Vaelyn’s brows furrow further. “I-I can’t.”
“Why not?” I ask.
Her nostrils flare wide. It seems I’ve struck a chord. “Because I don’t need you to take care of me.”
Leaning forward, I grip her chin with my free hand. “I’m not doing this because I have to; I’m doing it because Iwantto. Iwantto take care of you, even though you don’t need it. Iwantyou here with us because having you in my vicinity makes it feel like a piece of me has returned when I didn’t know it was gone in the first place. Being with you three has made me feel the best I have in a long time.”
Vaelyn rolls her eyes, and Roxi snags the credit card from my hand, saying, “You guys go take care of the case. We’ll be here waiting for you. Although I’m going to order more than just food. Avyanna, Vaelyn, and I don’t have clothes that fit here because, let’s face it, you’re a hell of a lot taller than we are.”
I lean forward to kiss Vaelyn before I release her chin. Then I beckon Roxi toward me. She climbs across the bed eagerly, stopping right in front of me. My fingers sweep a piece of hair that’s fallen in her line of sight, and I kiss her lightly. “Please do. Whatever your heart desires. But just know I’d rather watch you all walk around here naked.”
Avie and I make our way to the most recent scene in silence. We haven’t discussed what she said about the four of us being soulmates of a sort since before everything happened last night, but I feel a hell of a lot more connected to the others since our escapades. My clit comes to life at the thought, and I cuss myself out internally because we’re almost to the scene.
As we approach, I notice that this courtyard is nearly identical to the one where Avie ran into me. It feels like it’s been forever since that day already.
S.I.R.E.N. is just finishing up securing the area, while a couple of supes stand guard just outside the entryway, dressed like ordinary police officers to draw less suspicion. Unlike Avie, I’m not able to tell what kind of supes they are, so I approach with caution.
“They’re just shifters. You’re fine. Nothing to worry about from them,” Avie whispers.
I relax a little and continue toward them. “Good morning. I’m here with B.I.T.E. to assess the scene.”
One of the men scoffs. “Didn’t realize your organization was in such desperate need of help that they recruited a hunter. You’re really weaseling your way in there, aren’t you?”
Avyanna steps forward, anger rolling off her in waves. “I am here of my own volition. The D.A.M.N.E.D. do not own me, nor have they ever owned me. I’m a free agent and can do as I please. If you don’t believe me, contact them for yourselves, but I don’t see how this concerns you either way.”
The shifter takes step after step backward to avoid Avyanna, but he runs into a wall as the last words leave her lips. Color drains from his face, and it takes everything in me not to laugh at the man. There’s a reason you don’t piss off my little mimic: she’s dangerous, and everyone knows it.
I walk up behind her and grab her by the waist. “Now, now, Avie. You can’t eat the shifter just because he mouthed off to you.” She instantly relaxes into me, and I flash the shifter a sly grin. “But since we’ve cleared the air, we’ll head into the scene. Have a good day, boys.”
Chapter twenty-two
Roxi and I lie in bed for a bit longer before our bladders scream at us to get up. We each take our turns in the bathroom before crawling back into bed. It’s so comfortable that all I want to do is fall back asleep, but Roxi’s stomach rumbles, so I get up and look around for a laptop—we all know Adrestia has to have at least one.
I’ve never actually looked around the penthouse. The first time I was here was when Adrestia literally ran into me. You know the rest of what happened that night. Then, when we got here last night, I was so focused on taking care of Roxi that I didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings. This morning, I’m trying to be a lot more cognizant of everything.
I enter the hall from Adrestia’s room, looking both ways so I can decide where to start first. Down the hall to my right, everything is dark, and all I see at the end of the hall is the door to the guest bedroom. To my left, the sun shines brightlythrough Adrestia’s million and one windows, illuminating a small portion of the living room. I head down that way, passing a few other doors that lead to a half-bath, a linen closet, and a laundry room that has no business being anywhere near as big as it is.
The last doorway I come to doesn’t actually have a door on it, so I step in, and my eyes widen. The first thing I notice is bookcases lining an entire wall, filled to the brim with books of all kinds. I’m instantly drawn to it, admiring the spines of books ranging in age from those that are almost falling apart to those that are glossy and unmarred.
This is something I never would’ve seen in the nest. The elders dictated every single aspect of our education, down to the books we read and the supplies we used.
When I come to the old wooden desk, I smile. It’s one that has the rolltop lid over it and several drawers with metal handles. My fingers skim over the well-polished wood before they find purchase on the metal handle at the opening. I barely bump into it, and it opens, causing me to jump back a little. I certainly didn’t expect it to be automatic, given its antique look.
As it lifts, my eyes land on the exact thing I was looking for: a laptop. I don’t even wait for the lid to open all the way before I’m unplugging the laptop and snatching it to scurry back to Roxi. I’ve been away for long enough that I’m sure she’s starving by now.
Walking down the hall, I say, “Sorry, Rox. I got distracted. You should see all the books Adrestia has in her study. Or is it called an office? I have no clue. But I did find her laptop!”
Her laughter filters down the hall toward me. “I think you need to get laid more often. You’re so much happier when you do.”
I laugh as I walk through the doorway. “Honestly, I think most people are happier when they get laid.”
She rolls her eyes, and I throw the laptop on the bed just before I tackle her. Her shriek pierces my ears as I land on her, both of us still very naked, but I love the feel of her skin against mine. I bury my face in her neck, peppering it with kisses, and she squeals.
“Vae, stop! I’m hungryyyyy,” she whines.
“I have something you can eat.”
She shoves me. “That satisfies another type of hunger, not this one.”
