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Waves brushed my toes. I hadn’t even realized I’d walked forward, all the way down to the tidal break, where the waves rushed in around my ankles. Sucked the sand from beneath my feet. Called me with sinister whispers and pushed me away at the same time.
Sloshing deeper, I stopped when the water reached my knees. Lightning flashed again, and this time I knew it was coming. I waited for the thunder and screamed.
I screamed until I didn’t have breath.
I screamed until it hurt.
I waited for the thunder to drown me out.
And then I didn’t wait anymore. I screamed and sobbed, giving in to everything.
Everything.
Every time I’d had small tears and pushed them back. All those times I told myself it wasn’t worth it to cry or give in to the pain. Each instance I’d teared up with my pack over the simple joy of being treated like a person.
This had been hovering on the edges for a long time now, and it was here. My storm overcoming me at the same time the storm crashed into the rest of us.
I couldn’t stop it now, ragged sobs choking me, the sounds ugly and raw. Everything made the pain worse. It pulsed with my heart and shook me. Stole every bit of brightness I thought I had and smothered it.
No matter what happened, I would never forget feeling like someone slipped a knife between my ribs, reaching the part of me they’d promised to protect. Like the cliffs were crumbling beneath my feet and the net my pack had given me wasn’t there.All that lay at the bottom was sand and the remnants of too many hopes.
Another rolling boom of thunder, so hard I felt it in my bones.
Like it had finally cracked the rest of me, everything flowed out. All the pain and rage. The betrayal. The whys. Everything drained out until I felt as flat as the rained-on sea, and left me tired.
I barely heard the splashing of steps before arms circled me from behind. Vaughn. Deep citrus infused the wet air, sharper than normal. Threads of rotten darkness—his anger at Beau and sadness for me. He hadn’t come until I needed him.
I hadn’t even realized I called, but I had.
Vaughn scooped me up and carried me out of the water without a word. We didn’t go back to the mansion. He carried me straight up the path, weaving back and forth on the switchbacks until we broke over the top, and Rowan was already there unlocking the gate.
I was passed to Joel, and I closed my eyes, not willing to be anywhere at all. They brought me inside and I moved when they told me, helping them get me out of the dress and letting them towel me off. A blanket that waswarmwrapped around me, and it was Hawk who carried me to the nest and into delicious darkness and safety.
He kissed my temple. “We’ve got you, baby girl.”
They had me.
And they wouldn’t let me fall, even when the cliffs crumbled.
At some point, I fell asleep.
When I woke, a low, rumbling purr vibrated beneath my ear and the scent of bourbon curled around me. Joel, who was now dry. I pulled my eyes open, though they were heavy. They were all here with me. Vaughn looked like he was sleeping, Rowan scribbled in a notebook, Hawk and Cade were on their phones. All dry now.
“I made you all get wet,” I said.
Four pairs of eyes locked on me, and Joel’s purr grew louder. Vaughn smiled, stretching from his nap too. “We don’t mind, sweetheart.”
Before, when I needed it, they’d kept their distance. Now that I was in their arms, our bonds were flooded with love and comfort and happiness that I was here with them. “That didn’t go as planned, huh?”
Joel chuckled, interrupting his purr briefly. “No, I’d say not.”
“Did you hit him?”
“Rowan did. Once. And only because he swung first.”
I pulled my blanket more snugly around me. “That’s too bad.”
Amusement and pride in my chest from all of them.
