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I wake up feeling vitalizedand full of life. My mind is completely clear and feels lighter than it ever has. The headache caused by all of Henry’s compulsions is gone, and my body feels strong. I’m alone in bed, which is a little disappointing, but I don’t stay alone for long. There’s a soft knock on the door, and Charlie enters without waiting for my permission. “I felt you when you woke up,” he says, coming into the room and leaving the door open behind him.
I sit up and blush when I realize I’m dressed in a short silk and lace black chemise. It’s much sexier than anything I’ve ever bought myself. I’m also clean. The filth of the abandoned church has been washed away. It makes me wonder which of my men bathed me and dressed me. The expensive, tasteful lingerie seems like a Parker thing, but, honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if any of my men, or even Cecile, had done it.
I pull the covers up a little, still feeling shy around my new mate whom I hardly know. We’ve been through a lot together over the last week, but I still need to learn about the man my fey instincts claimed. He comes to stand beside the bed and gives me a soft, loving smile. “May I?” he asks.
I nod, and he climbs onto the bed. He surprises me when he slips under the covers and slides over until he’s flush against my side. He slips his arm around my back and turns me toward him so he can pull my legs over his lap. Goose bumps form on my skin when his hand starts gliding up and down my bare thigh.
My instinct is to pull away and run from the contact, but I force myself to stay put and enjoy the feel of his skin against mine. And Idoenjoy it. There’s something so calming about being near Charlie. I lay my head against his shoulder and let out a small, content sigh. “It was you who found us,” I murmur in the peaceful quiet. “Wasn’t it?”
“It was. When we realized it was Henry behind the whole thing, the guys went nuts. They knew that we were going to have to go up against nearly his entire clan in order to stop him once and for all. That’s when they called all of your allies.” He squeezes me and leans his head on top of mine. His cheek lifts into a smile, and there’s a chuckle in his voice when he says, “I was quite impressed by the number of underworlders willing to go to battle for you against the largest underworld clan in Detroit.”
I smile, and my hand finds its way to Charlie’s chest. “I’ve been busy since joining the underworld.”
“Yes, you have. Hopefully, now, with Henry gone, you will get some downtime before the next disaster. Maybe we could even get some time to get to know one another.”
My heart flutters. “I’d like that.”
He squeezes me again and kisses my head. “I could feel you,” he says. “Once you woke up, I felt you calling to me like we were tethered together. I was led straight to you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For coming to get me.”
“Always, darling.”
We fall into a comfortable silence that’s soon interrupted when most of the rest of my clan squeezes into the room. Most of them find places to stand around the edges of the room, but Ren climbs onto the bed and collapses across Charlie’s and my laps. He wraps his arms around my waist, burying his face in my stomach. His antics, as always, make me laugh. I start playing with his hair, and he sighs happily. “The guys helped me move in. You’re stuck with me now,” he says, nuzzling me. The action is platonic, like we’re best friends and he needs to be close to me after everything that happened. I feel the same way.
“Already?” I tease. “How long was I out this time?”
“Only a day,” Wulf says.
I smirk. “Only?”
Rook sighs and sits down on the side of the bed. I hold out my hand to him, and he laces our fingers together. “Aziel promised us you were fine. He said your body was simply overwhelmed with magic and that you needed time to let it settle in you.”
“So they’re okay?”
Terrance nods. “They’re fine. They would have stuck around to see you wake, but they were anxious to get Sapphire home.”
I’m relieved by that. I would have liked to say good-bye, but I’m glad they took care of Sapphire.
“And what about the rest of you? What about Illren?” My throat closes up at the thought of Illren. I don’t know what I’ll do if he’s not okay.
“All fine,” Enzo says quickly. We all had a few close calls, but my old clan was called in to help heal all of the injuries sustained in the battle. Illren will be fine also. He’s still just sleeping and regaining his strength. I can feel him getting stronger every time I check on him, and Mr. Gorgeous told us that the man you hurt at the FUA office was back to full health after two days, so we’re sure Illren will recover fully.”
I glance around the clan. I don’t like that several of them are missing. “Where are Parker and Oliver?”
“Working,” Terrance says. “The FUA has been working hard to clean up the mess we left behind. It’s no small feat covering up the slaughter of three hundred vampires.”
My stomach clenches thinking about the battle we all just went through. I think of all the underworlders who came to our aid. “Were there casualties? On our side, I mean?”
Everyone sobers just a little. “A few,” Terrance admits. “But not many, and all heads of clans who lost people have already said they harbor no ill feelings. Those men died defending you, and the mythics, and this whole city from Henry’s corruption, and they did so proudly.” Terrance puffs up his chest, as if proud that his clan could inspire such loyalty from other underworlders.
“I’ll pay my respects to every clan who lost someone just as soon as I can.”
Terrance’s expression softens. “We’ll go as a clan.”
The other guys are all quick to voice their agreement.
“What about you?” Rook asks, squeezing my hand. “How do you feel?”
