were gashes along


    his torso, across his chest and up to the hollow of his throat. He had clearly been punched or kicked in


    the face, and was sporting two ck eyes. On a positive note, the damage to his face would heal within


    a day or two. The slices along his body, they would take a bit longer.


    “Siler f*****g knife.” Tori spat, threading the needle through one of therger cuts on his body. “It’s going


    to take nearly two weeks for him to fully heal.”


    “You mind exining this mess without me?” Ava grunted from the other side of the couch. She was


    currently lying on her back, with a pillow over the top half of her face. “I think I’m going to check out for


    a few hours.”


    “Yeah, I got it.” Tori murmured, not turning her eyes from the task at hand. Nearly ten whole seconds


    later, Ava’s light snoring filled the living room. Tori nced at me before returning her eyes to Zayne. “I


    didn’t exactly mean to leave them, y’know. Thing’s kind of changed atst minute.”


    “I know you wouldn’t have split if it weren’t important.” I told her with a small smile, though it was


    difficult to feel happy while I waited for the twins to arrive.


    “The kid Jaspar sent gave us the address. I’m lucky I managed to memorize it or we would have been


    s**t out of luck.” Sheughed, but the sound was brittle. Zayne groaned under his breath, which made


    Tori flinch softly. She ignored the reaction and continued stitching him up. “We were running down the


    hall and I caught his scent. It was so strong; I knew he was close. I split off down another hall and could


    hear him as I walked further down. Turns out, I wasn’t the only one lurking. I found Ava snooping from


    just a few doors down.”


    “What was she doing over there?” I asked, guilty that my tone was just a tad suspicious.


    Tori didn’t seem to mind and replied without skipping a beat, “I don’t know all of what he does in his


    father’s pack, but some of these white wolves are actually loyal to him. Ava acts tough, but she was


    there to try and help him. She’s actually the one who knocked the guards out.”


    “And what about his wounds?” I questioned with a frown, not willing to believe his own father’s guards


    were torturing him.


    “The men were acting under his father’s orders.” Tori replied darkly, her emerald eyes turning to a deep


    shade of moss.


    I’m not sure why this surprised and revolted me so much, but it did. I suppose I wanted to believe there


    was some kind of limit to how cruel another person could be.


    Tori finished patching up Zayne and washed the remaining blood from his face and torso. His skin was


    angry and red, puckered around the shes on his chest. The stitches would seal the wounds and help


    them heal just a bit faster and neater. I paid close attention to how Tori moved, with sure hands that


    lacked even the slightest tremble.


    Something about watching Tori close up the wounds on Zayne made a question form in my mind. A


    theory that I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually test. I wondered if since I could steal the life force from


    someone, could I give it as well? That train of thought was derailed when Tori flicked on the television


    and thrummed through the channels at random.


    “Without some noise, I’m going to fall right asleep.” She sighed, brushing some crimson curls away


    from her forehead.


    “You don’t have to stay up with me.” I urged, more than understanding considering the three of them


    had quite literally fallen through the doorway.


    “Nah, I’m not leaving you to stay up alone.” She shook her head, her lips set in a way that I knew


    meant she wasn’t changing her mind. “I know you won’t sleep until they get here.”


    I settled into the couch beside her, snorting when Zayne began to snore softly. Some family television


    show was on, one where that cheesy backgroundughter sounded every time someone said


    something mildly funny. Halfway through an episode, Tori’s quiet words caught my attention.


    “You do understand why I went back for him right?” She asked, her eyes still locked on the tv screen.


    “Regardless of what Ava says, I didn’t save him because of the d**n bond. I did it because it was stupid


    not to.”


    “Believe me, I understand.” I replied, letting her tell me what she wanted.


    Things between Zayne and Tori were beyondplicated. Tori knew what she wanted, and wasn’t


    afraid to go for it. Zayne had to live in the shadows, splitting who he was and who he needed to be into


    two different people. There was a wall inside of him, one constructed by his father’s cruelty and hate. It


    barred his emotions, forcing them away from me and himself. The glimpse I had allowed me to


    understand how she felt, and I knew that pressing for information was thest thing she needed.


    “We broke into the room that they had him in. Ava knocked the guards out and I went to unlock his


    cuffs.” Her voice grew softer, and her eyes darted over to where Zayneid. “He wasn’tpletely


    lucid, but he was mumbling. He was saying a lot of things, and when he saw it was me, it got worse.”


    I wanted to ask what he had said, my own curiosity brimming, but I suppressed the question even as it


    bubbled on my lips. I let her take her time, mulling over what she wanted to say and omit.


    “He said it was too dangerous for him to have a mate, that he never was meant to have one.” Her voice


    was whisper-soft, to the point where I thought I might’ve imagined the entire thing. “He also said that–


    that he needed to protect me, even if it meant crushing my heart.”


    The conversation shattered, and that cheesyughter trickled in the background, as I found myself


    completely speechless. I had never been one to give advice of any kind. Even though I could feel her


    emotions like they were my own, I had absolutely no clue what she should do next. Clearly, Zayne had


    made up his mind, but he also firmly believed we would lose against his father.


    Minutes faded into hours, making my eyes sore and dry from staring at the brightly lit tv screen. I had


    thought the family tv show might grow on me, but it actually had the opposite effect. I sighed in relief


    when Tori changed the channel to some alien movie.


    “A little fantasy might do us good.” She muttered, snorting when a grotesque looking alien popped onto


    the screen.


    “Speak for yourself, werewolves were fantasy up until a few months ago.”‘ I chuckled quietly, needing


    just a moment or two of normalcy before reality seeped back in. “For all I know, those slimy things are


    real.”


    “Believe me, if they were real, I would’ve told you by now.” She managed a small but genuine smile,


    while wrapping a fur nket around her shoulders. “I would have told you while Alec and Kade were–


    pursuing you, forck of a better word, if they hadn’t made me keep my trap shut. They wanted to be


    the ones to break the news to you, but Garrett got there first.”


    “Good old Garrett.” I snorted, even though I truly did hope he and Julian made it out of the hotel in one


    piece. My nerves were still frayed from Alec’s capture, and thest thing I needed was another family


    member gone missing. “Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have listened to them either.”


    “Stubbornness is not an attractive trait, Aurora.” Tori teased, sounding just a little closer to her usual


    self.


    “It’s a good thing my best friend is twice as stubborn as me, then.” I shrugged, snickering when her


    eyebrows lifted.


    The tablet began ring, spewing its shrill sound into the air. Ava let out a raspy grunt and flung herself


    to her feet. Her hazel eyes were darting around the room frantically, her hands syed out at her sides


    as she readied to use her powers.


    “Don’t you dare, Ava! It’s just the stupid tablet!” Tori hissed, giving her shoulders a little shake.


    “S**t, thanks for that. I nearly put you all to sleep.” Ava grumbled, rubbing at her eyes.


    I scrambled for the tablet, sliding it open a little easier this time. I visibly jumped off the couch when the


    sound of a fist against metal thrummed through the house. I broke out in a full sweat when the


    exhausted faces of Alec and Kade filled the screen. I unlocked the front door as I had the first time and


    sprinted over.


    They opened it before I could reach for the handle. At the sight of Alec’s haggard face, my muscles


    coiled, and I leaped forwards. Both men staggered as I barreled into them. Alec steadied himself on


    Kade, who braced a hand against the wall.


    Both twins seemed to let out identical sighs as they registered my scent and touch. Alecs arms wound


    themselves around my body, tight to the point of near-pain. I couldn’t bring myself to care, and


    burrowed myself deeper into his chest. His scent was stronger from when he had been taken by


    Marcus’s men, but all that mattered was he was safe.


    ‘We are never, ever leaving your side again.’ Alec’s voice flooded my mind, full of his usual warmth and


    affection. Even with the obvious exhaustion in his voice, there wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t


    grateful to be here with us.


    ‘Good, don’t. Ever.’ Iughed, but the sound was shaky and broken.


    All of the stress and worry I had been shoving aside wasing back to me, weighing down on my


    chest until my breaths came out in fast pants. At the time, I couldn’t let myself think about how close I


    hade to losing Alec. Now, it was all I could think about. Over my shoulder, I could feel the twin’s


    share a look.


    “Before you guys head upstairs, think you could put him in a room?” Tori asked, nodding to where


    Zayney unconscious on the couch.


    “I’ll exinter.” I chimed in, my words only partially muffled from being wrapped around Alec and


    Kade.


    “I’ve got it. Pick out a room and I’ll meet you both there. You look like you’re ready to fall over any


    minute.” Kade grunted, giving Alec a once over.


    He ced a hand on his brother’s shoulder, giving him a look that no one other than the two of us


    would understand. We were both relieved beyond anything that he was back, but the guilt of not finding


    him sooner weighed on both of us. We were reminded of it in the way Alec’s eyes were shadowed, and


    the way his skin had paled even further.


    I sent Kade the warmth and intensity of everything I felt for him, of the bond that surpassed love and


    spanned worlds. I could feel his reaction instantly, the way the muscles in his jaw rxed and his


    shoulders loosened.


    In any other situation, I would’ve been ecstatic to be staying in a house like this. Everything was


    smooth and pristine, untouched or marred by anyone living. Even the windows were b**e of the


    smallest imperfection. I would have searched this house top to bottom, and wandered every single


    room inside. Given the situation, and our current state of exhaustion, I opted for the first room we


    stumbled upon.


    The bed could easily fit the three of us, and even more if we tried. It was plush, set atop an oak


    bedframe, and was covered in a silk bed spread. I let out a small whimper as Alec walked past the bed,


    and towards therge bathroom.


    “You can go to sleep, doll.” Alec turned from messing with the shower k***s and gave me a gentle


    smile. It was just the slight curve of one side of his mouth, but it held his usual tenderness that I had


    missed endlessly.


    The bathroom wasrger than necessary, especially the shower with its six built-in heads. My favorite


    part was the long marble bench within the shower, a blessing to have when you need to shave. I


    couldn’t help but wonder what Jaspar’s personal home looked like, considering his safehouse was a


    mansion in the forest.


    “What happened to never leaving my side?” repeated with a hint of a smirk.


    “Then I suppose you’ll have to shower with me.” He chuckled, and I ced my hand against the


    hardness of his chest to feel the sound vibrate across his skin. He wrapped an arm around my waist,


    and toyed with the hem of my t-shirt. “If I slip into bed now, it’s going to smell disgusting.”


    “I think you smell good.” I mumbled, not at all flustered from the way his eyes flickered down to my lips.


    Even though I wanted to stay awake, to make up for lost time, I could see how exhausted he was. I


    hadn’t a clue how hard their trip was, or how they had managed to get free of the hotel in the first ce.


    As Alec gripped the hem of his t-shirt, I wiggled my fingers into the waistband of his sweatpants. I didn’t


    miss the way his eyes flicked up to my face, his eyes onyx and endless under the white light of the


    bathroom. I inched them down his hips, taking care not to catch them on his growing member.


    “Sleep sounds less appealing with every second.” Alec smiled a bit cheekily, and the sight invoked an


    instant reaction within me.


    “You won’t be saying that in the morning.” I teased, pulling my own shirt from my head. I swatted his


    hands away when they veered towards my chest, and unbuttoned the pants I wore.


    Only when we slipped under the steam of the shower, did I let him take me into his arms. The heat of


    the water enveloped us, chasing away the chill and fear that had followed for so long. The ss that


    surrounded us began to fog, blocking our view from the open bathroom door.


    The minute his lips shed against mine, all thoughts of sleep went out the window. The taste of him


    danced on my tongue, sweet and masculine as it wrapped around my brain and jumbled my thoughts. I


    could feel his rough hands roaming over every part of me; the soft flesh of my chest, down to the curve


    of my waist and bottom.


    His hands scalded the ces they touched, pairing with the hot water to make my skin flush. He


    rememorized my body, all without delving into the ces he craved the most. After he mapped out my


    flesh with his fingertips, I settled into his embrace and watched the dirt and grime of thest few days


    swirl down the grated drain.