“No more of that,” Bastian nipped my ear as I squirmed against him, loving the easy way he pushed through my walls. I didn’t have to question if he was mad or not, I could tell he wasn’t. “We both know you don’t want to be alone. Do we need to go scream into some pillows? I can see your beautiful brain working overtime.”
“My brain isn’t working,” I argued as he walked us into the house, my gaze darting over the shattered coffee mugs on the kitchen floor from the fight. “If it was, I would be making way better decisions.”
He was quiet for a long time as he carried me, brows pulled together as he climbed the stairs. “Don’t let Steele get inside of your head, Darling,” Bastian finally murmured as we made it to the floor where my bedroom was. “You’re figuring out what you need as time goes on. There’s nothing wrong with that. He’s just a jealous bastard.”
“It's not that simple—” I argued as he plopped me down on the bed.
“Oh, but it is,” Bastian said, his expression turning momentarily dark, “and I don’t like that his words are bothering you so much. He was fine until you showed even a little affection to any of us this morning. He’s jealous and selfish, Darling.”
My brow dipped at his words, but Bastian simply knocked off his shoes and crawled into the bed next to me. He used his magic to close the door and turn the TV on. Despite everything that had happened, the cloudy day created a cozy atmosphere, and I melted against his side as he pulled me close.
“What are we doing?” I asked softly.
“Movies—we are watching a ton of movies to keep you occupied and relaxed.” He nodded toward the screen before using a nearby remote to flip through the massive list that he called a menu.
I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek to his shoulder. “I don’t know what to do, Bastian.”
“Don’t worry, Darling,” Bastian mused as he dragged me in close to his side, “your harem will figure itself out.”
“Bastian,” I grumbled, groaning as I shook my head, “that’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.” He looked down at me and kissed my nose so gently that I blinked in surprise. “If it means making you happy, which should be any of our goals, I am willing to share your attention with the others. And if Steele, Ronan, or Gabe can’t accept that…”
He didn’t need to finish his sentence. I knew he was implying that they could fuck off. But the problem was that I didn’t want them going anywhere, specifically Ronan or Gabe. Swallowing down the overwhelming mass of emotions threatening to choke me, I buried myself against Bastian and tried my best to not overthink it.
I failed, finding myself unable to focus on whatever movie he decided on.
Did he really think that was an option? He implied that I wouldn’t have to choose between all of the men who had slowly clawed pieces of my heart into their palms. I always knew that my complicated emotions toward multiple men could end disastrously, but I guess I never considered that there could be a different outcome.
Something told me I wouldn’t be that lucky, though.
RONAN
Ihad no idea how long I stared at the forest floor, lost in thought. My gaze narrowed on the rotting leaves and broken branches underneath my boots. A frustrated rumble crawled up my throat for what was no doubt the millionth time.
This was bullshit.
Not entirely because of what happened between Kieran and Steele but because I was normally so good at regulating my emotions. I prided myself on being a stable and centered person. Not this time, though. Although, the satisfying crunch of Steele’s teeth under my fist wasn’t something I regretted in the slightest, not with the way he spoke about Kieran.
I couldn’t deny that I was jealous of Steele’s claims about what he and Kieran had done, but it wasn’t the fact that they were intimate thatreallybothered me. What upset me was the idea that there were already multiple men pushing for a spot by her side.
For a bastard like him to push his way into her life…Well, it hurt to think that she could want someone like that when she already had me. Hell, she had two options besides me that were better than Steele. Bastian may be a touch unstable, but he’dmanaged to show composure and stability for Kieran so far, and Gabe was frustratingly respectful and decent. But Steele? He treated Kieran in a way that was completely unacceptable.
He didn’t deserve her attention, let alone anything more than that.
I turned my gaze skyward to watch Niz’s small form circle through the air above me, keeping an eye on me while simultaneously giving me space. I could feel his anxiety through our bond, but what was stronger than that was his desire to be back with Kieran. Grumbling, I realized I needed to go back to the house to talk to her, especially since it had been a few hours since I’d stormed off.
I whistled low once to signal Niz to come down to me, and he dove in an impressive show of sharp turns and a flip before landing on my shoulder. “I’m surprised you stayed out here with me, buddy.”
Niz offered me what could only be described as a frustrated huff before shaking his head, as if annoyed with me.
“I know, I know,” I agreed with a heavy sigh before stroking the rough scales of his forehead. He preened at the touch and I couldn’t help but smile. “We’ll go back.”
Apparently, I didn’t need to make a decision onwhento go back because seconds later, the sound of wings beating through the air and boots dropping heavily onto the ground had me whirling around. Gabe walked through a section of nearby trees, seeming relieved to see the two of us as his shoulders sagged.
“All day,”he huffed out as his eyebrows scrunched together. “I searched this damn camp for hours to find the two of you between checking back in at the house to see if you’d returned.” I shrugged, not really knowing what to say to him. He heaved a deep breath before continuing, “We need to head back.”
“Why?” I asked, not disagreeing with him but curious why he needed me.
