He leaned in, his lips brushing over mine softly. “Yes, you simply cannot help it. In fact, you are doing it right now.”
I smiled. “I am, am I? And this charm… It has disarmed you?”
“Completely. I’m at your mercy, Princess.” I leaned forward, capturing his mouth in a gentle yet passionate kiss. I would never tire of having him here, especially given the months of separation we’d endured.
“Eva?” a weary voice questioned, and I pulled back. My father stood in front of us, disheveled and drained. His typical well-groomed presence was gone. His flowing mane was greasy, and the hair in his beard seemed wild, coarse even, going out in different directions. The deep purple coloring beneath his eyes told me of the hell he’d endured in the days I had been gone—days he had been forced to handle the death of his daughter on his own. And gods, the stench. Stale ale and whiskey saturated the air, no doubt having spilled over his clothes, and given the way he wavered on his feet, I was willing to wager he was still drunk. There was no telling the last time he had bathed or eaten.
I had never seen my father drink to excess. Even when my mother died, he maintained his appearance and never gave in to the indulgences that seemed to fail other men. There were no mistresses, no callers in the night, and no drunken escapades.
Matthew ducked his head, having the sense to look ashamed of kissing me in plain view of my father while I stood there gaping at him.
“Is that you? Truly? Oh, my mind must be playing tricks on me again…” my father said, stumbling out of sight to the round table in a small alcove next to the entryway.
“Father,” I blurted out, hurrying after him. “I am here. It is me.” I sat next to him, running my hands over his. He was ice cold to the touch, and I noticed there was no fire burning in his hearth.
Matthew held up his hands before I could stand, making his way over. “I will take care of it, Eva. Do not worry.”
Since they spiraled out of control, I had not used my powers. I had been too nervous of something inconsequential setting them off, so I was relieved when Matthew began taking care of the fire, even bringing over the candle to light those around us at the table. I nodded in silent thanks as he turned away, giving us privacy.
“I am here,” I whispered, bringing my father’s icy hands to my lips and pressing a kiss there. He looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. “I am so sorry I did not come back sooner. I—I needed some time. But I am here now, and I will not leave you again.”
His large, calloused hand reached out and stroked my face, tracing his thumb across my cheek. He did this for Erina and me when we were children, always there to hold our hand or comfort us in our time of need. So I would not break my promise to him. I would not leave him. Not when we were all we had left of our bloodline.
“Oh, Eva…” he said, breaking down in sobs. “We lost her, Eva. Our sweet, precious girl—she is gone.”
He clung to my hand, desperate to remain in contact with me as if I, too, would vanish. It broke my heart. I yearned to console him, but what could I say to a man who’d lost his mate and then his daughter to the same foe? And in the same manner? Any words that poured from my mouth were sure to taste like ash on my tongue. I couldn’t tell him it would be okay because despite how much I wished to say those words, I didn’t know what the outcome of this war would be. I didn’t know if any of us would make it through or if we would wake up tomorrow with Lachlan’s troops poised to take us down and rain fire and hell down from the sky.
Matthew met my gaze from across the room, no doubt thinking the same thing. We’d never spoken about the prospect of losing each other so soon after we were reunited, but I sensed it was a conversation we would quickly need to have.
Instead, he brought my father and I warm tea with lemon—the soothing aroma doing little to ease the scent of musty old alcohol surrounding us. My father looked down at the cup, groaning as he took a small sip.
“Where’s the whiskey?” he grunted, rubbing his tired eyes.
“We’ve been trying to keep him out of it,” an amused voice quipped.
“But your father is a hard man to say no to,” another one joined in.
I turned around, seeing Kalen and Luka standing in the entryway. They smiled, and I nearly wept with relief. Luka was at my side in an instant, picking me up in his arms and squeezing me until I couldn’t breathe.
“Don’t you do that again. Don’t disappear on me,” he whispered into my hair before putting me down. He smelled like home—of petrichor and mint and the sweetest hint of lemon, no doubt coming from sneaking some of Briar’s pastries from the kitchens. My eyes glistened as tears fell. He quickly wiped them away. “I can’t do this without you, Eva.”
Luka’s red hair was swept back, looking more like a commander than he ever had before. His attire had obtained a noticeable upgrade as well. Even though the sun was hardly up, he was fully dressed in pressed breeches and tall boots. His tunic was dark blue with silver filigree across the chest and shoulders. Though I could still see dramatic bruising disappearing under his clothing, he looked good. Much better than he had a fortnight ago.
I nodded. “I promise. How is”—I hesitated, unsure of what to say—“everyone? Have there been more attacks? Any word from Lachlan?”
He shook his head, his eyes darting past me to my father. “We’ll speak soon. Let’s not spoil this reunion just yet.” There was a slight commotion behind Luka as Matthew and Kalen embraced. The love they shared for one another was infectious, and I was happy to be a part of this family. Their family.
No, that was wrong. It wasourfamily. We belonged to each other, forming a bond so great it surpassed that of blood.
If Luka was impeccably dressed, Kalen looked like he had just been pulled out of bed. His tan breeches were wrinkled, and his white tunic was half tucked into his waistband. His long blond hair was tied back, but strands fell loosely around his face, and stubble lined his chin. He looked over Matthew’s shoulder and gave me a lazy smirk, earning a punch to his stomach from my mate for gazing at me like that.
I couldn’t help but blush, trying to cover it with the back of my hand. “There she is!” He shouted, everyone in the room cringing from the volume so early in the morning. “Come here, Princess!” He opened his arms, and I ran to him. The scent of pine and smoke enveloped me, and I relaxed in his hold. Kalen stroked my hair, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “How are you?” he whispered softly.
“I’m okay,” I said, averting my gaze as he pulled back to give me a scowl.
“You’re not.” I opened my mouth to object. “But that’s okay, Eva. You don’t have to be okay after what you experienced.”
I had the feeling he was speaking from experience, but I didn’t question him. Matthew pulled me into his arms, wrapping around my body in a comforting embrace before resting his chin atop my head. From the corner of my eye, I noticed my father watching the two of us. Sorrow filled his gaze, no doubt missing my mother by witnessing the easy affection.
