Page 93 of Wrongfully Magicked
My eyes widen in awe at his abilities, then I frown and tilt my head to the side. “If you can appear and disappear through the shadows, why did we stay here last night?”
Wiggling his fingers, his shadows take solid form again, and he shrugs. “Though my abilities are stronger at night, they arestill limited. I’ve trained myself to bring people with me when I jump, but I’m only able to travel short distances. We were safer here, where we had shelter, than me jumping us short distances all night long.”
“So you didn’t get any rest last night?” I frown in concern, only now noticing how tired he appears. Bruises of different shades dot his body, ranging between deep black, dark purple, and vivid reds—injuries that he got from defending me—and I scowl at him. “I don’t like that you went off alone without anyone to watch your back.”
Stryker and Soren stroll out of the bedroom behind me.
“She’s right.” Soren kisses the top of my head, then walks toward the sideboard and loads up a plate, not stopping until things begin to slide off it.
Stryker kisses my temple. When he straightens, his eyes drop to my plate, and he scowls. Without a word, he grabs the dish and puts even more food on it before placing it prominently in front of me once again.
When I don’t immediately grab it, he nudges it toward me. To appease him, I take a piece of bacon and nibble on it. Soren sits beside me, notices the bacon, then promptly shoves all the bacon off his plate onto mine.
I blink at the full plate in front of me and the two dozen pieces of bacon piled on top, and my heart turns gooey in my chest at their thoughtfulness. After a childhood where I wasn’t guaranteed a meal every day, being offered food means more to me than they could know.
With a smile, I pick up another piece of bacon and take a big bite.
For some reason, it’s even tastier than before.
Porter shrugs, drawing my attention. “It needed to be done. I was the only one who could make it to town to get us a truck and supplies.”
He loops his fingers into the handle of his mug, taking a sip as he peers at me over the rim. Only after he sets it back down does he speak again. “Gwen is out patrolling now. Darby stayed up late digging up building schematics, creating aliases, gathering weapons and supplies, and setting up a meeting with your family. Cassius kept watch last night, while the three of you…rested.”
The silence in the room is deafening, and I cringe, torn between embarrassment and annoyance for being publicly called out. It’s all I can do not to duck away, my face burning. While everyone was doing something important, I was off fucking.
But I can do something now.
I scowl at his coffee, click my tongue, then reach over and take it away. “No more coffee. You need food.”
I stand and prepare him a plate. When I can’t fit any more food on it, I realize that I’ve just been delaying the inevitable. With a sigh, I turn and set it down in front of him. Before I can scurry away, he grabs my wrist, and my attention snaps to his face.
“Don’t run,” he speaks softly, his voice for my ears alone. “You did nothing wrong. They are your mates, and you shouldn’t be ashamed of being with them. Finding a mate is rare. It can often take a lifetime.” He slowly releases my wrist, his thumb brushing the delicate underside before pulling away. “They are lucky sons of bitches.”
Before I can formulate a response, Darby tromps down the stairs, running his hand through his normally smooth hair. It’s messy and unkempt, giving him a freshly rolled out of bed after a night of rough sex look.
Yummy!
“Um,” I say like an idiot, my brain stuttering as I struggle to get my libido under control, and I quickly turn away. “I’ll get you a plate.”
Now that I’m not looking at him, I’m able to breathe normally again.
“Tell us what you discovered,” Porter demands between bites.
Darby shuffles to a stop near the island, then grunts when Cassius offers him a cup of coffee. Without speaking, he guzzles the steaming mug without flinching. When it’s gone, he lifts his head and blinks in surprise at finding the entire room staring at him.
He looks exhausted, and my heart pangs at everything he’s doing to keep me safe.
When I slide a plate toward him, he gives me an owlish blink, then throws me a grateful smile. Without bothering to take a seat, he digs into his meal like he hasn’t eaten in days. It’s only after he’s taken a few bites that he lifts his head and speaks. “The meeting is set up for tonight at nine.”
He flicks a concerned glance my way, and I do my best not to freak the fuck out at the thought of being sent back to my family.
Determined that this will be the last time, I lift my chin.
After tonight, either they will be dead…or I will be.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DARBY
