Page 5 of Loving Nightmares
“Blackwell,”I admonished, a giggle slipping from my lips as I was thrown over his shoulder. “Seriously, you can’t take me away from this! I am literally hosting it!”
Itwas an amazing picnic I’d put together for the institute, to celebrate the start of summer. Northern Michigan didn’t have the best weather, but today had turned out both warm and sunny, and now Blackwell was trying to take me away from it.
“We aren’t playing that game,” he grumbled. I tilted my head up so I could see where he was taking me, my cheeks tinting pink at the group of nightmares that were watching us.
“Why not?” I demanded.
“Because you aren’t kissing anyone,” he growled. I rolled my eyes.
“No crap, Blackwell. It’s not a real spin the bottle game.”
“Oh, I think it was plenty real for them, considering they’re your age,” he bit out. I shook my head, secretly loving hisantics, and melted into him, completely okay with him taking me over his shoulder—even if he was being an overcontrolling nightmare.
Plus, I was excited to get back to our little campout zone. When he let me slide down his body, I turned to find my other friends spread out on the ground and at our picnic table. Razar offered me a knowing look as I gave him a cute smile and went to sit next to him. I could hear Zain talking to Cy about something regarding their fighting styles, and Damian was talking quietly to Blackwell, both focused on the group Blackwell had just hauled me away from. Something that totally spelled trouble.
Actually, what really spelled trouble was—
“Saint!” I hopped up and walked towards the man. He was seemingly deep in an argument with my father, who looked amused at best. I think my father was one of the only people who didn’t even entertain Saint, and it drove him a bit batty.
“I’m just saying, I think that having a graveyard here would be sort of nice.”
“Saint,” I groaned, knowing he had been over this a million times. The man turned towards me and flashed a smile.
“What?” he said, chuckling. “I need somewhere to lurk and be a reaper. Arabella, you infect every space with happiness; I can’t possibly be focused on death in our dorm.”
I snorted as he flashed me a smile and offered a pointed look to my dad. “Think about—”
“Did. Answer is no,” he responded smoothly.
I tugged Saint’s hand away, unable to help the small giggle that slipped from my lips.
“I am going to get through to him eventually,” he gritted out as I pressed into his side and let out a happy sigh, looking over everyone gathered and appearing so relaxed. Was it so wrong to want this forever?
“No, it’s not,” Saint said, brushing his lips across my temple and leaving me in shock as he stepped away. Well, shit. I had said that out loud. But then he joined the others, and I couldn’t help but let my smile grow.
Was it that easy? Was simply asking for it all I needed to do? My chest clenched. Probably not. After all, they didn’t know the truth. They didn’t know I wanted so much more than friendship.
3
RAZAR
Throughout the years,I had seen the institute in many forms, from the chaos of accepting groups of lower level terrors into our ranks, especially after large-scale rescue missions from MAM bases, to more relaxed events like the annual yule holiday dinner. I had never, though, seen it like this. I wasn’t used to sensing this type of fear from an institute of individuals that inspired terror.
I understood it though. Their entire existence was being threatened. Not because slaughtering the humans wasn’t a viable option, but because if we did that, if we truly waged war, there would be nothing stopping MAM as a whole from coming at us. I believed in our ability to win, but how many lives would be lost in the process? How many families disrupted? And if we did win, the whole of humanity would despise us more than they already did. Fear was one thing, but every time the divide between the two groups grew, the harder it was to communicate—the harder it was to resolve anything without the threat of violence.
Violence that had placed these burns on Arabella’s soft skin.
I thought seeing my marks on her would have been hard, but those had been made in a moment of pleasure. This was a fire like damnation in comparison. I moved through the crowded halls of the institute, my team following behind. Nightmares stared at us in fear but also hope as sirens blared above. I knew they were looking to us for leadership, but I couldn’t focus on that. All I could focus on was getting Arabella and the Director some medical attention. I had no doubt the latter would heal, given that he was a terror, but these burns on my mate’s skin had panic clawing at my throat.
I should have stuck by her side.
I should have never left her.
I should have never left her out on the battlefield.
No.
I knew Arabella would hate that I was thinking these things, even though she understood my primal urge to shield and protect her. She was so incredibly strong, but her facing battle wasn’t an idea I had ever been comfortable with.
