Page 130 of Drown My Sorrow

I feel like I’ve lost something important. It hurts more than I expect it to.

PresentDay

We arrive back in Blackburn on a day where it’s drizzling. Aspyn is already uptight, so this makes everything worse. Luckily, though, I have our accommodations sorted.

Sort of.

A limo picks us up from the airport and drives us thirty minutes to my own personal hell.

I get more and more tense, though Aspyn seems to realise it and sits beside me, but I’m sure we’re just winding each other up, stressing each other more.

Beau slides in between us and puts an arm over each of our shoulders.

“Who is going to take care of it?”

Aspyn snorts. “Are you god now, Beau?”

“Damn close. My dick is your god now, beautiful.”

Aspyn rolls her eyes, but there’s a tiny smile on her face.

He swivels his head to me, his piercing eyes lock on. “The ghosts can’t hurt you, but if you want to go and trash every room and remodel it, we can. Hell, we can fuck in every room and mark your territory all over it.”

“Wouldn’t that be pissing?” I ask dryly.

“Cum is so much harder to get out, though,” Beau points out helpfully.

I snort a laugh and catch Gael’s worried eyes. “I’m okay.”

He was there through all the nightmares, through me learning to become someone else. Gael is the only one who would really know how hard this is for me.

He gives me a half smile and tightens his fingers on Keagan’s. The heat broke the barriers between us. Not all the way, but most of it. There is a familiarity and respect building between the seven of us now that didn’t exist before.

We pull up the long driveway, and I close my eyes so I don’t have to watch the familiar procession.

At last, the car turns and slows to a stop. The pack exits the limo before the driver can open the door, and I follow, wincing as I set my eyes on the massive, ancient home that has been part of my family legacy for a hundred years.

“Hmmm.”

I roll my head to Keagan, who is trying to contain his reactions.

“You can say it.”

“It’s very…” He stops and tilts his head to the side, looking at the gargoyles perched by the front door.

“Yeah, I know. Sadly, it only gets worse inside.”

Beau snickers and guides Aspyn up the three stairs. I make a mental note to get a ramp put in immediately.

I follow them up and freeze when Holt opens the door. I haven’t seen him in forever. He just looks like an older version of himself. Nothing much has changed, even the sneering, disgusted look that he always graced me with is right back there.

Aspyn shrinks away from him.

“We did not know you were expecting visitors, Master Boothe.”

“Alpha!” I snap. “And you did know, I left instructions with my lawyer. But nice try. Good to know you haven’t changed.”

Holt sniffs and turns back into the property. He's tall and thin, almost painfully so and his hair is wispy and white, but those cruel hazel eyes are exactly the same. “I have prepared your bedroom. I shall prepare some for your guests.”

---