Page 31 of Truth
“We are protective of you as well, Kitten. Which is why Maggie must come and deliver the supplies I need.” Why was Lenin’s voice so hypnotizing? I swear, each time he spoke I nearly felt pulled into a trance of calm.
“Having to accept help from her makes me feel weak, like I’m not capable of protecting those around me.” I admitted and indeed, I was weak. I wasn’t like everyone here who has had years of practice to understand how this world works. Whatever strength I managed to rivet on was all new, wild, untamed and that’s exactly what Lenin was trying to correct.
“You are capable of protecting this whole city, but that doesn’t mean we still won’t want to protect you ourselves. We do not protect you because we think you are weak, we protect you because you are important. Not just to our cause, but to us individually.”
Stop it. My heart cannot handle the strength and genuine nature of this man. My fingers found the cotton of his shirt and I stood on my tip toes, intending to sneak a kiss when the scraping of metal caught our attention.
Maggie.
I let out a dramatic sigh and Oak came up behind me, leaning into my body as he kissed my neck, “Relax no one is going to steal your ogre and I guarantee no one wants the wolf.”
I elbowed him in the stomach, and he laughed, “Be nice. I worry about you too. All of you.”
He grew seriously, “I would have to be ash before my eyes looked at anyone else.”
Sweet sentiment but I preferred him to remain whole. I let my head fall back on his shoulder for a moment before I sucked up my feelings and followed my two men to the front gate, where Oak’s ex stood.
“I hope this will work. Some of the things you requested were a little harder to find than others.” She held up the bag to Lenin and he took it, looking as close to a kid in a candy store as Lenin probably could.
“This is excellent quality.” He mumbled, “You did well. Thank you.”
She shrugged, before looking toward Oak and me, “I see you kept each other alive.”
“Perfectly so.” Oak smirked before taking a few steps forward and wrapping his arm around the woman.
“Relax Kitten. It is a friendship.”
Why must Lenin always be so damn logical? “But-“
He held up a single finger to stop me, placing it against my lip, “If the fates wanted him to have another female, they wouldn’t have put you in his path.”
“And plus,” Maggie added. Ugh, I hadn’t known she was listening and now I felt a bit discouraged. “If I was meant to have him, the fates would have made him a way better communicator years ago.”
“Hey.” Oak mumbled, but he didn’t look offended, if anything he looked completely edible with the few strands coming loose from the tie at the back of his head. My stomach tightened, and I clenched my thighs. My need for these men is becoming absolutely ridiculous. I ate vampires – both figuratively and literally – for breakfast, and it’s barely noon. The least my sex drive could do is to hold on until evening.
“I brought you this!” Maggie said cheerfully as she held up a giftbag. I took it, partially because I didn’t want to be rude, but also because presents. What girl doesn’t love presents? I removed the paper and peered down inside, “Protection stones.”
“Just like mine.” Lenin declared as if he was trying to reassure me that they weren’t a bomb ready to detonate. He opened his satchel and pulled out a pouch, before pouring them into his massive palm to show me.
“The amethyst is to protect, balance and ease anxiety.” Maggie offered.
“I don’t have anxiety.” I declared.
From the other side of the yard I heard Ellis chime in, “Really? Because I swear you almost had a mental meltdown a few minutes ago when you thought Maggie would touch Lenin and Oak.”
“I’m feeling territorial.” I groaned.
“It is because of the heat.”
I blinked a few times. “Excuse me?”
“When they are ready to procreate, females get possessive. Leading up to the copulation, your desire to make your territories and properties known will only strengthen.” Lenin explained.
“Is he talking about life or real estate?” Ellis asked, to no one in particular.
“The obsidian,” Maggie cut in, thankfully saving me. “Is to protect energy.” Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. “The amazonite dispels negative energy, and the tiger eye, well that one is for courage and strength. Also clarity.”
“She needs lots of that.” Oak added.