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She covers her mouth, her chin trembling as she starts to cry. I’m glad the guys went out for groceries, because she needs space to feel whatever she’s going to feel. She doesn’t need prying eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispers, reaching out to take my hand. Her eyes are red, cheeks streaked with tears. “I was so scared. Those men came and injected me again, and I thought I was going to…”
I nod. “Oberon went through it, too,” I say. “But he got through it. We did the same for you.”
“Oberon,” she echoes. “Boyfriend…?”
“One of,” I say with a smile. “I’m packed up. Oberon and Gunnar. They’re out right now but they’ll be back soon.”
“And I didn’t try anything with them, did I?”
I laugh softly and shake my head again. “No. All three of us are marked, and whatever the eros does, it seems like it turns off our heat and rut sensitivity.”
“And Roman? Where is he?”
“Lying low somewhere else in the city,” I say. “We’ll get in touch with him as soon as we can. Oberon has his info.”
“Well…thank you,” Cassie says. “I don’t know if I can ever make it up to you.”
“Seriously, don’t worry about it,” I say. “But…you’re probably wanting a shower and a change of clothes, huh? Let me get you a towel.”
Cassie nods, gratitude shining in her tired eyes as I help her sit up slowly. I grab a fresh towel and a change of clothes, placing them beside her on the couch. She takes it all in with a soft sigh, the weight of what she’s been through evident in every line of her face.
As she heads to the bathroom to freshen up, I move to the small kitchenette, putting on a pot of water for tea. The sound of it boiling is a comforting background noise as I collect my thoughts. It’s always a precarious balance—staying one step ahead of danger, keeping those I care about safe, and navigating the tangled web of alliances and enemies in this ruthless world.
I hear a knock at the door just after the pot boils, and I go to slide the deadbolts open. We keep a tight ship here—it’s the only way to live—but I know that knock and that scent, and I find Oberon and Gunnar on the other side, laden down with groceries. They walk in and head toward the kitchen, Oberon looking over at the empty couch.
“She’s awake?” Gunnar asks quietly. “Is she okay?”
“Physically, yes.” I don’t let on more than necessary. “But the rest…that’s the part we need to worry about.”
Oberon nods, sympathetic. It wasn’t long ago that he was going through the same thing. He leans against the counter and crosses his arms, deep in thought.
“Did she say anything about the cult?” Gunnar asks.
I go quiet, not sure how much I want to talk about this. Of course I want to figure out what’s going on, but it’s been bringing some stuff up for me. Bad stuff.
Scary stuff.
“She’s really not sure, but it has to be connected,” I say. “I’ve been connecting the dots…a clandestine meeting at Dreamland, my escape, then they dose Oberon and now Cassie? And Caius Rossi’s wife is tied up with some kind of…I don’t know, fertility cult?”
Gunnar cocks his head. “Where’d you get that?”
“Get what?”
“‘Fertility cult,’” he replies.
“Nero said—“
“I don’t remember Nero saying that exactly,” Gunnar says. His voice softens and he looks at me in concern. “Ais…we never talked about your memories and what happened at Nero’s mansion. Are you okay?”
I step back, muscles stiff from the tension that never truly eases. I know I need to talk, but there’s a chasm opening within me, filled with past horrors and present fears.
I need space to breathe, to keep the panic at bay.
Then we can talk.
After I’m calm…after I’ve figured this out.
