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"Sofia?" His voice was barely above a whisper and filled with disbelief.
"Hey, Teo," I said and offered him a small smile.
“You’re okay,” he said.
I nodded. He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around me before I could protest. His embrace was tight, his face buried in the crook of my neck. I could hear his heart hammering in his chest, seemingly matching the frantic beat of my own. The silence that came after was filled with unspoken words.
"Teo." My voice came out as a startled gasp when he pulled back abruptly, his dark eyes boring into mine, his hands still holding me firmly at arm's length. "What are you doing?"
"I just…” He looked away for a moment, his jaw clenching before he met my eyes again. "I thought I had lost you. Come in."
We stepped into the dimly lit hallway of the HQ, the door closing heavily behind us. For the first time since I'd been taken, a sense of safety washed over me. Teo's hand was warm against my back as he led me deeper into the building.
"You look like hell," His voice was gentle, laced with concern as he studied my face in the dim light.
"Feel like it too," I admitted, attempting a half-hearted chuckle but ending up in a wince instead. "It's been a rough few days. You don’t look too good yourself.”
“Nothing but a scratch,” he said, then looked behind me, at Stephen. “You brought a fed?”
“It was the only way to come see you. I can’t stay for long.”
I started to say something else, but Teo's lips crashed against mine before the words could form. The world tilted on its axis as I kissed him back, my fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt as if he were an anchor in a wild sea. It felt like coming home after being lost for so long. When Teo finally pulled back, I could see the wildness in his eyes, mirroring my own panic and relief. We were still in the hallway and I was only vaguely aware that Stephen was just hanging back, watching us intently.
"Can't stay?" His voice echoed the disappointment marring his features. The normal spark in his eyes dimmed slightly.
I glanced at Stephen, who gave a small nod, "The Viper doesn’t know I'm here. If I get caught..." I trailed off, the gravity of the situation sinking in deeper with each passing breath.
Teo's hand tightened on my back, his expression grim. "We need to talk," He said, guiding me toward the apartment. Before he opened the door, he turned to Stephen. “I assume the price for you bringing her here is sitting in on a strategy session.”
“That’s just the start,” Stephen said.
Teo snorted. "Yeah, figured as much," He pushed the door open and gestured me inside. "Go on, I'll handle Matthews."
The apartment was neat but had a tense atmosphere. Grayson and Jace were sitting on the couch, their eyes fixed on some unseen point in the middle of the room. Victor was pacing by the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest in frustration.
"Sofia?" Jace asked, his voice rough around the edges as he shot up from his seat. "How...?"
I shrugged, not willing to go into details yet. "Stephen brought me," I said quietly, my gaze flicking towards Teo who was still arguing with Stephen by the door.
Jace's eyes hardened at that, but he quickly masked it with a relieved smile. "It's good to see you," He said sincerely, pulling me into a hug.
Grayson was next to me in a second, wrapping his arms around my waist, his face buried in my hair.
"Good to see you too," I mumbled into his chest, the tension slowly seeping from my body.
"Never do that to us again," he whispered into my ear, his voice raspy.
"I'll try my best," I replied, my voice barely carrying over the steady beat of his heart against my ear.
I could feel Victor's gaze on me, intense and searing, but he made no move to come closer. His relief was palpable though, radiating off him in waves. The room was silent once more, charged with a mixture of relief and worry that hung heavy in the air.
“Are you okay, Victor? Where’s Sam?” I asked.
He nodded, his breath shaky before he spoke. “Good,” he said. “I’m fine. Sam is here, he’s resting. I…are you okay?”
"Yeah. I'm okay. Just tired," I replied, trying to give him a reassuring smile. It was half successful.
"Christ, Sofia, you scared the hell out of us," Victor said, glaring at me with a harsh intensity that made me flinch. But his eyes told a different story. They were filled with concern and relief. Love.
