Page 32 of Inheritance
“We need something to wrap her in.” Damien’s voice was the next I heard, and I frowned.
“I shouldn’t have torn up her shit,” Jace muttered. “That was stupid of me.”
“Maybe we could get one of the others to bring something. We can’t bring her back to camp like this,” Damien admitted. “Fuck. I can’t believe you’re back, little flame.”
His nickname for me had me smiling lazily, and my heart warmed.
“I was so scared she would be hurt when we found her, but she just seemed so damn drained,” Jace frowned.
I heard the sound of footsteps in the distance, but before I could warn Damien and Jace, everything went dark once more. I let out a small, sleepy sound and felt a warm blanket being wrapped around me. I could hear conversation around me, and my nose was buried against a familiar neck. A warm, familiar neck that totally belonged to Dray.
I didn’t move, though, wanting to relish having my magic back and being in the presence of some of my mates again before I had to deal with the far larger issue at hand. I couldn’t even afford to think about Luce right now—it hurt way too much. Why did it hurt, though? I had finally left the toxic man who had wanted to change me and cage me. There shouldn’t be anything painful about that.
Honestly, I dropped in and out of consciousness for a little bit as I felt a warm cloth against my face and neck. I thought I heard Zurie’s voice, but it was possible I imagined that. When I suddenly began to feel much warmer, I realized that I was not only fully dressed but also wrapped up in blankets. I think it was the smell of food that finally woke me, though.
“I knew the food would do it.”
I squinted my eyes open fully and offered a goofy smile, thrilled to find Adrien sitting next to me on the bed I was lying in and holding a bowl of something that smelled delicious. He wasn’t the one who’d made the smart-ass comment about food though. No, instead, the man was looking at me with so much love and affection it floored me.
“Beauty,” he swallowed, “I am so fucking happy to see you.”
“Adrien, I missed you.” I sighed his name and expressed the emotions I knew were all over my face before eyeing the bowl in his hands. “Also, what exactly is in that bowl?”
I heard Drayven chuckle and realized he had been the one to make the food comment. I turned my head to find him sitting in a chair near a table filled with similar bowls. Except he wasn’t looking at the food—his eyes were only for me, and I couldn’t help the blush that stained my cheeks as I remembered the last time we’d been together.
“Stew,” Drayven answered. “Nico made it, actually.”
My chest squeezed at that name, and I looked around, “Nico? Where is he?”
“Outside.” A voice from behind me had me turning quickly to find Colt propped up and looking down at me, making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Damn him.
“Why?” I murmured as his eyes seemed to swirl, looking down at my lips before shifting back up to my face, his relief radiating off him. Colt had been worried, really really worried, and I was trying to not find that flattering.
“He wasn’t certain you would want to see him...after everything,” Damien’s voice from the entrance of the tent had me smiling as Jace followed him in, both of them looking a bit less blood-covered than before. I licked my lips before nibbling on the bottom one. When did we want to talk about the amazing threesome we’d had? Now? Later.
Damien wasn’t wrong. I should have been more hesitant to see Nico after everything that had happened. Hell, I should have been terrified of him rejecting me again. Instead of finding myself hesitant, though, I found I wanted to face this head on. I wanted to know if he truly felt the way he had said. And if he did…Well, I wasn’t sure how I would handle that. What I did know? The situation with Luce had taught me that time was limited, especially in a moment like this, and I couldn’t afford to live in limbo not understanding the emotions of those around me.
I knew I cared about Nico—hell, I was positive he cared about me—but I needed to know where he thought this would go. I needed to know if he was capable of accepting the other men in my life and our possible future. I knew without a doubt that my feelings for these men weren’t going anywhere, nor did I want them to. I wanted to find a way to make this work between all of us.
“Of course I want to see him,” I murmured, so they understood I wouldn’t be avoiding this, while getting up. Finias and Nico. Ineededto see both of them, actually. Adrien helped steady me as I walked towards the entrance of the tent. None of them stopped me, but I could feel everyone’s gaze on me.
I immediately felt relief when I all but ran into Nico right outside the tent. I hesitated for only a moment, worried that I would reach out to him and he would reject me…but then the emotion in his eyes, mixed with relief and something so much more, had me burying myself in his chest. His large arms wrapped around me, and he gripped me so hard it would probably leave a mark.
I let out a pleased sigh when his wings wrapped around me, and I just stayed there for a second, completely absorbing his affection.
I knew there were still walls between the two of us and that we needed to talk…but in this moment, I could feel our mate bond practically vibrating with energy, trying to form a connection.
“Finias is getting some firewood to keep the tent warm,” Nico said softly, pulling away slightly, his eyes shiny with tears. “You should go see him.”
That surprised me. I could see something had changed because there was determination and vibrance to Nico that hadn’t been there since his parents had died. Also, he was suggesting I go see Finias, which was totally new—I was used to him hating the fact that he had to share my time.
I nodded slowly as he leaned forward hesitantly, waiting for me to meet his lips. Surging forward up onto my tippy toes, I seared my lips to his and it was all he needed. Nico wrapped a muscular arm around my waist and met the passionate kiss with equal heat. The ‘rightness’ of his touch left me feeling breathless as he finally pulled back, his eyes radiating with intensity.
When Nico walked around me back into the tent, I followed and my eyes immediately went to Finias. He was about ten feet away, holding a bundle of wood and staring at me with an expression of...well, I didn’t know what it was. My eyes welled with tears as I all but flung myself at him, the wood gone as he immediately caught me, and I locked my legs around him. His chest vibrated with a low rumble as he seared his lips to mine and pulled back slightly, holding me up against him as he searched my face, looking at me in amazement.
“You’re okay. You’re here. Holy shit, Ama. I am so fucking glad you’re back.”
I nodded and tightened my legs around him as he walked forward, keeping me locked tightly to him. I let out a small happy sound as we re-entered the tent and I was suddenly surrounded by all my mates. Well, not all of them. Sadness welled inside me at the thought of Luce, and I had no idea how to handle that.
