I stiffen at his words. The memory of confinement is a phantom pain that never quite fades. “It was… unbearable at times,” I admit, the truth tasting bitter on my tongue.
“And your own brother did it. Do you feel better with him dead?”
“Killian,” I spit the name like it’s poison, feeling its malice coil in my stomach. “I knew he harbored darkness in his heart but I never expected him to do that.”
“Does it still haunt you? Those years stolen from you?” His grey eyes searching mine now.
I think he’s trying to connect with me.
“Every day,” I confess, allowing myself the vulnerability. “But then I remember my mate wasn’t even born during those lost years. Perhaps they would have been horrible without her.”
Griffyn nods slowly, contemplation etching his features. The silence stretches between us, filled with the sounds of distant traffic.
I’m pretty sure I should try to understand him better too.
“Griffyn,” I begin. “Has bonding with Anna… has it lifted some of the weight you had being an incubus?” I ask, watching his reaction closely.
He turns to me, his expression softening. “It really has, Rion.” There’s a warmth in his eyes as he speaks of her. “The pride of having a mate like Anna. Her being proud to have me… it’s more than I could’ve imagined. It took a long time but now I know I shouldn’t have been looked down upon for being an incubus,” he admits, a shadow passing over his face.
A surge of anger swells within me. “You should never have been scorned for what you are,” I state emphatically, my words slicing through the cool air. “I’m sorry it took Anna to make you see your worth.”
His eyes widen, clearly not expecting such solidarity from me. But then, the corners of his lips quirk upward into a genuinesmile. “I actually like you, Rion,” he says, and there’s a sincerity there that stirs something within me.
“Likewise,” I reply, surprised by how much his approval means to me.
“Want to know something interesting? Anna is feeling lust right now. I will have to make fun of her for it later.”
I frown, glancing toward the structure that houses potential threats. “In there? What could possibly cause that?”
“You’d be surprised what turns people on. But it’s not alarm I’m sensing from her, so I’ll take the lust as a good sign.” He laughs.
“Where was the strangest place you’ve sensed it?”
Griffyn chuckles. “Once, the Alpha Team had an operation in a cemetery. You’d be surprised at how horny death and sadness make people.”
“That does surprise me.”
We fall back into a comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts.
As we continue to watch, a sense of unity settles over us.
Faces blur into one another, none striking a chord of recognition in my memory.
“See anyone familiar?” Griffyn whispers, his voice barely carrying over the breeze.
“Not a soul,” I admit, my eyes scanning the dwindling crowd. That would be too lucky.
“There they are,” he says abruptly.
My gaze follows his pointed finger. Emerging from the shadows of the warehouse are Anna, Aksel, Blaze, and Felix. Anna moves with the grace of a vampire. She’s scanning their surroundings even as they make their way out of potential danger.
“We can leave as soon as they do,” I suggest, restraining the impulse to rush to her side. To ensure she’s unharmed.
“Agreed,” Griffyn nods, his eyes tracking every step they take. His body is a coiled spring, ready to leap into action should they signal for aid.
Finally they use charms to leave. There would be no way to know where each person coming and going tonight has used their charms so they’re safe to do so without fear of being tracked.
“Time to go home,” I murmur, reaching into my pocket for the transport charm.
