30

IVY

NO matter how many times I’d reiterated to the girls that keeping their rooms tidy while we were at the safe house was important, I couldn’t fault them for the state of their space. Clothes and toys littered the floor and had been thrown over every surface of the bedroom. There was a pile of what I assumed to be dirty clothing in one of the corners, while a stack of children’s books we’d found were rearranged into a weird formation in another. Maisie’s stuffed animals poked their heads out of weird hiding places, and there were shoes under the bed.

I scrubbed a hand over my face and turned to the culprits. “This was clean yesterday,” I said, keeping my voice gentle as I knelt down to meet Maisie’s and Ginny’s eyes.

“We weren’t tired,” Maisie explained, popping out her bottom lip as she frowned. “So, we played.”

I glanced up at Eloise, who had dark circles under her eyes. “They really weren’t.” She looked exhausted, so I took that as my answer. “I tried to get them back to sleep, but they wouldn’t stay down.”

Guilt twisted in my stomach as I rose and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You should have come and gotten me,” I said, giving her a squeeze.

“I didn’t want to wake you since you haven’t been sleeping much.”

My throat tightened. “It doesn’t matter. I told you I would be the one to take care of you guys.” I pulled away and gave her a once over; she’d chewed her nails down to the quick and bandaged up two. A heavy sadness weighed her down, though she tried to push that aside with false confidence.

Eloise had come a long way from the uninterested girl she’d been before all of this, and I couldn’t help but miss her. That Eloise had been a girl unburdened by the realities of the world. All she’d cared about was shopping and fitting in with her friends.

“How about you go and get some rest?” I offered. “I’ll have these two clean up their mess.”

Eloise stared at me for a long moment, her eyes shadowed, but she eventually nodded. “I’ll make sure my room is clean, and my stuff is packed.”

“Thank you.” I gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. “I mean it, El, thank you. You stepped up when you didn’t have to.”

She lowered her eyes and nodded. “Of course I had to, Ivy. You don’t have to do this alone.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but she left the bedroom, slipping into her adjoining one. The door clicked shut behind her, and I let the words dissipate on my tongue.

Sighing, I turned back to Maisie and Ginny, crossing my arms. “Okay, you two. The one who finds all their stuff first and puts it in a pile by their assigned armchair wins. That includes every sock found with its matching sock, all shoes paired, every stuffed animal, and all accessories returned to your bag. Got it?” The two kids nodded, and it felt like a typical day babysitting in my childhood home, cleaning before Kerry got home from work. “Alright. On your marks...Get set…Go!”

We cleaned for the rest of the afternoon with a new energy not stifled by grief. There was excitement in the prospect of a prize—usually one supplied by Thea and made of cake, fresh cream, and berries. In the meantime, I folded clothes and set about getting a load of laundry to take downstairs.

By the end of the day, we had a clean room, two loads of laundry to wash, three missing socks, and a lost hair clip, but otherwise, most of their belongings had been located and packed away for our departure. It also made the evening routine of dinner, baths, and story time easier, and gave Eloise time to decompress and relax.

If Avalon had a spa, I’d make sure to book her in for a full-service experience, because, after everything, she deserved a little pampering.

I sighed and scrubbed a hand over my face as I changed into shorts and a t-shirt.

When we finally called it a night, I spared Elias a thought to let him know I would spend it with the children so Eloise and Thea could finally have a break and settled in with Ginny on one side of me and Maisie on the other.

As sleep claimed me, I felt something within me shift, like a door finally opening. A dark chill swept over me, and then a voice pierced the darkness of my mind.

Soon, my little flower. Soon, you’ll be mine once more.

~

I tossed and turned, my sleep officially lost to the strange almost-dream and my mystery mate’s promise.

It had felt like a threat, and thinking back on the words, I shuddered. A small part of me was terrified of what he meant, but another part was almost...excited to be reunited with him. It was ridiculous, and I wanted to slap myself for even thinking like that. He abandoned me, and there was no reason why he couldn’t be here right now. He hadn’t even checked in about what had happened during the attack and kidnapping, and he certainly hadn’t asked about how I was now that I was on my way to Avalon.

I was not ready for his mind games because that’s what these were: games he was playing, control he was trying to exert. And yet, despite that, a terrifying part of me wanted him.

It was sad and pathetic, but I couldn’t help myself.

I blew out a frustrated breath as I crawled out from beneath the heavy covers. I should have been able to find some peace surrounded by my two sisters. Instead, I was wide awake and deeply aware of the magic crawling beneath my skin, awakened by Ry’s return.

I wasn’t afraid of losing control, but I was angry. Disappointed. Frustrated. I groaned to myself and ran a hand through my hair.

Ginny and Maisie were out cold, and after checking in on Eloise to make sure she was too, I headed for the door. Elias was on patrol with the other shifters, but based on the sharp tug in my chest, I knew Adrian was close.

With my heart thundering loudly, I stepped out of the room; darkness crawled down the stairs and beneath the doors across and next to mine, but a dull, golden light glowed from downstairs, driving back the shadows of the staircase. I frowned and rubbed my eyes, but it shouldn’t have surprised me that someone was still awake.

It could have been Maeve, but as I glanced at her office door, I noticed a light shining beneath. I had a feeling she was still working, going over every detail of the extraction plan.

I sighed and turned back to the stairs. Every other door in the hallway was closed. So, it could have been anyone.

But based on the tug in my chest, it was Adrian. Perfect.

I bit my lip, spared the girls a glance, and sighed. Despite the need to sleep clinging to the edges of my consciousness, I decided not to risk allowing myself to sleep again, not when Ry had so easily infiltrated my mind again.

As I descended into the main house, I checked the bond between me and my first mate. Like it had been the last time I’d felt for it, there was a darkness to it, and although it had been weak days ago, it was stronger now. Like he knew it was time to strengthen it.

My stomach twisted at the thought. Shaking my head, I stopped those thoughts and scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to wipe away the remnants of Ry’s visit. Maybe later, I’d ask Elias what he thought of the interaction, but I needed one of my present mates right now.

A clink in the kitchen startled me, reminding me of why I’d come downstairs in the first place.

When I turned to the kitchen, I found the golden pendant lights on, illuminating the room with a soft glow. Leaning against the cabinets was Adrian, his head lowered over a steaming mug. From here, I could smell the peppermint that normally clung to his skin, and I breathed it in. The scent enveloped me, and I took comfort and security from it.

Adrian didn’t move, even as I entered the kitchen and stood in the archway.

I took him in; an anxious energy surrounded him, making me take a step back. I hadn’t been able to spend much time with him these last couple of days, but as I watched him, I wasn’t sure how to approach him.

“Adrian,” I said softly. He looked up from the mug in his hands, and for a moment, he only stared. “What are you doing up so late?”

Adrian blinked and stood straight, lithe shoulders tensing, and strode to the doorway to the kitchen. Within a moment, he was standing before me, staring down at me with darkening, confused eyes.

There was something different about this moment. Something unlike every other moment we’d shared before this.

He reached out, and I froze, his palm brushing my cheek, my neck. Each brush of his skin ignited something within me. A heat that seeped into my bones, through my veins and over my skin.

Adrian’s gaze burned into me, through me. When his lips parted, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to press mine to his again, what it would feel like to have his hands all over my body, touching me in places that yearned for his warmth. I craved him, craved his safety and warmth, craved his body in ways that soaked my panties.

Maybe it was my magic, begging to finally have its third mate.

Or maybe I was finally ready to give myself what I wanted.

Adrian’s hand hovered over my racing heart. I couldn’t look away, not as he sucked in a shuddering breath and his eyes flashed with something deeper than desire.

And then he walked away, leaving me in the dim light of the kitchen, standing there with no clue as to what had just happened.