Page 77 of Fighting Shadows

The others, on the other hand, hate her, threatening to dismember her if she even comes within fifty feet of me.

I wish that she had told someone her plan, saving us all the pain we’ve been made to endure the last month and a half.

“So, where are you going for your date?” I ask Shan once Brenn leaves, wiggling my brows at her and taking another sip of my drink.

“I don’t know. She’s asked to plan it,” she blushes again, staring at her drink as if it holds all the answers.

“I love that for you, Shan, really, I do. I’m glad that you are getting out there.”

“Me too, Aut. Enough about me; how’s things with you?”

I tell her about Noah, how he’s around almost every day to hang out with all of us, but mostly Dominic.

“So you like him?” she asks, smirking at me.

“I don’t know! Yes… no … maybe. It’s complicated; how could I even think about someone else when I love those five idiots in there?” I whine, throwing my head back and repeatedly hitting my head on the chair.

“Okay, drama queen, deep breaths,” she laughs, “Now tell me everything.”

I spend the next twenty minutes reviewing our interactions and my dreams while Shan listens intently to everything I say.

“So he’s taken on a role as protector for you just like the other guys have; of course, you like him, Aut. You’ve spent your whole life wishing for someone to save you, and now you have six overprotective men who would die for you. Noah is now a part of that. The question is, how do you want to deal with it?” she asks like it’s the simplest thing ever.

“I don’t know,” I sigh, “Later,” I mouth to her as the others come out to join us, Noah and Aidan both tagging along.

“Little Sis,” Aidan greets me with a warm smile, “Who's this?”

“I’m Shan,” she introduces herself, her hand outstretched for him to take.

“Ah, I’ve heard a lot about you from Brenn. Where is your brother anyway?” he asks.

“Probably walking Nanook. You know how he is withmydog,” I laugh, eyeing my brother as he walks in just as we are talking about him. Of course, I was correct, Nanook trotting along next to him on his leash. He would have taken Parzival with him, but he refuses to leave my side since I got back, and I take comfort in knowing I have a shadow with me always.

“It’s only fair I steal him as my best friend since you stole all five of mine,” Brenn grumbles, but the smirk on his face lets me know he’s joking.

“They stole themselves away. I didn’t have a choice. You know how they can be pushy.”

“I take offense to that,” Sebastian groans, “Dominic did most of the pushing.”

“No regrets!” Dominic shouts around a mouthful of steak.

“Gross,” I wrinkle my nose in disgust, curling into Atlas’s side as he sits down next to me, Tobias joining him on the other side.

“Here, Babygirl,” Tobias says, handing me another drink as Sebastian hands Shan hers.

Rewarding him with a kiss, I nip Tobias’s bottom lip between my teeth and then soothe it with my tongue; Tobias whimpers into my mouth, his eyes molten when we pull away from one another.

Noah coughs, shifting uncomfortably on his seat, and the tips of his ears turn red.

“Hot, right?” Dominic whispers to him conspiringly, winking at me as he does.

“Yup,” Noah croaks before he practically runs from his seat to where his brother, Zander, and Brenn all stand around the grill like a bunch of middle-aged men.

“He’ll come around, Cupcake,” Dominic says fiercely, as if he genuinely believes his words.

I say nothing because how can I? I don’t want them ever to think I don’t want them or love them.

I can push down my feelings for Noah, can’t I?

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