AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His words are cut off by the slam of a door and the four of us whirl around to the source of the sound to see the man himself before us. Relief floods through me as his onyx eyes find mine, but it’s short-lived when I notice his hands clench at his sides and the way he pants with every breath.
“Creed,” I breathe, worry consuming me for an entirely different reason now as I gape helplessly at my man.
“What the fuck happened?” Eldon asks, the first to take a step toward him, but he shakes his head. Tension ripples from him in thick waves, rooting me to the spot.
It’s almost like he’s a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment, and we’re going to feel the backlash, no matter the distance.
Wordlessly, he storms right past us, heading to his room and, a second later, another slam booms through the house as his bedroom door shuts behind him.
FIFTEEN
RAVEN
My gaze moves from the closed door, to Brax, to Zane, then to Eldon. All of us have the same bewilderment scrunching our eyebrows as we stress over Creed.
“What are we supposed to do?” I ask, feeling helpless, but I can’t just sit here any longer and wait for him to come out of his room. He might not be ready to explain what the fuck just happened, but selfishly, my heart is tearing up inside and nothing makes sense.
“I don’t know. Creed is usually the level-headed one,” Zane admits, swiping a hand down his face.
Fuck this. I need to know he’s okay. I just need… something.
Rushing to his door, I knock. “Creed?” My pulse pounds in my ears, but no response comes.Please, answer me.It feels like the distance between us now that he’s home is greater than it was when he wasn’t here and it’s suffocating. “Creed?” I repeat, tapping against the wood once more.
“Fuck. Off.”
My heart aches at the snarl on his tongue, but I know deep down it’s not aimed at me. I’m just the closest one to him to feel his wrath.
“Don’t speak to her like that,” Brax snarls, pounding his fist against the door. Silence greets him in response, which does nothing to ease the rapid rise and fall of my gargoyle’s chest.
“What the fuck happened?” Eldon mutters as I place my palm flat against the door, separating me from my onyx-eyed man.
“I don’t know,” I whisper, powerless to the pain consuming the room.
“Well, we can’t help until we know. Come and sit back down with me, Little Bird.” Eldon takes my other hand, but I don’t want to move. My fingers splay against the wood, praying for Creed to just appear, but nothing happens. “Come on, Raven,” Eldon encourages, sensing my anguish as I reluctantly take a step back.
My hand falls with a slap on my thigh as Eldon pulls me in close and guides me to the sofas, which have now been returned to their usual spots.
Dropping down into a seat, Eldon’s arm drapes around my shoulders, keeping me close as Zane sits on my other side while Brax paces back and forth in front of us. It’s not easy when the one we would usually turn to in moments like this is on the opposite side of the door. Both physically and mentally.
The constant help he’s given me, the reassurances, I want to give it all back to him, but how?
As if sensing my inner turmoil, the click of a door sounds and, a moment later, Creed appears in his doorway. His head is down, his dark hair flopping over his face as his fingers flex at his sides. He knows he’s putting a wall up between us, something he wouldn’t want us to do to him. He’s fighting himself, for us, forme, proving he’s far stronger than I’ll ever be.
With a heavy sigh, he takes a step, then another, and another, until he’s standing right before me. His eyes lock on mine and he drops to his knees while my heart gallops in my chest. His lipspart, but whatever he’s about to say doesn’t come as Brax slams his fist into his face, knocking him backward.
“Brax!” I slip out of Eldon’s hold and drop to my knees beside Creed. Blood trickles from his nose and he wipes at it without a single ounce of anger.
“Don’t ever speak to her like that again,” Brax growls, the floor practically vibrating with his anger.
“Brax,” I repeat, lifting my hand in his direction for him to stop.
His eyes widen innocently as he shrugs. “What? He's lucky I didn’t shift my fist before hitting him.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I shake my head and turn back to Creed, who is sitting up again.
“Creed?” I murmur, tentatively reaching my hand out, and when he doesn’t inch away, I place my palm on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Raven.” The pain in his eyes is clear. But I don’t give a shit if he told me to fuck off or not. This is his safe place. I want to be his safe place. Two inconsequential words are nothing.
