Crane nods, stepping forward to hold out a syringe full of strange gray liquid. “I know. I took what you had left in your jacket. Just trust me and inject this intravenously.”
“A Crane, helping me freely?” I scoff. “When has that ever happened before?”
His expression turns almost sad before he shakes his head. “Never, but I can’t excuse my family. Just take the damn injection, Crypt. It will help.”
“Yes or no. Is this about appeasing your misplaced guilt after whatever you saw in my past?”
The fae who cannot fib easily deflects. “This will give Maven peace of mind. If you won't take it as my apology for blaming you for my family's demise all my life, then take it for the woman we're eternally bound to, you prick."
I glance at Maven, who looks as fucking amazing as ever as she rests peacefully.
She hates seeing me in pain.
With a sigh, I take the syringe from Crane and jam the damn thing into my arm.
40
BAELFIRE
What’s moreembarrassing than turning into a stupid, mindless beast for six months and roasting countless people for no good fucking reason?
The fact that my family witnessed all of it.
Everett gave me the rundown on how my dragon spent the last six months. Eating, burning shit, sleeping in caves, burning shit, killing people and—big surprise, setting fire to more shit. I was out of hand. Feral. I must have driven my entire family up the wall, since they took it upon themselves to try and protect me from hunters and anyone else trying to exterminate the threat I became.
Having my curse broken is fantastic. It means I’m in perfect harmony with my inner dragon again, but a part of me still wants to wring his scaly neck for everything he did over the last six months.
I can already picture how my mom will look at me when they arrive. She’ll be happy to see me back in my own head, but there’s no fucking way my stalwart commander mother won’t also get overwhelmed by her shifter emotions and cry a bit. My dads or brothers might crack a joke about something to try tomake me feel like things are back to normal, but with how bad I was for the last six months…
There’s not really a normal for me to go back to.
As relieved as I am that they’ve all been okay during the Upheaval, I can’t lie. I’m dreading seeing them again—especially because I’m not the same nice, happy Baelfire they’re used to.
I can be nice, sure. I can still be charming, if necessary.
But mostly, I’m over being a people person. Pretty sure none of my many “friends” from the good old days did anything but gawk at me with the rest of the world when I went feral and wound up in headlines all over the world. My family would never say it to me, but I did a number on our family name—and still, only they and my quintet members tried to help me when I was barely surviving in my own head.
So fuck being nice to everyone just for the sake of it. I’m much more interested in burning anyone who gets close to Maven without her permission.
I guess being trapped inside a monster for six fucking months changes a guy.
This morning is the war meeting Maven called for before the temple celebration shit tonight—but my family will get here before the meeting, which feels really fucking soon.
I’m pacing inside my old room in the quintet apartment when Maven knocks gently on the door, like she’s not sure if she’s allowed in. Which is fucking insane. It’s like she hasn’t fully realized that I’d gladly spend the rest of my life with her wrapped around me like a koala with absolutely no space between us ever again, if I could.
I pull her into the room, wrap her in my arms, and kiss her forehead. “Hey there, Mayflower. I like this,” I add, flicking her ponytail. “And Ilovethis,” I add with a grin, squeezing her perfect ass.
“You mean all those times I’ve caught you staring at my ass like you wanted to take a bite out of it wasn’t because you were completely indifferent? I’m shocked.” She stands on her tiptoes to kiss my chin. Then she examines my eyes with a knowing look. “You’re nervous about seeing your family.”
“I’m just in my head about it. I know they still love me and shit, but…” I grimace. “I can only remember blips over the last six months, and in most of those memories, I was roasting people. Not a great look for the Decimus family.”
“They care more about you than the family image.”
I know that. Still…
“This is going to be rough,” I sigh, burying my nose in the side of her neck to inhale her scent. How it’s so fucking soothing and yet so arousing at once is beyond me.
But if I thought that was arousing, it’s nothing compared to the moment Maven tugs playfully on my leash.
