AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kinsley was my equal in every way, and there wasn’t a single fucking thing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe.
Chapter27
KINSLEY
Three days later, I wasn’t sure I’d ever walk right again.
Okay. That was maybe me being a bit dramatic, but the heat lasted just over two days and even the sixteen hours of sleep I’d gotten after the seemingly endless orgasms didn’t seem like enough. Not when every time I moved, I remembered the way Grayson had cared for me and bit me and made me feel like a damn queen.
By the end, I was convinced my heart might explode from the elation filling my body, but then reality came crashing back and I knew that our time for lying low was over.
Lia and Markus had returned to the house, and they weren’t alone. Ryder and Tuck were with them, dressed in combat gear. Dark circles hung under their eyes, as if they hadn’t slept in a couple of days.
“What happened?” I asked as soon as I’d opened the door for them to come in.
Guilt assaulted me from having spent the extra time alone with Grayson, but I quickly reminded myself that I’d have been useless to the faction—and the House as a whole—if I’d ignored the heat or my need for rest afterward.
“Ethan’s faction has joined with Dylan’s,” Ryder said. “Well, at least those still left who don’t want to see a woman leading their House.”
“Have they made any attempts to attack?” I asked, ignoring the chauvinistic comment. I wasn’t going to validate the idiocy of it.
Tuck shook his head and handed me a tablet. “But there has been chatter that we’ve picked up on.”
I scanned the contents, but I didn’t see what I was looking for. “Have you heard anything about Johnathon?”
After what we’d seen in the warehouse, I had a feeling that fucker was going to be working with anyone who wished to see me fail to become Alpha Supreme. Whether that was because he wanted the position for himself or because he had a hard-on for my bloodline remained to be seen. Either way, I’d do whatever it took to make sure he never got what he wanted.
“Johnathon and the witch you mentioned before seem to have disappeared,” Ryder answered. “Though I doubt that will last for long.”
I glanced at Grayson. “We need to be out there. We can’t stay hidden any longer.” Then I directed my attention to Lia and Markus. “This might get messy quickly. You two have done more than I could have asked for and I won’t blame you for walking away now if that’s what you choose.”
They shared a look of mutual confirmation before Markus spoke. “You’re my family, Kinsley. Even if we didn’t grow up together, I won’t turn my back on you now that I know you. We’re in this together.” He lightly grinned. “Plus, it would be nice to know that our little brother has somewhere safe to grow up without me needing to smuggle him into Blood and Beryl.”
I wanted that, too, even though I’d yet to meet Triton. Hell, I wanted that for everyone inside of Fire and Fluorite.
“We’ll do a quick training session and make our first appearance tonight,” Grayson said. “Your people can come with us, or it can be just the four of us. Either way, we’ll leave at dark and be back whenever we decide we’ve had enough.”
Ryder and Tuck stayed silent a beat before the former nodded. “I’ll be joining you while Tuck stays behind and keeps an eye on the more vulnerable members of our faction.”
I assumed that primarily meant Ryder’s son, but I also knew that they lived in an apartment surrounded by other families who were doing their best to stay alive without having to run away from the only home they’d ever known.
“That works for us,” I said, eager to get outside now that Grayson had mentioned a training session.
I hadn’t shifted since before the heat, but I could feel the restlessness setting in, making my skin itchy again.
Lia nudged me, a growing smirk on her face. “Are you ready for the horn?”
Markus groaned. “Please don’t ever say that to my sister again.”
His agony made me smile. “I can handle whatever you want to throw at me,” I replied to Lia.
“Good.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me past the group of men, then out the door without saying another word.
I glanced back at Grayson before I was pulled outside, but he smiled encouragingly at me.
“What are we doing?” I asked with a chuckle after her pace increased.
She glanced back at the house that was almost out of view. “Having some girl time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m already more than in love with Markus, but I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever. Please don’t tell me I’m the only one who feels that way.”
