Page 27 of A Bloodline Redeemed

He nudged the side of my thigh with his knee, and I looked over to find him silently laughing at me.“Move.Lay the right way.”

I heaved an exasperated sigh, but did as I was told, flopping down again the right way on the bed, my head on one of his surprisingly nice pillows.“Happy?”

He lay down next to me and held out an arm.“Nearly.Come here.”

I growled a little and sat up.“Do I look like a dog to you?You expect me to just leap to do your bidding now?You are not my master, shadow-walker.”I was tempted to set his bed on fire.But it seemed a waste.It was really quite comfortable.Maybe I’d set it on fire later.When I was done sitting on it.

He just stared at me, patient and unaffected.“Aahil.”

“Fine,” I sighed, flopping back down with my head on his shoulder.“Enjoy the moment while it lasts.I hear burning to death is a painful way to go.”

He just looped his long arm around me and settled me closer to his side.“Need a blanket or anything?”

I huffed.“I hate you.”

He just patted my hip.“I know.”

“The light one there,” I said imperiously, pointing at the folded throw that lay over the chair on his side of the bed.Even that was boring.Gray and white cotton.Not a scrap of color or rich fabric to be seen.

He stretched out and grabbed the stupid blanket, then spread it over us.“There,” he said happily.“Isn’t this much better than that dusty room upstairs?”

I put my hand on the center of his chest, for lack of a better option.“What is going on right now?”

The boogeyman just gave me a little squeeze.“I believe we said we were coming here to cuddle, Aahil.Comfort.That is what’s going on.Nothing more.At least… not while you’re hurting.We can definitely discuss it later, if you want.But you’re not the only one who could use a bit of a snuggle.”He sighed, his handsome face finally losing its humor and reflecting some of the sadness I felt.“I miss them too, you know.”

I pressed my face against his shoulder and muffled my frustrated groan.“Fussing.Kid gloves.Babying me like I’m some fragile flower.Iseveryonein this damned mansion a complete dumb ass?”

“Aahil?”Ambrose placed the first two fingers of his free hand under my chin and tilted my head up, forcing me to look at him.His skin was inhuman.Soft and supple like midnight velvet.And yes, I wanted more of his gorgeous blue-black skin touching mine for reasons besides just boring comfort.

“What?”I sniped.

“Shut up and accept the comfort already,” he said firmly.Then his full lips caressed mine, just for a moment, soft and undemanding, but full of promise.“Let me help you sleep and unload some of your pain.We can talk about how badly you want me to fuck you some other time.Sound good, darling?”

I huffed, heat suffusing my face and neck.“Disgusting.”

“Shh… sleep firecracker.”

I felt the boogeyman magic wash over me, but I didn’t fight it.He was right.I was exhausted.I hadn’t slept much at all since Hasumi’s death, too plagued by nightmares to actually fall asleep.But this man was a master of dreams—or nightmares—and I found myself slipping off into a dreamless sleep almost immediately, cradled in his oddly safe embrace.

Chapter 16

Andy

Aftermylittleinterludewith River and Zhong, I dozed for a bit, the stress and burnout of running on pure nervous energy finally catching up with me.I woke up slowly, my mind still chasing the remnants of some faint dream.

I stretched, careful not to wake the men who were sleeping beside me.My body definitely felt better, the tension from the past few days replaced with a soft, languid feeling.I turned my head to the side, taking in the view of River’s tousled black hair on my pillow.He was curled on his side next to me, one arm flung over my waist, his handsome face looking so sweet and relaxed in his sleep.Zhong was lying on his back behind the shifter, taking up most of my oversized bed as he snored faintly.The soft rumbling sound made me smile.

My heart still ached at Hasumi’s loss, but here was the proof that no matter how much that loss hurt, I was still so amazingly blessed by the goddess.I didn’t know what I’d ever done to earn so much love and support from such amazing people.But I needed to stop taking that blessing for granted.

I rubbed absently at my wrist a few times before I stopped staring all googly eyed at the beautiful men in my bed and realized what the tingling sensation in my wrist really meant.The unsettled feeling that lingered in my aura and settled in my chest wasn’t all due to my own grief.

Silently cursing my own stupidity, I slowly sat up.I had been so obsessed with burying my own pain and stress in my research and spellwork that I had become selfish.I wasn’t the only one who loved Hasumi.There was certainly someone who had loved them just as much as I did.And who hadneededthem even more.

I carefully slipped out from under River’s arm, trying my best not to wake him.He huffed in his sleep and rolled over, immediately curling up against Zhong instead.The gargoyle reached over to gently ruffle River’s shiny hair, then cracked his eyes open enough to look at me.

I made a dismissive gesture, urging him to go back to sleep.“Aahil,” I mouthed.

Zhong nodded and closed his eyes, settling in to go back to sleep.I went and quickly pulled on some clothes.Just as I finished dressing up, River started to shimmer.His magic rippled over him, and he seamlessly transformed into a big, sleek black jaguar, still curled up against Zhong’s side.Still completely asleep.

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