Chapter 56

“Doe!” The guard rattles his baton on the cell bars. “You have a visitor.”

I sigh, throwing my legs over the side of the cot. The jail-issued orange jumpsuit scratches against my skin, dreadfully uncomfortable. Hopefully soon, I’ll be able to wear my normal clothes again.

I slide myself into the guard’s—Gregory’s—mind. He’s one of the nicer ones at the jail they’re currently housing me in. He once told me that I remind him of his daughter.

On the other side of him, with a severe scowl on his face, is Jermey. Now, this is a guard I hate with a passion. He’s evil personified and never fails to make me feel like the scum beneath his shoes.

It’s been two months since I killed Alyssa. Two months of imprisonment for a murder I actually committed. Two months and one week since I last saw the guys.

When Alyssa kidnapped me from the visitation room, with the help of a nameless guard, she killed two of the warden’s men in the process, including the guard she had greeted at the gate. The warden immediately contacted the paranormal police—led by William—who conducted a complicated tracking spell. Ironically enough, I never left the prison. Instead, Alyssa took me to a separate, uninhabited wing.

I half wonder if William actually arrived sooner, overhearing the entire conversation, but chose not to enter until Alyssa was dead. That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about the politics involved with a councilwoman killing a fellow councilman. Either way, the detective is relentless.

Guilty until proven innocent.

And the entire world is now witness to my guilt.

Fortunately, I was able to contact the guys after Alyssa’s death—and my consequential arrest—before they ventured farther into the Labyrinth. They had numerous injuries—broken bones and bloody gashes—but they were alive and back home before the warden realized they’d tried to escape. That was all that mattered.

Swallowing thickly, I wait until my bars slide open before stepping out.

“Come here,” Jermey snaps with a come-hither motion. He pulls a pair of magic restricting cuffs and motions for me to turn around. Realizing I can’t see him (to his knowledge), he grabs my shoulder and spins me. I try to ignore the surge of satisfaction that thrums through me when I can still see through Gregory’s eyes. I don’t know if it’s my demon, angel, or human blood, but the cuffs that smother our powers never seem to work on me.

We step through the door at the end of the cellblock into a long, gray corridor. A door to my right buzzes electronically and swings open.

“Move, inmate.” Jermey shoves my shoulder, and I grit my teeth to keep myself from saying something I’ll regret. Gregory subtly steps in between us, indirectly protecting me from the cruel guard’s wrath. I offer him a small, grateful smile, the tension in my muscles loosening until I feel like I can breathe again.

We reach a locked metal door that he unlocks with a keycard—surprisingly modern for a secure paranormal facility.

A plastic chair sits in front of plexiglass, and a phone is attached to the wall. Sitting in the chair opposite is a pretty girl with strange orange hair and a flicking tail. I’m positive I’ve never seen her before in my life.

Approaching with caution, I take the seat opposite her. As the guard exits back through the door, I pull out of his mind and surrender to the darkness.

Fumbling slightly, I grab the phone and press it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Nina?” She has a sweet voice. A trusting one. It doesn’t completely eradicate the trepidation coursing through me, but it sure helps to ease it. “You don’t know me, obvs, but my name is Sinclair Denali. A little birdy—as in, a member of my prison squad—told me you’re trying to get into Nightmare Penitentiary. Been there, done that, checked off that bingo square.” Her voice turns devious. “Basically, I was conveniently convicted, and I’m going to return the favor by helping you. Now, listen up. There’s a lot I have to teach you, my young apprentice. Let’s start with Pop Rocks…”

I’msweaty as I sit in the uncomfortable wooden chair facing the judge’s stand. My new friend, Sinclair, pulled some strings to procure me this particular judge.

Through my lawyer’s eyes, I see a furry, bull-like creature with curving horns. A minotaur, if I remember Sinclair’s warning correctly.

I shift anxiously as the prosecutor begins to read out my list of offenses. Breaking out of prison (despite the fact Alyssa had technically broken me out against my will, and I never actually left Nightmare Penitentiary). Attacking a guard. Murder in the first degree.

His words claw at something raw and bleeding inside of me. All I can see is my face contorting as I rip out Alyssa’s heart…

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Judge O’Vine demands, his voice thunderous. When my lawyer makes a move to stand, I gesture for him to stay down.

Clearing my throat, I get to my feet.

You can do this, Nina. You can do this.

“You look like pubic hairs,” I stutter out, recalling the insults Sinclair gave me. This would be so much easier if I had notes.

Everyone pauses. My lawyer is no doubt sweating, flicking his eyes in all directions nervously, and even the prosecutor is staring at me slack-jawed.

“Um… Cash me outside, how about dat?” I wince as Judge O’Vine begins to growl, the sound more animal than human. “Your mom’s so fat that…um…when she rolls over, she ends up in a country across the ocean.” Pause. “Why can’t the minotaur get laid? Because his hairy dick is stuck inside…um…” I sift through my memories for the ending to that joke. “Because, um, they’re hairy?”

Judge O’Vine raps his gavel against his desk as the audience breaks into nervous laughter. “Order. Order. Nina Doe, have you ever had a psych evaluation?”

“Yeah, by your mom,” I retort.

“This girl is obviously a menace to society,” the prosecutor insists, and I see the judge nod once. Already, the minotaur is staring at me as if he wants to stomp me beneath his hooves. The animosity saturates the air.

I know, no matter what I say or do now, Judge O’Vine will still find me guilty. There’s an unforgiving glint to his eyes and a sneer to his lips.

“Ms. Doe, you have been accused of murder in the first degree of a council member. What do you plea?” he seethes.

“Guilty,” I answer immediately. “Absolutely guilty. I shanked that bitch.” And then, as an afterthought, I add, “Asshole cumstain. Go shove a bloody tampon up your nose.”

His eyes flash with raw, unparalleled rage. Smoke emits from his pierced nostrils.

“I hereby sentence you to life in prison at Nightmare Penitentiary, effective immediately.” He knocks the gavel once more, sealing my fate.

And my future.

I settleinto the guard’s mind, using his eyes, as the door clangs shut behind us.

The warden’s office is exactly as I remember it. Posh and elegant, with hundreds upon hundreds of strange, magical artifacts.

The guards escorting me turn towards the man in question, and the warden drops the cockatrice feather he’s been playing with.

“Nina Doe. Long time no see,” he says, opening one of his drawers and grabbing a box of cigarettes. He lights one, blowing smoke directly into my face. “You’re lucky I’m giving you another chance after what you did to my men.” He gives me an inquisitive stare, and I sense the underlying question behind his statement.

He doesn’t believe I’m guilty of what I’m accused of. Ironic, considering I actually committed the crime. Well, part of the crime. I wasn’t the one who attacked and killed his men.

I remain stubbornly silent, my face an impassive mask I have perfected over the last two months.

“This is your last chance, girly. Act out again, and I won”t be so forgiving,” the warden warns me, moving around his desk to lean against it. His long trench coat flutters around him as he languidly smokes his cigarette. He nods to the guards on either side of me. “Take her to the Labyrinth.”

I try to hide my ecstatic smile, I honestly do, but I know it escapes unbidden when the warden’s eyes narrow suspiciously. Still, he doesn’t stop his men from injecting me in the neck.

Soon.

I’ll see them soon.

I knowI’m in Abel’s mind before my consciousness even settles. He’s staring at himself in the mirror, humming beneath his breath as he brushes back his blond hair. Smiling at his reflection, he spins on his heel, using the brush as a microphone.

“And who’s the sexiest man alive?” He points finger guns at himself. “You are.”

He’s wearing a form-fitting navy-blue suit that I have no doubt Damien got for him. It fits his athletic build like a glove, showcasing his muscular biceps and tapered waist. He’s so beautiful that it physically pains me. Beauty like his, both inside and out, shouldn’t exist.

He begins to sing louder—something about a lot of single ladies and putting rings on it—when Cain enters behind him, brows furrowed. In a dark-blue suit and black tie, Cain looks just as dashing as his twin.

“What the hell are you doing?” Cain asks, quirking a brow. Abel spins towards him, grabs his shoulder, and begins to sing even louder in his face. “Fucking hell, Abe, get a breath mint.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. I have brushed my teeth ten times in the last four minutes. You want to know why?” He drops his head onto Cain’s shoulder, despite the sex demon’s grunt of annoyance. “Because our girl is coming home today!” He lets out a whoop, jumping up and down like a little boy. Cain can’t hide his own wistful smile.

Butterflies grow inside of me.

“Talking to her mentally isn’t the same as seeing her,” Abel continues, gritting his teeth in the mirror to make sure there is nothing in them. “Though, we have great mental sex. It’s like phone sex, but only mentally.”

I giggle as I recall some of the conversations with my men during the last two months. While we couldn’t be together physically, we got creative. It’s strangely erotic to watch them masturbate. Heck, even Damien played along.

Abel pauses suddenly, head canting to the side, before his face goes slack in horror.

“Bambi!” he squeals like a little girl. “Are you in my head right now?” He throws his hands in front of his body, as if he’s naked instead of fully dressed. “You can’t see me yet! It’s bad luck!”

Hi, Abe,I say fondly.

Abel spins to face the wall, but not before I catch the shit-eating grin on his face. “Are you here yet? Are you? Are you? Are you? Because I’m going to fuck you until you can’t?—”

“Ignore him,” Cain speaks up. “I do. Daily. Are you here yet?”

The guards are bringing me down now,I answer.

Abel bounces from foot to foot before grabbing Cain’s sleeve and pulling him out of their cell.

“Let’s grab the others and go see our girl! Fuck, I missed you, Bambi. I swear my balls are permanently blue.”

“Stop talking about your balls,” Cain snaps.

Abel snorts. “Oh, please. Just yesterday, you were planning a candlelight date for Nina that will end with a big bang, if you know what I mean.”

“Shut the fuck up, Abe,” Cain retorts. “You were asking Braelyn for dating advice earlier today.”

Braelyn, during the two months I’ve been gone, has been working on fixing relations between Rion’s gang and Blade’s gang. I’ve been able to talk to her a few times, and she told me she wants to implement a “foreign exchange program” between the two groups. Haley and Rebecca have already volunteered to travel to the shifters’ side of the Labyrinth.

“Fuck off!” Abel hits Cain’s shoulder, sending the sex demon stumbling back a step.

My vision—Abel’s vision—begins to get blurry, my surroundings turning glassy.

I think I’m waking up,I say quickly.

“We’ll be there,” Abel assures me. “We’ll always be there.”

I wakeup to someone brushing at my tangled hair. I moan lightly, turning my face into the calloused hand.

“Open your eyes, Babygirl,” Kai whispers in my ear. “I need to see your beautiful eyes. Fuck, I missed you.”

A contented sigh leaves my lips as I finally regain consciousness.

I appear to be sitting on a fluffy bed, an equally soft blanket splayed out around me. There’s a kink in my neck that’s new, and my eyelids are unbelievably heavy.

With ease, I slide into Kai’s mind to survey my surroundings.

We’re in a part of the Labyrinth I haven’t visited before. Gold trinkets and jewels are scattered around me, some mountainous in size. I spot everything from necklaces to tiaras to gold-capped teeth.

“Where am I?” I murmur dazedly, still struggling to regain my bearings. “Where is everyone?”

“I kidnapped you,” Kai says in satisfaction. “And we’re in my cave. Dragons like shiny stuff. It’s a compulsion to steal and collect them. Though, you’re the most beautiful treasure of all.”

I blink my eyes open slowly, groggily, and place a hand to my forehead. It’s surreal to think that, after all this time, I finally reunited with one of my mates. Alyssa and the Compound can’t hurt me anymore. Tears trail down my face as I lift my arms to Kai.

“Babygirl,” he whispers reverently, pulling me towards him. Wrapped in his arms, I feel sheltered from the world. Nothing can harm me now. “Fuck, I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” I whisper into his neck. His citrus scent surrounds me, encompasses me. I can’t differentiate where I end and he begins. “I love you.”

“I love you so, so much. God, being with you again… I thought you were dead. I was so fucking worried when Alyssa took you and then when you had to go to trial.” He brushes his lips against my forehead, body trembling. “Why didn’t you fight back?”

I pull away from him, cocking a brow.

“At the trial,” he explains. “Why didn’t you tell them the truth about Alyssa? That she kidnapped you? That she killed Raphael? Why did you allow yourself to be blamed?”

I cup his prickly cheeks tenderly. God, I missed him. I didn’t even realize how much until this moment.

“Because I needed to come home,” I reply at last. Not wanted to. Needed to. Being with these men is an innate compulsion inside of me, similar to my need to eat and breathe. “You’re my home. You, Rion, Damien, Abel, Cain, and Bronson.”

He brushes his lips to mine once, twice, three times, before resting his forehead against my own. His eyes close briefly, obscuring my view, before he reopens them.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to protect you.” The despondency and self-loathing in his voice breaks my heart. It rubs at something already bleeding in my chest. I hate that he feels this way.

“It’s not your fault,” I say earnestly, punctuating each word with a kiss to his face. His cheeks, his jawline, and then finally, his lips. “Alyssa’s dead. She won’t hurt us anymore.” I pause, gathering my thoughts. “The only thing I regret is that the Compound is still out there, still hurting people. We cut off one head, but how many more are still alive and well? Still experimenting on innocent kids?”

“That’s not our problem,” Kai insists, grabbing my shoulders. When I go to protest, he tightens his grip. “Nina, it’s not. We did what we could, but we’re not the heroes in this story. At least, I’m not. I’m the villain, and I refuse to lose you again to the fucking Compound.”

“Alyssa said she was my mother,” I choke out.

“We don’t know that,” Kai counters immediately, but I’m already shaking my head.

“What reason did she have to lie?” The muscles in my stomach clench. “I killed her. I ripped her heart out of her chest.” The familiar tendrils of panic and hysteria grip me. “I’m afraid… I’m afraid something inside of me died when she did. I’m afraid that I lost a piece of myself that I can never get back.”

“Oh, baby.” Kai sighs, pulling me once more into his arms. I rest my head on his chest and fall apart, tear by tear. “If I could, I would trade places with you in a heartbeat. I can’t stand to see you so…broken. I’ll hold you forever if that’s what you need.”

“But you can’t,” I choke out. “You can’t fix me, Kai. What if I’m too broken? What if killing Alyssa made me into a monster?”

His arms tighten almost imperceptibly around me. A reassurance and a promise.

“Then, you’ll be my monster.” His breath wafts across my lips, eliciting full-body shivers. “When I lost you, I felt like a piece of myself went missing as well. I didn’t think I’d ever be whole again. Seeing you now, I realize I love you more than anything. More than the sun or moon, the stars or clouds. I’ll be content to remain in this fucking hole for the rest of my life if it means you’re with me.” He pauses, brushing at my loose curls. “Nina, will you be my mate?” There’s so much hesitancy and trepidation in his voice. All I can do is close the distance between us and press my lips to his, promising him without words that he’ll always own a piece of my heart.

“Yes, Kai. A thousand times, yes.”

When he speaks next, he sounds breathless, ecstatic, as if I offered him the world instead of just myself. Maybe, to him, that is the world.

“You’re fucking perfect.”

His hand shakes slightly as he brushes my hair away from my neck, baring my skin to him. I pull out of his head, choosing instead to focus on the intimacy of his touch. It’s been months since he last held me in his arms, last kissed me, last nuzzled my neck. It sends tingles of pleasure racing through my body.

When his teeth close around my skin, drawing blood, I can’t stop the moan of pleasure that escapes me. White-hot, liquid pleasure surges through my veins. It’s a beautiful, empowering feeling. All the pain from my time at the Compound, all the guilt concerning Alyssa’s death, all my conflicting emotions about my relationship with the guys fade away. It’s me. It’s Kai. It’s us. Everywhere we touch, we dissolve into each other. An aura of completeness settles around me.

When he finally pulls away, I know I have been irrevocably changed.

“You were the first man I ever loved,” I whisper, wiping my thumb across his plush bottom lip. He captures it in his hand, pressing tingling kisses across the flesh.

“I love you so damn much, Nina,” Kai says. “You’re everything to me.” He intertwines our fingers, his touch electric, and leads me out of his cave.

I don’t ask where we’re going as we travel down the Labyrinth’s winding hallways. When we finally stop, I ask the questions on the tip of my tongue.

“Where are we going? Where are the others?” I don’t care that I sound whiny. The last few months have been a proverbial hell. I have all these powers I don’t know how to control, and I haven’t touched my guys in two agonizing months. Seventy-eight days, to be exact.

“Are you in my head?” Kai inquires. Unlike Alyssa, the guys can’t sense when I mind hop, unless I announce my presence. Slowly but surely, I’ve been working on strengthening my powers. We’re hoping, in time, I’ll be able to control body movements as well. Maybe even read minds.

That thought terrifies and exhilarates me. As a girl who never had anything, having this power at the tips of my fingers is surreal. It’s like I’m hearing a story about a different girl, a stronger girl, instead of one about me.

“I am now,” I answer with a smile on my face.

We’re directly in front of the throne room, though I’m not surprised. It’s where we usually congregate all together.

Kai pushes open the door and leads me inside, his hand on the small of my back.

Candles, their flames dancing, line the perimeter of the room. Rose petals create an aperture towards the golden throne, raised on a dais at the heart of it.

My men converge on me before I even step fully inside.

They all look painfully handsome in their tuxedos and ties. Sexy, even. Bronson catches me first, eyes burning amber, and buries me in his arms. A contented hum rumbles through his body. He repeats my name over and over as he rocks us side to side.

“My turn, Dog Breath.” When Bronson doesn’t release me, Rion holds me from behind, inhaling my scent. “Fuck, I missed you, Buttercup. Do you know how awful it was to be separated from you? I felt like I was dying. And no, I’m not being dramatic.”

Tears spring to my eyes as I kiss first my wolf and then my shifter. My mates.

“Cuddle party!” Abel practically jumps on me from the side, pulling me away from the two possessive men. Bronson growls threateningly but doesn’t make a move to grab me back.

Cain appears beside his brother. “Hey, Trouble. I heard you got into a teeny tiny bit of trouble.” His voice dances with amusement.

“Just a murder,” I say noncommittally, and Abel throws his head back in laughter.

“Fuck, Bambi.” He kisses the shell of my ear, lowering his voice to a breathy whisper. “Did you know that I’m the only one of us you haven’t slept with yet?” His teeth graze my lobe, and I shiver in pleasure.

“We should change that,” I agree breathlessly. The thought of Abel inside of me…

Heat cascades through my veins.

“I like the way you think.” He laughs jubilantly. “It’ll be your welcome-back present.”

The twins step away, leaving me with one last reunion. Through Kai’s eyes, I see Damien standing a little bit away. His eyes slowly travel across my body, assessing me for injuries, before they lift to my face. A softness crosses his handsome features, melting away the ice.

“Damien.” I hold my arms out to him—an offering and a promise. He needs to know that he can always come to me, and I’ll always be there to catch him.

With quick strides, he crosses the distance between us and sweeps me off my feet. I wrap my legs around his waist as he holds my butt.

He brushes his lips against mine, and that one kiss promises me the world.

“I love you,” I say softly, knowing he needs to hear it.

“You’re my everything,” he declares, reluctantly dropping me back onto my feet. His hands stay on my waist, though, warmth migrating from that slight touch.

“What is all this?” I ask, gesturing towards the elaborate setup.

Abel begins to grin, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Can I tell her? Can I? Can I?” He raises his hand in the air, like a schoolboy begging to be called upon by his teacher.

“We decided something when you were away,” Kai cuts in. The guys begin to walk towards the throne, pulling me along after them. Up close, it’s even more elegant than I initially suspected. I wonder how Kai managed to create it. It’s a combination of golden and silver filigree melded together. A single red cushion is placed on the seat, and the high back is lined with similar red trim.

“What did you decide?” I ask quizzically as Damien leads me to the chair. My confusion grows when Rion helps me sit on the surprisingly comfortable cushion. “What…?”

As one, the men, minus Kai, drop to their knees before me. My dragon continues to stand beside me, being my eyes.

“I was terrified of the way you made me feel. From the first moment I met you, I knew you would change my life. I don’t even know when I fell in love with you, only that I did,” Cain says, a tender smile softening his features.

“I don’t want to be a king if you’re not my queen,” Rion adds.

“You’re my entire world. My queen,” Abel says solemnly. “Our queen.”

“Our world,” Bronson grunts in agreement.

“We’ll serve you,” adds Damien.

Kai slowly moves from his spot beside me to kneel with the others.

My heart leaps to my throat at the display. These proud, beautiful men, kneeling before me.

“You don’t have to do this,” I whisper.

“Be our queen,” pleads Abel. “Be our wife.”

I begin to cry silently, my tears cascading down my cheeks and wetting my lips. I’ve been broken and beaten. Bruised and discarded. Imprisoned.

Yet, I’m still breathing. I’m still alive. I hurt and I love. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, my skin made of steel, but my heart made of glass. Only these men are capable of holding my heart in their hands and protecting it from shattering.

“Yes,” I say, sobbing. “Yes.”

As they surround me, touching me and loving me, I feel that final, unnamable puzzle piece click into place.

I may have been blindly indicted, but I’ve never felt more free.