8

M hmmm… I'm warm as my consciousness tries to remind me something is wrong, but I can't be bothered to care. My body is warm and content. There's a purring sound rumbling within me, matched by a deeper purring rumble underneath my face, and I'm smothered with the intoxicating scent of cherries and leather.

Wait…that's not right… I remind myself that I should be terrified, but I can't seem to remember why… why can't I remember wha…

My thoughts trail off as my eyes fly open, and I throw my body into the seated position, causing me to sway with lightheadedness. The late morning light streaming through the curtains blinds me for a moment.

The room immediately erupts into complete disarray at my unexpected movement, and I find myself panting and trying to avoid passing out from hyperventilating as it all comes flooding back to me.

I was kidnapped…and drugged.

I was lying on a cold, concrete floor, trying to find a way out.

Needed to find a way back to…

“Roman,” I sob as I fling myself into his unexpecting form. His hands, previously scrubbing his scalp with worry, immediately capture my body without hesitance.

I'm pretty sure we're both crying now as I cling to him. I was scared for me, but my soul was tortured for what Roman was going through in my absence.

Our bodies fit together like pieces of a puzzle as he holds me. Each dip and curve of his body is filled with mine. No amount of air or light could come between us right now.

As I finally lift my head from his chest, I pull myself to my knees in front of him and take his face in my hands. My hands look so small against this man, even smaller when he raises his to softly cover mine, and they seem to vanish.

I’m still crying. I can't speak. I don't know how long we've been sitting here trying to grasp the gravity of the situation, so I do the only thing my mind can agree with me on at the moment, and I begin peppering every inch of Roman's face in small, salty kisses.

The tears turn to breathless laughter, and when I've probably kissed him as many times as years old he is, I throw my body back into his, wrapping my arms around his neck.

His giant arms wrap around me, and I have never felt more loved and safe in all my life. Scratching the hair on the back of his head, I whisper, “You came for me,” and choke on another sob.

His arms hold me harder as he mumbles into the crook of my neck, “I will always come for you.” He pauses and pulls away, cupping my cheeks. “For the rest of this existence and every existence we are given, I will come for you. I will find you. I will love you.” As tears begin streaming down my cheeks, he gently wipes them away with each of his thumbs as he continues, “No matter the time. No matter our names. No matter the distance. I will come for you, and you will have all of me. Forever.”

I'm still crying when he crashes his lips against mine in the kind of kiss that reminds us both that we're still alive. He pulls away before I've had my fill and rests his forehead against mine. Just breathing me in while I do the same, and the tears finally slow to a stop.

I flinch when a cough sounds in the corner, reminding me that there is an entire room full of people.

Looking around me again, the tears I had finally pushed away return with a vengeance when I see them all.

I meet Benny's eyes first, and he cracks me a small smile with just enough sunshine to make me feel better.

Andrei looks the worst, and with an expression I can’t decipher, he shakes his head as if trying to chase the somber feeling away before he tries to smile; it really just kind of looks like he needs to take a dump.

The twins are smiling and shoving each other, and Slate offers a clipped nod with the tiniest lift of the right side of his mouth, which I’m pretty sure is a smile.

Miss Tilly and Jeanine hold each other's hands, resting their heads against each other and smiling so big it looks as though it might hurt.

Not one eye in the room is either dry or without dark rings underneath. Were they all worried about me?

“I was out of my mind, and none of them were far behind me,” Roman replies. Apparently, I said that part out loud.

He looks over my shoulder at everyone with a nod, silently thanking them all for their support, and Lord knows what he's telling them telepathically. I can't wait until I can do that.

Benny and Miss Tilly race over and reach me first, crashing into me from either side and sandwiching me in a hug as Roman steps back to make room for them.

Benny snatches me away from her and spins me around the room, yelling, “We're so glad you're okay!” Earning himself a growl from Roman, who snatches me back and carefully sets me on the bed I must have been sleeping on.

Miss Tilly perches herself on the bed next to me, taking my hands in hers, patting and rubbing them softly as she asks, “How are you feeling, my dear?”

I give myself a moment to actually think about my body and take a quick assessment. “I think I’m okay now. Nothing feels wrong anymore. They kept drugging me every time I woke up and tried to think of a way out.”

“You were heavily sedated. I was able to give you some medication to help combat the effects on your body and your wolf,” Jeanine says softly as she approaches and stands next to her sister.

“When I was there, every time it started to wear off, it took so much effort to wake any small part of my body.” Another small sob bubbles past my lips as I turn back to Roman and say, “I thought I would never see you again. I was so scared of what you were going through without me.”

And just like that, he's snatching me away from everyone and holding on to me like he'll never release me again. I don't even consider fighting it. I melt into his embrace and soak up everything he's giving me.

Miss Tilly walks around the room, swatting the other men and chasing them out when Jeanine speaks up once more, “I'm staying here for a while, Luna. Just holler if you need anything.”

Andrei is the last to leave. His stare burning into my skin and that strange tugging feeling making me pull my brows together. When we make eye contact, I can almost feel his pain, but also his relief. Relief that I'm okay? I give him a small awkward smile, hoping he'll explain the strange look he gets on his face sometimes one day.

When he finally leaves the room, he gently closes the door, giving us a moment to appreciate that I'm still alive and this isn't over.