Page 88

“No!” I tell him, shoving his hand away.

Eli goes to grab me when Cyrus speaks up from the armchair.

“Now, now, children, stop fighting,” he says, looking over his newspaper.

“Tell her to get in bed. I am sick of not getting any sleep because she is out here,” Eli tells him.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, I sleep perfectly fine without you,” I tell Eli, looking up at him.

“Get in the fucking room, Adeline!” he snaps, reaching for my wrist.

“Eli, enough! She doesn’t want to. Leave her be,” Cyrus tells him.

“Can you please remember you are also my mate? And stop taking her fucking side with everything, Cyrus!” Eli yells at him, his hands trembling.

“I am your mate, Eli, but your temper is getting the better of you. Now, step away from her. You look on the verge of shifting,” Cyrus warns him just as his claws sink into the couch, making me gasp.

“Go, Eli. You hurt her, I won’t forgive you. Go for a run or something,” Cyrus says, dismissing him with a wave of his hand.

Eli walks out, slamming the door and making me flinch.

“Why do you two always have to argue?” Cyrus says with a sigh, placing his newspaper on the coffee table. He walks over, grabbing the blanket Eli discarded on the floor before tossing it over me.

Cyrus bends down and kisses me, his lips soft as they move against mine. I kiss him back, and he groans before pulling back.

“You really need to be nicer. I don’t think I have heard a nice word from your mouth directed at Eli.”

“He irritates me. He is bossy and arrogant,” I tell him.

“And you are stubborn, but seriously go easy on him. He just wants to be with you. Why is that a bad thing?” he asks, kissing my head and walking off.

I hear him walk upstairs, and I switch the TV on, flicking through the channels. Cyrus watches TV with me for a bit before going to bed. I fall asleep while the TV is playing in the background, the noise soothing.

Waking halfway through the night, I toss the blanket off, feeling rather hot. I try to get comfortable as I roll on the couch. The heat from the fireplace is overbearing, making me flustered, my skin clammy, and my clothes drenched. I can feel my skin heating and know my face is flushed. I must be coming down with a fever. I feel like I am burning up and feel extremely thirsty.

Getting up, I stagger to the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with cold water. The icy water soothes my sore throat, and I greedily drink it down before pouring another glass. I feel extremely dehydrated as I gulp the water down. Walking back into the living room, I flop on the soft lounge, but the heat from the fireplace is too much, making me toss and turn as sweat beads on my body. My hair is drenched in sweat, forcing me off the lounge, so I don’t ruin its plush fabric.

I force my legs up the stairs heading for the bathroom. The light blinds me as I flick on the light, the exhaust fan automatically coming on, the whining noise of it making a headache build behind my eyes as I turn the shower on. Leaning on the sink basin, I look in the mirror. My cheeks are flaming red. I definitely have a fever, breathing heavily as I turn the taps on full blast, needing to cool down.

Stripping my clothes off, I step under the icy cold water streaming from the shower head. I stand directly under it. Goosebumps are rising on my arms, and I am not sure if it is the fever or the water temperature. But no matter how cold the water is, I find no reprieve in it. My temperature feels like it is climbing higher and higher as I shove my face under the harsh stream. The water belts my face, making it sting, but it isn’t enough. I feel like I have been put in an oven.

The bathroom door creaks as it opens, making me look at the door. Eli walks in, covered in sweat and dirt, and I realize he must have only just gotten home. He looks in the shower before ripping the door open.

“Shit! Are you okay, Addie?” he asks, placing his hand on my head and sniffing the air.

“You’re burning up,” he says, but all I can think of is his hand touching my face as I lean into his touch, the feeling of his warm skin soothing despite how boiling hot I feel. Sparks rush over me as he steps into the shower, making the fever ease.

Cyrus walks in a moment later; Eli talking must have awoken him.

“What happened?” he asks sleepily before his eyes snap to mine with worry.

“She is in heat,” Eli says, stripping his shorts off and climbing in the shower.

He jumps as the icy water touches him, making him hiss. Eli reaches for me, pulling me against him, and I feel instant relief the moment his skin touches mine. He sits on the shower floor, pulling me to the ground with him, and Cyrus sits on the sink basin, watching worriedly.

I melt against Eli, draping myself lazily over him. My arms over his neck and my legs around his waist as I mold my body against his, seeking the relief only his skin seems to give me.

“Fuck, she smells good,” Eli mutters, and I feel his head turn to look at Cyrus.