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I didn’t need the bond to know that Wild was just as worried about me as I was worried about him.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, encouraging him to crouch down so I could wash his hair, wishing I had something better for his curls than bar soap. “All this chaos will pass soon. I have to believe that. We’ll find some new kind of normal, and we’re going to be okay.”
“You still can’t lie?” Wild verified, kneeling in front of me, putting him perfectly eye level with my breasts. His hands came to rest on my waist, thumbs brushing over my lower ribs.
“Still no lies,” I promised, doing my best to scrub the dust out of his hair and using a cup next to the sink to scoop some water from the basin to rinse it. I’d almost forgotten how much taller than me Wild was.
After I was done, Wild stood, encouraging me to turn around so he could return the favor. I winced as his fingers hit one tangle after another. It washeavy,too. Matted, full of dirt, and a hindrance to deal with.
“Chop it,” I whispered. Wild stilled. “With your blade. Please, Wild. It’s so uncomfortable.”
“You’re sure?”
I nodded stiffly, doing my best to repress my shivers as he fetched the knife-like weapon he’d been wearing earlier. Maybe it was vain to be sad, but I’d always had long, glossy hair and it was one of my favorite things about my appearance.
Wild was efficient and careful, gathering my hair into a bushy ponytail before slicing it in one fell swoop at the base of my neck. The heaviness disappeared instantly, and even though I missed the security blanket, the relief on my scalp more than made up for it.
He threw the hair in the trash can under the sink before returning to washing what was left, gently detangling the chin-length strands. I tilted my head back as he rinsed out the soap before grabbing my shoulders and encouraging me to turn to face him.
“Beautiful,” he assured me, twisting my hair around his fingers and brushing my jaw in the process. I rested my palms on his chest, pressing my body against his for warmth.
We were both still avoiding the elephant in the room, the grief neither of us wanted to process. But holding each other like this, no clothes between us, washed clean of the days of dirt that had been coating our skin… We were naked and exposed in more ways than one.
“I miss him so much,” I breathed, managing a weak smile. “I know you do too.”
Wild’s jaw tightened, his fingers flexing where he cupped my face. “It’s… it’s hard to think about Bullet. Not because of the bloodlust; I don’t think I’m going to lose control.” He swallowed hard. “I’m fighting more than enough each day to keep the violent urges under control. It’s just… fuck, it’s just hard.”
“I know.” I went up on my tiptoes to press my forehead against his, and Wild’s arms shifted to my waist, easily lifting me off the ground, so our faces were level. “But we can think about the happy things too. Ineedto think about the happy things. I need to remember those positive moments because I’m worried I’llforget—”
My voice cracked on the word, and I cleared my throat, not wanting to cry anymore. “What do you think Bullet would say if he were here right now?”
Wild’s lips twitched. He leaned back slightly, dropping his gaze to my breasts. “With both of us here naked? I’m not sure he’d say anything. He’d be blushing so bright he’d light up this whole room.”
I laughed, the sound echoing around the walls. “You’re probably right. He was more shy when you were there, you know. Maybe because he and I both had no idea what we were doing.”
Wild hummed, one hand drifting down to my butt, kneading my flesh. “You know what you’re doing now. That last night at Eirene’s with all of us…”
My face heated, core clenching at the memory of all of us together.
“We’re going to be together again someday,” Wild murmured, biting my shoulder gently before soothing the sting with his tongue. “All of us. Riot and Dare will come back.” Another bite, another soothing kiss. “I’ll give Thanatos my voice willingly if he’ll bring Bullet back. Whatever it takes, I’ll get him back. We’ll all be together again.”
“I believe you,” I replied breathily, tipping my head back to give Wild access to my neck. He encouraged me to wrap my legs around his waist, and I sucked in a quiet breath at the sudden pressure on my clit.
“And the world will be at peace,” Wild continued, vocalizing all my fantasies. “And the five of us… We’re all going to live somewhere so fucking private we never have to speak to anyone except each other.”
My laugh turned into a gasp as he rolled his hips gently.
“And you, my darling Grace…”
“Mm, and me?” I prompted, tightening my grip and trying to ride him as best I could with my too-weak thigh muscles.
“You will be so tangled up in at least one of your soul bonds at a time that you won’t know where one ends, and you begin. You won’t need clothes ever again.”
Wild held me steady, pausing so I could grab a towel and carrying me back into the bedroom. It took no time at all for him to set me down and dry me off before quickly drying himself, and guiding me onto my back on the bed. He parted my knees with no hesitation, making space to lie between my legs, covering my body with his and keeping me warm.
“I’ll be cold if I don’t ever wear clothes again,” I pointed out, arching into his touch as Wild trailed his lips down my body, pausing to drag his teeth over my nipple before settling between my legs. He didn’t give me a chance to be shy, encouraging me to put my ankles on his shoulders and parting me with his thumbs, swiping a hard lick up to my clit.
“We’ll keep you warm. Fuck, I’ve missed the taste of you,” Wild growled against my skin before resuming hisfeast. There was a desperation to his movements that had never been there before, and I was right there with him. Ineededthis, needed this physical connection with him, the reminder that he was healthy and here and real.
