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“How did you know?” I asked, scrunching my brows together. I hadn’t told Ray Axel would be staying for another month or so.
Raiden chuckled again and squeezed my hand. It wasn’t much of an answer and only made my suspicion grow. What did my brother do this time? “Oh, no, did he draw something on my face again?” I asked, slapping my free hand over my forehead, trying to cover it as best I could.
Raiden laughed again, his fingers tightening around mine. Most of the time, I didn’t mind Axel’s crazy antics. Hell, he was probably the only person who still treated me like he used to. Made me feel normal, although he did sometimes take it a bit too far.
After losing my sight, Axel had been the one who helped me settle into my new routine. He’d shown me how to be more independent and helped me to make slight changes that would ultimately make it easier for me to get around. Things like replacing my old hangers with new textured ones so I could feel which garments went together. Or moving the furniture in such a way that I could use them as guides when I went about my daily activities. He even changed the settings on my phone to voice command only.
“No, no. Don’t worry, there’s nothing on your face,” Raiden said, pulling me along once again. As we continued walking, I couldn’t help but wonder. Something was definitely up.
“Nice shirt by the way,” he finally mused.
I gasped and drew my brows up in horror, “no? What did he do?” I asked, bundling my shirt up as much as I could, attempting to hide whatever he’d done with it. “I’ve been wearing this the whole morning,” I gasped again, “I went to see your mom looking like this.”
Ray burst out laughing, the sound exploding out of him.
“Raiden, this isn’t funny. What’s wrong with my shirt?”
He placed both of his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. Then, he tugged on my shirt and chuckled some more.
“It says, ‘The rumours are true, I have a handsome brother’ followed by his mobile number,” Raiden struggled to control his laughter. “Also, underneath that, in brackets, it says: ’PS: I like brunettes.’”
My face burned, “I’m going to kill him.”
“Hey, guys,” Gunnar’s familiar voice called out, ripping me from thoughts of murdering my twin. “Want to come and taste a new drink I invented?” He sounded so excited, and it made me smile, despite the horrid shirt I wore, the humiliation Axel had rained upon me.
Raiden squeezed my hand in question, and I nodded.
“Sure,” Ray replied, guiding me towards Gunnar.
The moment we stepped into the foyer; loud screams exploded. “SURPRISE!” Multiple voices and scents assaulted me all at once. I was so shocked and overwhelmed that I spun around and slammed my forehead hard into the doorframe.
“Oooh,” I heard a few of the voices groan. I wished the earth would swallow me whole. Raiden pulled me into him instantly and placed a healing kiss on the new bump.
“You okay, my Lily-flower?” he whispered into my ear, his lips lingering close. Although he shielded me best he could, I still felt people’s eyes burning into me.
“What’s happening?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“Uh-it looks like a surprise party,” he whispered back.
“Welcome home, you two,” Gunnar said loudly, “sorry if we startled you, Lily.”
I tried to smile in his direction, “no, it’s ok, no harm done.” It was an easy lie.
Ray squeezed my hand as though he knew, and music started playing somewhere. The sound of chatter quickly filled the air and Raiden slipped his arm around my waist, guiding me further into the room. I won’t leave you, don’t worry. He sent the words through our link, and I exhaled, the weight on my shoulders easing slightly. Many of our old friends walked up to greet us, along with some new ones.
“Hey, Sis,” I heard Axel say seconds before he pulled me from Ray’s arms and drew me in for a tight hug. I groaned against his chest, where he was squishing my face against the fabric and pushed to get him off me. Annoyance bubbled to the surface, but Ray was there, saving me and wrapping his arm around me once again.
“You,” I said, pointing my finger angrily at him, “I have a bone to pick with you.” Well, I thought I was pointing it at him, until…
“W-w-who me?” Thomas’s worried reply came. Tom. The boy who had walked in on me in Raiden’s bedroom. Immediately my cheeks burned.
“Hey, Tom, I heard you go by a new nickname now?” Axel’s loud, obnoxious voice exploded, and the entire room burst out in boisterous laughter. I was going to kill Axel the moment we were alone. Peeping-Tom, Raiden sent through our link.
I could hear Thomas groaning as everyone continued to laugh and tease. It wasn’t bullying. No, this was more like we used to make fun of each other when we sneaked out into the woods as youngsters. A friendly kind of mocking.
A warm, loving sensation filled my stomach as I listened to the jokes and laughter around me. Eventually Tom was laughing too. I felt like I had then, as a kid in the forest with her whole life ahead of her. Smiling, I listened. Their voices, their scents, it spoke to me, finally making me hope. Dream. Shadow Creek. This was my new pack. These people were my new family.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel out of place anymore. I didn’t feel vulnerable and exposed. I felt home. Included. Raiden leaned in and placed a tender kiss on my temple while Axel began telling another one of his signature hook-up stories. My smile stretched further and my heart warmed.
I realised then that I had everything I needed, everything I’d ever wanted and more.
