Page 95 of A Lesson in Obedience
I nodded, remembering its nasty flavor. “Wait, he knows I’m here.”
“We’ll explain later. Let’s take you home,” Grayson offered, starting to get up from the floor.
I pressed on River’s stomach to balance myself and he hissed. I pulled back quickly, then tentatively pressed my fingers to his side feeling gauze there. I moved off of him and lifted up his shirt. A large piece of gauze was taped to his side, red coloring already seeping through the material.
“What the fuck?!” I yelled, whipping my head around to stare at Grayson.
“That’s a long story for when we are home.” Grayson reached down for my hand so he could help me up. I let him pull me to my feet, but then I ripped my hand away.
“No, you are telling me now. I watched her bleed and I broke her bones, Grayson. I tried to protect my friends and now this is happening when I’m not around. Don’t shield it from me, just fucking tell me,” I demanded, poking my finger into his chest. Beau huffed next to me, his tail high and alert.
Grayson looked over my shoulder at his best friend. “She has a point.” River sighed, pulling his shirt down before getting off the floor.
I moved past them to the door, opening it. “Let her heal you while you explain and I can focus on something else.”
Jade and Corrinhad decided to drive back themselves while Grayson shadowed the rest of us back to the house. We landed right in their living room and Asher came running around the corner.
“Thank fuck,” Asher announced, moving to the side for Beau to race up the stairs to River’s bedroom. “You can’t just fucking send me a text with vague shit and think it’s okay. For fucks sake, River, a wolf fight? And then you leave me with ‘Riley’s in trouble, but she sounds fine’, what the actual…”
I rushed over to him, pulling his face down and pressing my lips to his. Asher didn’t have room to speak, but the minute our mouths met, he didn’t seem to want to. I broke the kiss, speaking against his mouth. “Your care for me is showing.”
“Are you okay?”
I placed my palms at his chest, breathing in and letting his scent envelop me. “No.”
Asher pulled a small item from his pants pocket and presented it to me. It was my dampener ring. He took my hand and placed it on my finger. The irony of realizing what having it would have meant for everything that happened wasn’t lost on me. If I hadn’t been able to take it off, I could have died. Without it, I now had blood on my hands. It was blood that never touched my skin, but I felt it. Marianne’s blood, my dad’s blood—those weren’t my fault, but I felt drenched in so much spilled blood that I could hardly breathe most of the time.
“Thank you,” I said in a small voice.
River cleared his throat, coming up to us. “Corrin said you never actually showered when you got back. Let’s go, gorgeous.”
They all moved around me like some sort of prestigious bodyguard service. Each of them taking my stuff, removing pieces of my clothing and turning on the shower. They left me alone but claimed to be close by if I needed them. I didn’t want to be alone for long, so I kept my shower short and came out as refreshed as I could be. No amount of scrubbing was going to remove my thoughts and the way I currently felt about myself.
“Are you hungry?” Asher asked, crossing his arms over his chest. His simple black t-shirt tightened around his arms and his slouchy gray sweatpants sat low on his hips.
“No,” I answered, not really in the mood to attempt to put food in my mouth.
They all looked tired and I assumed for different reasons. I’d gawked at River when he explained about what happened at Marth Moon. Corrin had to refrain from squealing when she discovered her partner was now the alpha. Chancellor Fowler had his desperate claws in everything. He wasn’t always around, but he was always watching and I wasn’t surprised. Maybe things would be easier if I just submitted. If I was the obedient daughter in all things, like he’s wanted me to be.
That idea made me want to throw up.
“I think bed is a good option,” I offered, nodding towards River’s room. I started to walk but then a hand gripped my bicep and pulled me past the door. I looked up to see Asher steering me towards his room.
“Is this a sleepover?” Grayson joked, trying to lift the mood.
“Don’t call it that,” Asher said, closing his door when we were all inside. He focused his green eyes on me. “You sleep in here tonight. And I suppose the rest of you can as well.”
“So, a sleepover,” Grayson repeated, winking at my boyfriend’s brother.
I heard rustling from outside the door and then a body slamming into the wood.
You don’t want to come inside?I thought to Beau.
I cuddle with my mom or mom and River, not mom and three other people. Even if they want to make you happy.I could have sworn I heard him sigh from outside.
River came over to me, wrapping his arms around my body. He kissed my forehead. “You need anything, you tell one of us, okay?”
“I will. I just really want to sleep.” I padded over to the bed, the sheets cool against the exposed skin of my thighs. I watched the guysmentally decide how they wanted to lay in bed. Asher removed his shirt, tucking himself into my right side, while River let Grayson snuggle into my left side before he snuck in behind Grayson, spooning him.
