Page 33 of Maiming
“You’re enough, Rime. You’re strong and loyal and so fucking fierce.” My voice cracks against the honesty of those words. “You’re not kind. Not like Chaos. He’s sweet and gentle and gives freely. He’s good all the way through. He’s the purest person I’ve ever met.” Chaos’ lips brush over my hair, and I keep talking even as his hold tightens on me. “And just like me, you’re not like that. Not even close. And I hope you know that it’s okay. Because everything you are is enough.”
I turn until I’m flat on my back between the two men. Their arms tangle around one another over my stomach. My hand dips low, slipping my fingers between Chaos’ while my other hand rises. My palm skims against the hard angle of Rime’s jaw. His gaze does that dance between my eyes, trying to see what’s inside.
“You are enough,” I whisper on a shaking breath. His lips chase that breath until he’s kissing me softly. It’s the sweetest kiss that ends too soon.
“You’re enough too, My Tamer.”
Emotion spreads through my chest as I realize we replaced love with functionality. We’ve carefully avoided me saying it. I won’t tell him I love him. I might not tell either of them that I love them. Maybe ever.
But they already know.
Twelve
Insufferable Demands
Sometime in themiddle of the night, a scream lashes. The strong muscle that surrounds me stiffens. Kain shoves hard from where he was draped across my stomach, and a chilling cold settles in the moment he leaps from the bed. Rime and Chaos are stalking after him and the three of them storm through the dark house in nothing. I’m stumbling from the bed after a moment’s hesitation. My bare feet meet the cold flooring and, in a rush, I grab the coat off the hook before stepping out the open front door. I button it all the way up, covering myself in a disorderly hurry.
“Go back inside,” Kain barks at me.
Sinister’s palm slips around my hip pulling me back against his chest. “He’s right, something dark is here. I can feel it.”
“Then I need to be out there.” Nerves strum through me as I watch the three shifters cautiously walk into the eerily quiet night. The muscles in their backs are strung, and I feel that tension all through me.
“No, you need to stay the fuck inside.” The rarely heard serious tone against his lips makes me realize how worried he is.
I peer back at Myla who stands near the kitchen table as she wraps a heavy blanket around herself.
She looks delicate. Our boys are out there protecting us.
But who is protecting them?
My body lurches forward and I slip out of Sinister’s grip in an instant. And he lets me. I should have known he would.
“I’ll be careful. Stay with Myla.” I rush down the steps, the frozen, frost-chilled ground tingling through my skin the moment my feet touch it.
Sinister’s tattooed hand pushes through his dark locks with a look of defeat sagging his shoulders. “Fuck, Arrie.”
I race off in the direction the men went. Other shifters have started coming out into the dusty street now. A few of the men glance at me. The second in command trails out of his house across the street near Helen’s house and Aggie sneaks out his front door with a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
“What’s happening?” I hiss the moment she’s near enough.
My gait slows, and as we near the forest the crowd starts to thicken. She and I wander farther, my shoulder brushing hers with each small step we take.
“Something bad. I’m not sure.” Her white gaze drifts back and forth.
I stop dead in my tracks and I stare down at the elderly mage blankly.
“You always know.” Even when she doesn’t tell me, she always knows what’s in our future.
“Something’s off. Something dark is blotting out my sight. This isn’t in our plans.” Her lips purse and fear trickles slowly in.
My sight hasn’t worked since I met Kreedence all those years ago. I knew then that it was ruined because something more powerful was suppressing it.
I just assumed it was my ex.
What if it wasn’t?
When the crowd parts and we find ourselves at the front of the dozens of men, a body lies at our feet. The pretty young woman is crumpled in a disfiguring way. Her arms and legs are splayed out in a jagged appearance of broken bones. Not a drop of blood is in sight. But the vacant emptiness of her gaze looks up at me.
