Page 6

Stupid brain.

Cursing, I climb over Leon and head downstairs. Having lain awake for so long, I am now thirsty. Walking down the hall, I notice Rhen and Raidon’s doors are shut and wonder if they are in Thane’s room. I’ve caught them sleeping in there a couple of times, as if they miss him. Glancing back at Leon’s room, I sigh. Even I am finding it harder to sleep in there—my bond tugging for my mates—yet we can't all fit in Leon’s bed.

Walking downstairs, I move toward the kitchen and grab the apple juice from the fridge. I pour myself a glass and put the bottle back. I shut the door and grab my glass, only to nearly jump out of my skin when I see Raidon standing there.

“I thought I felt that you were awake,” he chuckles.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack,” I hiss at him, before noticing that the door to the Den is open behind him. My eyes flick to it. Raidon glances over his shoulder at it. He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly as Thane comes out of the Den with only his boxers on. He stops when he notices me, his eyes moving to Raidon briefly, as if they’ve been caught doing something they shouldn’t.

Seconds later, Rhen emerges from the Den, walking directly into Thane’s back. We all kind of stand there awkwardly, no one speaking. I reach for my juice. This explains why both of their doors are shut. They usually leave them open, and sometimes I will wander between rooms, trying to find somewhere comfortable to sleep.

“Well, this is awkward,” Rhen mutters, stating the obvious.

“We’re mates, Low. You’re not the only one who struggles to sleep without us. I hear you walking around most nights,” Thane tells me.

“I didn’t say anything,” I tell him.

His brows furrow, and Rhen steps beside him. He opens his mouth to say something, but Raidon sighs before speaking.

“You’re wondering why our doors were closed,” he exhales.

“I thought you were in Thane’s room,” I admit. “I’m not angry. We just can’t all fit in Leon’s bed. ” I curse myself for sounding so needy, but it is the main reason I struggle to sleep most nights, the bond forever pulling and pushing for my mates. And now that Thane and I are finally talking, it seems to tug even harder, like it is searching for them.

“I’ll wake up Leon. We can sleep in Thane’s room,” Rhen says, walking off. Thane watches him go. I finish my drink and set my glass in the sink before following Raidon down the hall when I stop.

“Are you coming?” I ask Thane. He seems taken aback, yet I can tell he wants to follow us.

“I’m allowed?” he asks, glancing at the door to the Den.

“Well, I’m not sleeping down there, so —” My eyes dart to the Den door. Just the thought of stepping down there makes my heart race faster before I shove the feelings aside.

“Come to bed, Thane,” I tell him before walking off and up the stairs. I am halfway up the stairs when I hear him follow.

Chapter Four

Thane

As I follow Harlow up the stairs, I can’t decide if this is real or just a figment of my imagination. Granted, she let me touch her earlier, and well, I did more than just touch her.

Pulling myself out of my jumbled thoughts, I follow Harlow, hot on her heels, to my room. Raidon manages to get the grumpy Leon up, so we can all sleep together. When I step into the room, our mingled scents calm me in a way I haven’t felt in ages. As if I can finally breathe again. As I climb into my usual spot and Raidon gets on the outside of me, I watch Harlow slip between Rhen and Leon.

Of course, I would prefer if Harlow slept next to me, but I’m not pushing my luck tonight. I’m not going to risk getting banished back to the Den by demanding she sleep next to me. I’m not going to sleep alone again.

I can’t help but feel jealous, however, of how she clings to Leon the most. It’s like I’m a damn light fixture in this house — useless and unnecessary.

But it’s alright. Baby steps. One step at a time and all that. So, I’ll take whatever I can get.

Sleeping with all of them in one bed finally allows me to drift off without much effort. However, what Elaine said tonight keeps replaying in my mind. Before I can sift through the conversation though, sleep takes me.

I am dreaming deeply, sucked so far into the past that I am recalling days from my childhood. In my dream, my mother is talking to my fathers, sounding very upset about something.

“Do you not understand? Harper is pregnant! Their children are even more at risk than they are! She won’t tell me where she is, no matter how much I beg. All I got is that she is safe for now!” My mother didn’t say child, but children, which has to mean Harper was having more than one baby.

I remember during my early childhood, my parents fought endlessly over how my mother would drag me halfway across the country, looking for this mystery woman. Raidon and I would both be stuffed in the back of the car while my mother and Elaine tried to locate Harper.

My parents fought endlessly, until one day my fathers put their foot down and refused to let her look for Harper anymore. For some reason, my mind latches onto that memory, hyper-focusing on it when Elaine mentioned her name. Even now, the woman makes her way into my dreams. That vague memory plays on repeat in my head, as if it holds some significance in my subconscious, until finally, I drift into the darkness of oblivion.

Waking up, I find Rhen already awake and getting ready for work. He raises his finger to stop me from speaking and uses the mind-link.