Chapter 16

They were finally all home. Thomas had been released a few days ago and D had been frantically cleaning the apartment getting it ready for him to come home while his mom sat with Thomas. The broken coffee table and chair were thrown out, the dents in the wall repaired and painted over, the broken phones replaced. All the blood had been scrubbed away, although they had to throw out some of the pillows and the rug.

They had been able to take Viv off sedation and used a little more healing potion for her hand. Unfortunately, she started having a reaction to it and they had to stop the dosage. The doctors thought it was best for the rest to heal on its own. At least the infection was gone, the antibiotics and healing potion having worked. After she came off of the sedation during her last couple of days in the hospital, Viv had started having nightmares. Nothing seemed to help; Mac finally had slipped her a knife, one spelled to always return to her, thinking it would help her feel safe. He had been hoping she would rest better when she came home, but if anything, the nightmares seemed worse.

He was starting to get worried that any progress on her health would regress and finally brought it up to his friend the second full day she was home.

“She’s not sleeping,” Mac said quietly to D. “She stares at the door like she’s expecting someone to bust through it again. She’s not going to heal much past what they did in the hospital if she’s not eating or sleeping. She can’t go on like this for long.”

“I have an idea but let me run it by Thomas first. He knows her best. He’s been losing his mind over how to help her.”

Mac sat with Viv as she stared at the apartment door. She was on the couch, her new phone in her injured hand, the knife clenched in the other.

“Viv. She’s gone. She can’t get you again,” Mac said gently. Viv shook her head.

“I’m here. I won’t let anyone get you, okay. You’re my mate. I was stupid before. There are fuckups in every race and I’m hoping you don’t hold her against all demons. I realize now that’s what I did. I was too scared of being hurt again to trust. Can you forgive me? I don’t want to lose you. I must be pretty stupid, because it took almost losing you to make my walls come down. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m willing to work at getting a second chance. Do you think maybe you could trust me enough to keep you safe? I’d been doing okay at it until that day. I should have left D behind. I didn’t think it was a distraction to get us away from you,” Mac admitted.

“What do you mean, until then?” Viv asked, her voice still rough from screaming and disuse. She hadn’t spoken other than a few sentences in the hospital.

“Right. So. This is going to sound stalkery, but I didn’t mean it that way. I knew you were my mate, and while I didn’t want a mate, I didn’t want anyone to hurt you. So, I kind of followed you on your dates, hung out at the library. Your second date was a doozy, I had lots of fun causing the drinks to spill all over him. I followed him home and realized what a scumbag he was and left a little tip for the cops.”

“You were my shadows?” she asked. “I always felt safe when my shadows were there.”

He nodded. “I wanted to keep you safe.” He had to school his face, keeping the shock from it when she crawled into his lap. He held her tight enough that she wouldn’t fall out, but not so tight as to feel bound or restricted. Her head tucked into his shoulder, and he could hear her breathe in deeply. She must like his scent because her shoulders dropped and he thought she actually fell asleep.

D stood in the doorway. “Asleep?” he mouthed.

Mac nodded. D held up his phone. Mac tilted his head to where his sat on the table. D walked silently over to hand it to Mac. After making sure the phone was on silent, he texted D.

I think she’s finally asleep. I confessed I was hiding in the shadows watching her before. She said her shadows made her feel safe, climbed in my lap and fell asleep.

D nodded as he read, typing out a response. I bought that house and had contractors in fixing it up. I just got the all clear that it was ready to move into while they were in the hospital. My thought was we move in right away. Get new living room furniture so it doesn’t remind them of the apartment. Move what we can today, maybe have movers get the rest. I think a new area would help them both. Thomas agreed and said Viv was awake for more of the attack in the apartment. He was groggy from getting thrown into the coffee table right at the start.

Mac nodded. It made sense. They could set up a camera security system so they would all have access to look around at all times. He’d ask his uncle to help set up wards over the house. If she knew no one could simply come through their door, he thought it would help her sleep. Let’s do it, he typed back. How quickly do you think we can get it done?

I bet my parents will help transport furniture into the house. If I can get living room furniture delivered today, we can get them in by tonight. I’d like for it to be daylight if possible so it’s not as potentially scary looking, D replied.

Let me get ahold of Uncle and see if he can send someone to ward the house. We can add our own, but at least it will be ready when we get there,Mac wrote.

Sounds good. I’ll call my parents and see if they can help,D added, walking out of the room. Mac assumed to call his parents and not wake up Viv.

Uncle. Can I ask a favor? Can you send someone to D’s new house to set a ward? We want to move in today. I think it will help Viv sleep. D’s getting his parents to help move the bedroom furniture, but we’re going to buy new stuff for the living room so there’s no association with it, Mac typed.

Consider it done. I’ll send living room furniture too. Think of it as a mating gift.

Mac smiled. Thank you. But she hasn’t accepted me yet. I have a lot of groveling to do. I rejected her and made her feel awful. I should have acted like a mate.

You did. And you do. But you can also explain why. Not that it excuses your behavior, I raised you better than that, but maybe she’ll be more open to you, his uncle replied. Love you, nephew. Good luck. Don’t worry about the house.

Thank you, Mac replied.

He wasn’t sure if D was still on the phone with his parents or sitting with Thomas, so he sent him an update via text. Uncle is sending over living room furniture and someone to ward the house.

Mac sat on the couch, holding his mate, his best friend in the other room, his uncle more than willing to help him. He had a pretty darn good life, he just needed to get his brain to follow what his heart wanted. Viv wasn’t anything like his first mate; she helped protect those she loved. Even when she didn’t know D very well, she still kept the secret of nonhumans. He needed to figure out how to be there for her, how to show her he was sorry and for her to trust him with her heart. He wasn’t sure how, but he figured he might have a chance since she climbed into his lap and felt safe enough to sleep.

Viv woke up as she felt her body move, gasping and her heart racing.

“Shh. I’ve got you. We’re just moving rooms,” Mac said gently.

“Where are we going?” she asked, laying her head back on Mac’s shoulder.

“D found us a new house and has it ready for us to move in. His parents helped move the furniture we would want, and we’ll pack up the kitchen stuff later,” Thomas said, hobbling over in his walking cast. With his broken fingers it was too hard to use crutches and they had sped up the recovery of his leg using magic enough for him to be able to use a walking cast. They didn’t want to push his body any further than that and were leaving it up to his natural healing to do the rest.

“Not the couch,” she said.

“Nope. We’re getting all-new living room furniture,” Thomas said firmly. “I saw pictures of the house and it looks amazing. D found a ranch that spreads out; it has a living room and kitchen in the middle of the house, with wings on either side that he converted into our own living spaces. It’s great for me right now since I don’t have to manage stairs. We can still live together but will have our own spaces. There’s a nice back porch with a big yard. Maybe we can get a dog now,” Thomas suggested.

“I’d like that,” Viv said. She loved dogs and had always wanted one. She thought it would help her not feel scared of being alone in the house.

“Are you ready to go?” Mac asked.

She had forgotten he was still there; he had been so silent. Which was kind of ridiculous since he was holding her. “I need to pack some clothes,” she said.

“We already ported your entire dresser over,” Mac replied. “D’s mom got the things in your closet and bathroom. Once we get you home, you can send me to get anything you’re missing,” he offered.

“Okay. I can’t wait to see it,” she said, trying to come up with the enthusiasm she knew she should have. She had been excited when D had first brought it up before the demon lady. She was hoping that being in a new place would help her sleep. She felt much better after taking a nap, but she couldn’t sleep on Mac all the time. She vaguely remembered him saying he was sorry for before and that he had been watching over her. It would explain why she felt safe with the shadows. But she had a hard time believing that he suddenly changed his mind about wanting a human for a mate. She thought he was feeling guilty over her being taken and hurt, and that wasn’t a good reason to accept his mate claim. He needed to want her, to want to love her, not do it out of a feeling of responsibility or guilt. She had come to terms with her mate not wanting her. Kind of. But she didn’t want a pity mating either.

Thomas gave her a hug, which ended up including Mac. D came over and picked him up, opening a portal and stepping through.

“Ready?” Mac asked.

She nodded, breathing in his scent to help calm her. She hadn’t been awake for two of the portal journeys. The last one brought her home from the hospital and she had been in pain, nervous about seeing the apartment, and dealing with emotions that had caught up to her after the last week. Viv watched as a portal opened in front of them, Mac holding her tightly as he stepped through. As it closed behind them, she looked around the new living room. It was bright and cheery, the walls a pale gray with darker gray and blue curtains. White wood slat blinds hung on all the windows. She liked that they would be able to close the wood blinds if it was glaring but still have light come in and close the fabric curtains when it got dark out. There was something creepy about people being able to see into your house at night. She never understood the people who left their windows uncovered at night. You could see right in when the lights were on.

The two couches were a Chesterfield style in a deep midnight blue, placed in an L shape facing a fireplace. A large screen TV sat on the mantle. A matching leather recliner sat at the open end, a light gray throw blanket over the arm. The rug between the couches had grays and blues in an abstract swirling pattern. She saw a few throw pillows on the couch. It looked like it had an open floor plan, with the kitchen behind the living room, separated by a half-wall. The kitchen walls were also a light gray color, letting the two rooms flow together. The wood cabinets were in a dark midnight blue with silver handles. The appliances looked like stainless steel from here. There was a double oven, which she was thrilled to see. She had always wanted one and it would make Thanksgiving dinner so much easier to cook. Last year it had just been the two of them, as Thomas’ parents had gone to visit extended family, and he didn’t have that much time off of work. His school had the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off, but to drive out there would have taken maybe two days each way so it hadn’t been worth the trip. Now Christmas was a good break for him with two weeks off. The library was closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve and Day. Viv normally saved her vacation time for summer when she and Thomas would go on a vacation together. It wasn’t fun traveling alone.

“Do you want to see your side of the house?” Mac asked.

Viv nodded, eager to see her space. She was sure Thomas had given D an idea of where her furniture should go. Mac walked over, pulling open the door.

“Each wing has a door so you can close it off if you want to, especially if either of you had guests over. You can’t see it from where we were, but there’s a bathroom over by the kitchen for guests and a door that leads out into the garage. D is talking about expanding the garage. It’s a three car right now. He has a garage door opener for your car on the kitchen table. I can bring your car over for you today so you have it. I don’t want you to feel trapped here if I have to leave,” he offered.

Viv hummed in response. She wasn’t sure what the best answer for that was. It seemed like he may be planning on staying here, but she certainly wasn’t going to offer to share a bed. She looked around, seeing some of the pictures and artwork from her room at the apartment had been hung in the hallway. Mac stopped by the first door.

“This is the second bedroom. I thought I’d stay here if that’s okay with you? I can move over to D’s side, but I wanted to be close in case you needed something. Thomas will have D there to help.”

Viv hated to admit it, but it made sense. She was still feeling pretty weak, and though she knew she was going to try to do it all herself, it would make her feel better knowing someone else was close by. “That’s fine,” she said.

Mac continued down the hallway. “This is the second bathroom. It’s a full bath and has a fun clawfoot tub. It has a shower curtain around it so you can take a shower as well. The door across the hall here is a closet. I guess for linens or something, Thomas said. There’s a big coat closet by the front door and living room.”

He stopped in front of the last door. “This is your room. It has an attached bathroom and a walk-in closet.” He adjusted his grip on her so he could open the door and she gasped in surprise. The walls were a pale grayish blue, her bed placed in the middle of the room, looking toward the door. Her dresser lined the right-side wall. On either side of her bed were built-in shelves, the ones closest to the bed had built-in chargers, both the normal three-prong wall outlets and USB outlets. There were also small lamps on either side. Some of her book collection and collectible trinkets were placed on the shelves. Although she would probably move a few things around, it was nice to have them already unpacked. Her nightstand was set up just the way she liked it. The room was bigger than her apartment room and there was an oversized chair in the corner, perfect for curling up and reading.

“How did you get this done so fast?” she asked. She hadn’t taken that long of a nap, maybe an hour or two.

“D and his parents worked on the bedrooms. Thomas sat with us at the apartment. My uncle sent someone to ward the property and he sent over the living room furniture. We’ll have to set up the kitchen later and bring all of that over, but it’s good enough for today. I figured we’d get a grocery order for delivery and order in some dinner. Whatever sounds good to you.”

“Thanks,” Viv replied.

“There’s one more room to see,” Mac said. He thought she would like this one the best. “This is your closet,” he said pointing to the door next to the dresser. “This is the bathroom,” he said, crossing the room. He shifted her in his arms so he could open the door. The bathroom had a shower, a toilet, double sinks. It was a decent size, but not too large. The shower could fit two people though. D’s mom had moved over her toiletries.

“This is the living space for this wing,” he said, opening the last door. It wasn’t a big space, but it had built-in bookshelves, a TV, a small desk for working and her laptop, a loveseat and two chairs.

“Oh, this is perfect!” she said. It really was. It would be nice to have her own space to read or watch her shows. Thomas and D were just down the hallway and they could still get together in the common space, but when they were busy or she needed alone time, she now had someplace that wasn’t her bedroom to hang out in.

“D’s mom helped decorate and hang your stuff, but she didn’t know what to do in this room, so she left it pretty plain, just a couple of blankets and pillows.”

“Where did the furniture come from? I didn’t have anything like this.”

Mac cleared his throat and she watched as he turned red. “I, uh. I picked it out. I wanted you to have someplace to relax when you moved in. If you don’t like it, I can have something else delivered.” He had ordered it from a Netherworld shop so D could port it into the house for him.

“I do like it, thank you,” she said softly. She wasn’t sure how to feel about him buying her furniture. She loved the room, but he wasn’t her boyfriend, just a potential mate.

“I’m going to let you get used to your room, without me hovering. Where would you like to be set up? There are phone chargers in both rooms. Oh! D had emergency alerts installed in each room. In your bedroom, it’s the button on the wall by your pillow. In here, it’s on the underside of this side table.”

“I think I’d like to sit in here, please,” Viv replied.

Mac set her gently on the loveseat, helping her get comfortable. He laid a blanket over her, handing her the phone cord. “I’ll leave the doors open so you can call out and reach any of us,” he said, giving her one last look before walking out.