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“Bloody morons,” I growl, placing it in the underwear and folding the wings over the sides.
“Have you used them before?” Kalen asks, and I raise an eyebrow at him. I blink at him. Thank god he’s good-looking because, damn, sometimes I question his intellect.
“Common sense, fool,” I growl.
“Now, how do we put it on her while she is passed out?” Tobias questions, and we all look at the bed.
“We could always lay a tarp under her,” Lycus says, and Tobias snickers, and I glance at him.
“What? We could. Then we won’t have to worry about her freaking out if she wakes up while we’re undressing her.” I shake my head, walking over to her to remove her jeans. “Get me a cloth,” I order, quickly cleaning her and placing the panties on her. I tuck the surrounding blanket over her, and Tobias climbs under the blanket, tucking her close. Standing up, Kalen and Lycus are staring at me.
“What?” I ask. Tobias rolls his eyes.
“Darius cared for his mother for years. Stop staring at him like that,” Tobias snaps at them.
“Thankfully, I never had to deal with her shredding, though. But it was pretty much the same thing, so stop staring at me,” I growl. Kalen shakes his head, climbing into bed beside Tobias.
“We know that. It’s just odd seeing you care for her. Almost feels like you had a brain transplant,” Lycus snickers.
“Shut up,” I tell him on my way to the closet so I can get changed.
“You think it was the council that time,” Tobias calls out.
“Who else would it be?” I tell him. Yet it makes me wonder if she figured out she is here.
“Her parents,” he says.
“We masked her,” I tell him. My mind instantly goes to Lydia, Aleera’s mother.
“Yes, until she used Lycus’ magic earlier, it would have been like a beacon for those with power-tracing gifts.”
I mulled over his words. We had been hunting her parents since they tried to kill her; now we know why they did it, and I know Lydia would stop at nothing to get her hands back on her daughter. Walking out, I stop at the end of the bed.
“We have an entire army. I won’t let them touch her,” I assure him.
“But if she knows they’re alive, what if she goes looking for them?” Tobias questions, brushing his hand down her cheek. Well, one is alive. My mates aren’t aware that Aleera’s father, Grayson, already met his demise.
“She won’t. We are her mates,” Kalen whispers.
“But after everything?” Lycus murmurs worriedly. I bite the inside of my lip.
“She wasn’t the only one who lost everything, Lycus,” I tell him. Although, I now feel even worse after she saved me. She saved me despite everything I have forced her to endure. Despite my cruelty.
ChapterThree
Aleera
Pain radiates through my stomach, so I roll over, only for my nose to be invaded with Lycus’ scent. A hand moves across my stomach, heat radiating out of it, and I sigh as the pain eases. I glance over my shoulder to see Darius pressed against me. Darius kisses my shoulder while his thumb brushes my stomach gently. He tugs me closer so I am flush against him. His entire body heats like my very own personal hot water bottle.
“It’s late. You should try to go back to sleep,” Darius murmurs. However, I’m sure I can’t sleep knowing he’s lying beside me. It puts me on edge, yet I am reluctant to move away.
“What happened to the hellhounds?” I ask, confused. I have no memory of returning here or anything since I passed out.
“Nothing. Tobias and Lycus got to us in time,” Darius whispers. The memory of teeth and claws trying to get to us makes me cringe. Shivering, I jam my feet between Lycus’ legs in an attempt to warm them. Lycus hisses at how cold they are when I realize I have no pants on. I lift the blanket and peer under it. To find I only have underwear and one of their shirts on.
“I changed you. You bled through your pants,” Darius whispers behind me. My face heats at that thought before shaking it off. I have literally bled on his lap in the shower, and he doesn’t seem fazed.
“Geez, your feet are freezing,” Lycus hisses. He wiggles a little closer and rubs my thighs along with the back of my legs, trying to warm them. My heart races with their closeness, yet the bond soars, enjoying their skin against mine. It takes everything in me not to reach out and bury my face in Lycus’ neck or climb on him. Yet I don’t want to move away from my demonic hot water bottle either, especially not while he’s being nice.
