Sasha snatched a plate from the dresser. “Of course we’re afraid, but I’d much rather watch TV and gain five extra pounds. Less of a headache.”
The dissonance between his terror and their blasé domesticity made Alex’s head spin.
He pointed at Newt, who paced from the window to the closet on the opposite side of the room. “He’s panicking.”
Preston snorted. “He’s pissed we don’t have ice cream. That’s not panic. That’s irritation. If he flies toward the door, tackle him.”
How? Alex glanced up, knowing damn well he wouldn’t be able to grab the fae.
“It would take me five seconds,” Newt argued. “Fly downstairs, grab the ice cream, then be back before you even missed me.” He stopped pacing, standing there like he had a floor under his feet, arms crossed, wearing a scowl. “I could use my magic.”
“No!” Preston, Jalen, and Sasha shouted at once.
“You might send us to Alaska instead,” Preston said. “We can eat this without ice cream, Newt.”
“What if we went as a group?” Newt asked, his eyes shining like he’d come up with the perfect solution. “I could even blast the demon if he showed up.”
“Or double him,” Jalen grumbled.
“That was one time!” Newt argued.
“You turned three vampires into six.” Sasha took a bite of his pie and moaned. “You’ve outdone yourself, Preston.”
Alex slowly ate his pie—oh my god, it was amazing!—as he kept glancing at the door, waiting for Valcore to burst in at any second.
A hand landed on his shoulder, startling him. “There are sixteen wolves under this roof. They can handle one demon. We’ve been through a demon crisis before.”
Newt slowly glided to the floor. “Vex was a toadstool. He tortured me and Vaughn, but my wolf eviscerated the…slimy mold.”
“So, who did you kill?” Sasha asked. “Horrible ex-boyfriend? Abusive relative? Loud neighbor?”
“You killed someone?” Jalen sat up, eyes wide. Alex waited for the fallout, for everyone to pull away, afraid of him. “That’s so cool. Gun, knife, explosion?”
“I wish I’d had the guts to kill my ex,” Preston said. “Zeppelin did it for me.”
“But you kicked his ass before he died,” Sasha said softly. “That counts for everything, Preston.”
Alex just blinked at them, unsure if he was awake or if he’d frozen to death in the woods and this was some strange afterlife. “You guys…don’t care?”
“We care,” Jalen said, “that the guy got what he deserved and you’re safe.”
Tears welled up in Alex’s eyes. Ever since Drew had lured him to the trap house, had tried to shoot him, only for Alex to grab that heavy metal pipe and use it as a baseball bat. He hadn’t even meant to kill Drew. Alex had just wanted the guy to drop the gun.
“Don’t cry or you’ll trigger a group cry!” Preston pulled Alex into his arms, patting his back. “I know, hon. We’ve all been there. Not killing anyone, I mean, but we’ve all been terrified out of our minds. When Antonio trapped me in that bathroom, I just knew I was dead. You survived. That’s all that matters.”
They hadn’t even asked if he was guilty or if Alex was the bad guy. They assumed, maybe because he was a mate, he had only been defending himself. The blind faith was nearly his undoing.
That unwavering trust meant everything to him. Maybe trusting his secret—now no longer a secret—with Wade wouldn’t mean jailtime or exile.
“Now, tell us why the demon is after you.” Newt begrudgingly took the pie from Preston but not without a huff.
Alex touched the necklace, feeling its weight like a yoke. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather talk to Wade first.”
“Could lead to some amazing sex,” Preston muttered around a mouthful. “Zeppelin rocks my boots six ways from Sunday anytime I confess something…dark.”
They all cracked up, snickering like the room had filled with laughing gas. Alex chuckled, the laughter infectious. Before he knew it, he was bent over, a stich in his side. He wasn’t even sure what was so funny, but it felt damn good to laugh. It was like a relief valve that had finally opened, releasing the pressure, even if it was only for a moment.
* * * *
