Page 33 of Truth
He gave me a wink then stepped back, before calling Horo to follow him. His friend stepped in line with him as they headed back to the house, working on trying to find the camps with Sterling. Ellis, knowing he’s been wasting his time long enough, followed after them, leaving Oak, Michelle, Maggie, Lenin and me outside.
“I don’t know what –“ I watched as both Michelle and Maggie’s eyes swept low on Lenin, then back to me. My eyes grew wide as the realization dawned on me. Oh. “Oh!”
Michelle nodded, “Oh is right. I bet there is no disappointment there.”
How the hell does this subject keep coming up? And why was it so hot that Justice was suddenly interested in it? I cleared my throat, “I think we have some, um, work to do.”
“That is correct, Kitten.” Lenin joined the conversation. “I want to do some more exercises with you and your Oak, then work on you and your Michelle’s fire and ice abilities. After our evening meal, I thought you could come around with me to work on the barrier magic. Your Ellis insists that we keep it strong.
“My Ellis, with his protective nature, is causing more work for me.” I grumbled.
“He cares. Caring is the highest of compliments.” Lenin tried to defend but honestly, he could compliment my hair and it would have earned better favor than making me work more.
And work we did. Lenin, though he generally appears soft and gentle, worked Oak and me so hard during training that every limb felt like lead. We honed our magic, blew shit up, altered molecular make ups, and when that was through, in came Michelle, ready to play with fire and ice. Turns out, the ice was easy, once I got into the right mindset. The closer Michelle was to me, the easier it flowed, until I had icicles hanging from the nearby tree, which she then followed with a quick blast of heat to melt.
When Lenin finally released us, my body ached, my fingers felt chilled and my thighs, well, I couldn’t help but rub them together because with each command the man issued, his deep timbre shot desire straight through me. Who would have thought commands did it for me? Or maybe it was the person doing the commanding?
Beside me, Oak groaned, and I knew his senses could smell exactly what I was thinking but he didn’t comment, he only gently nudged me forward toward the entrance of the manor, urging me to hurry. I suspected he was hungry, however, the form of hunger in which he found himself in was unclear. The moment we entered the house, the smell of food assaulted us, and I knew that Ellis was at work, prepping to feed my gang of men even when I had forgotten all about dinner.
The room smelled like fresh baked bread and pasta sauce, and when I entered, Ellis, Justice and Horo all looked up from where they were cutting fixings for salad and my heart skipped, the feeling of home overwhelming me. The men in my life didn’t have to get along, they didn’t have to accept each other. I knew that their differences were vast, their opinions just as boundless. But here they were, working together for me.
I swallowed hard, my throat clogged with the emotions of the moment. A slow grin tilted the corner of Ellis’ lips before he cleared his throat, “I – we – thought you might want to eat.”
The food was delicious,but not nearly as enchanting as the company itself. They enthrall me, suck me into their web of stories and easy banter and it’s not hard to picture the rest of my life, however long or short that might be, having each of these men at my side.
When the food was done and the aftermath of a meal for eight was cleaned up, Lenin pulled me aside. “It is time to strengthen our wards.”
My bones were tired, my muscles ached, and the thought of going outside and walking after stuffing myself to the limits was unappealing. “Can we do it tomorrow?”
“Safety does not wait for tomorrow.” He informed me. He patted his satchel, “It’s time now.”
“But, I am so, so –“
He didn’t wait for me to finish my complaint, “I will draw you a bath and bring you tea.”
I wasn’t sure what sounded more appealing, the bath or the tea. My bones screamed bath but that tea, well, it was nothing short of magical. Hell, maybe it really was magic and I would drink that spell up daily, if it meant easing muscles and solid sleep.
“Are you not even a little tired?” I questioned. He used just as much energy as we did, and it hasn’t seemed to faze him.
“My body is exerted, yes.”
“How do you sleep?” I bet he is lights out the moment he lays down, but he doesn’t have three vampires constantly moving and crushing him as he dreams.
He thought about my question for a moment, “With my eyes closed, mostly. Though, if I feel unsafe, I could slumber with one open.”
“What in the –“ I heard Justice laugh as we left the dining room, not even trying to hide his amusement. “I meant, do you sleep well or wake constantly?”
He held open the door for me, “Oh. I sleep well when I have no fears.”
“Do you have fears now?”
“I have some –“ He paused, his tongue darted out to moisten his lips, “Concerns now. Though they don’t affect my sleep too direly.”
“What concerns?” I genuinely cared to know what as bothering him.
“I’ve had visions. Some over the past few years and they made no sense. But now, I fear I am starting to piece them together and it causes worry.” His brows pulled down as he thought, “We will be fine, of this I am sure. But others will not fare so well.”
“Others? What others?” My heartrate picked up, worry consuming me.