Page 83 of Desolation
Something dark is coming for us. I can feel it deep in my soul.
I'll protect her from whatever—orwhoever—it is.
Chapter Twenty
Lana
I wake like a zombie after a long night of tossing and turning. Falling down the rabbit hole that my life has become. The moments of sleep I managed to get were interrupted by any slight movement from the guys. I'd be up in a heartbeat wondering if it was Ash, finally coming to bed, but no—the moody asshole camped out in the living area all night.
Does he even want this anymore? Will he walk out on me, onus?Could I handle that?
Gaia said we wouldn’t be able to bear being apart. Was that true? I guess, if our relationship keeps progressing as is, we’ll find out soon enough.
When we all go downstairs for breakfast, I’m not surprised to see him on the couch, his arm draped over his eyes, as still as a statue. I wonder if he's even still breathing.
Zedd puts out some milk and cereal on the kitchen island as we all take our seats on the stools. Other than the sound of me playing with my food, the whole house is eerily quiet as we eat in silence before going upstairs to dress in our leathers for the day, walking around on eggshells it seems.
The coffee isn’t strong enough this morning. I know I need to have a long, calm talk with Ash but I just don’t know when the right time for that is. I don’t want to start the day off with an argument and I'm almost positive it will turn into that.
Where’s the tequila when you need it?
The group remains quiet when Serenity appears to transport us to the training grounds. At the ominous silence in the air, she throws me a side-eyed, questioning glance, clearly asking what the fuck is going on.
I shrug in response.Your guess is as good as mine.
Today, we’re back in the original training area with the sparring mat and the weapons room to the side.
Serenity claps her hands together once, creating a loud echo in the open room. Placing her hands on her hips, she gives us all a stern, disappointed, 'mom' look. "I don't know what the fuck is going on with you all. I left a nice surprise in the house which should have helped you bond more." She pauses to sigh and roll her eyes dramatically. "How you guys managed to fuck that up is beyond me."
Fragile masculinity. That's what fucked it up.
She waits for one of us to say something but we all remain tight-lipped. I glance over at Ash, who just looks bored with the whole situation, and frown.
Serenity shrugs. "Okay, keep your shit bottled up. It'll serve nicely for today's sparring matches."
Choking on my spit like the elegant person that I am, I pat my chest and cough. "I'm sorry, did you say sparring matches? I don't think my ears are working."
A few of my men chuckle under their breath, which just makes Serenity roll her eyes again.
"Be careful, those are going to get stuck in the back of your head."
She glares at me but there’s no heat behind it. "Your ears are working just fucking fine, Anal. Yes, sparring matches. Now that you all have tapped into your powers; I'd like for you to face off against each other to start learning offensive and defensive moves."
Envisioning my ass getting handed to me by the guys, I groan loudly and throw my hands in the air. "Fine."Maybe they'll kiss my bruises later.
Ash's deep voice startles all of us as he asks Serenity, "Where are your mates? This could get messy. Are you sure you can handle containing this?" He has his arms crossed over his chest, looking at her with pure arrogance all over his face.
I’m actually offended on her behalf at his obvious lack of confidence in her powers. Has he forgotten how we were all thrown on our asses when she unlocked her powers when we first arrived in this realm?
Serenity throws her head back laughing, her teal locks bouncing, as her body shakes from the force of her amusement. She presses her hands on her stomach, her laughter uncontainable, as a scowl twists Ash’s face.
Well, what the fuck did you expect, asshat?
One moment, she’s laughing and the next, Ash is lying flat on his back with Serenity's hand up in the air, a dark look on her face as she chants under her breath.
Oh fuck.
She stalks over to him, towering over him, with a dark glint in her eyes. "This one time, I will let it go that you have insulted my powers and title of Queen over this realm. I have earned the respect of all of my people and I will not allow an outsider to come in here and disrespect me."
