Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ava
Iawoke alone.
The light coming through the windows was pale. Disoriented, I thought I must have slept until sunset. Then I realized that the light was on the wrong side of the house.
It wasn’t dusk, it was dawn. I’d slept for over twelve hours.
Groggy, I sat up on the edge of the bed and looked around. I was in Macgrath’s room and every stick of furniture was exactly as it had been before he destroyed it. Kerry must have used a spell to repair the damage. I appreciated it because without it I wouldn’t have had anywhere to sleep.
Rising to my feet, I wondered if Macgrath had ever returned last night. My heart ached at the thought of him staying away. I wanted to search for him, but I had more pressing needs at the moment. Mainly those of my bladder.
I walked into the bathroom and stopped short. My toiletries were organized on the countertop and my favorite robe hung from a hook by the shower. Confused, I wandered over to the counter and looked at the bottles and creams that sat on the mirrored tray I used at home.
A sharp pain bloomed low in my abdomen, reminding me that I had been unconscious for too long and I was ready to burst. I hurried to the small room that held the toilet and locked myself inside.
Once I finished, I washed my hands and left the bathroom. I moved to the walk-in closet in the bedroom and opened it, my mouth falling open. Along one wall, my clothes were hung neatly, organized exactly as I liked them, by garment and color. I was a bit anal about my closet because I wanted to be able to find exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. The fact that someone had taken the time to note that and make sure they replicated it here was surprising.
I left the closet door open and headed for the dresser against the wall. It had been nearly empty yesterday. Macgrath was only using one drawer.
I pulled one of the empty drawers out and gaped when I saw my undergarments neatly folded inside. I knew it wasn’t everything I owned because I loved clothes and lacy underwear, but it was more than enough for a few days. More like enough for a few weeks.
The house was quiet as I left the room and walked down the hallway. The guest room doors were all open and the rooms were empty. All the beds were made and there was no sign that my friends had even been there.
I walked into the kitchen and found a pot of coffee brewing, but there was no one around.
I looked out the front windows and saw nothing, so I headed toward the back deck.
Enormous windows were set in the back wall of the house, overlooking an idyllic meadow surrounded by trees. The sun was coming up over the horizon now, hues of orange, pink, and red taking over the sky.
I was transfixed by what I saw through the glass. Callum, Marcus, and Macgrath were all stripped to the waist and they were sparring. All three of them. Their breath steamed the cool morning air and their skin dripped with sweat despite the fact that they were shirtless.
I watched as they moved slowly, then quickly, through defensive moves and different attack styles. It was a sight to behold. Especially considering Marcus’ very interesting tattoos.
I decided to enjoy the view while sipping coffee and quickly fixed a cup for myself. I’d just settled into a chair on the back deck, a blanket wrapped around me like a large shawl, when Macgrath stopped in mid-motion and looked toward me.
At the same moment, Callum lunged and knocked Macgrath on his ass. I lifted my mug to hide my smirk as a poof of dirt flew up when Macgrath hit the ground hard. I knew he wasn’t hurt. It was clear they weren’t using their full strength, just warming up or cooling down. Honestly, I hoped they were warming up because watching three beautiful, shirtless men work out sounded like the perfect way to start the day.
Macgrath scowled up at Callum when he reached down to help him to his feet, but he took his hand, muttering something that had his friend laughing.
He walked away, leaving Callum and Marcus to their sparring and bounded up the steps to the back deck. Macgrath stopped next to the chair and crouched down, his hands on the arm. I took a deep breath, inhaling his crisp, addictive scent. He smelled like cold air and spice, a combination that went straight to my head.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
“Good,” I replied. “A little groggy but more like myself. Twelve hours of sleep will do that for a girl.”
His brows lifted. “Try thirty-six.”
I nearly spit my coffee out. “What?”
He reached out as if to brush my hair off my cheek, but hesitated, as if he was uncertain if I would be receptive. “You slept for a day and a half. It freaked me out, but Kerry promised that you were fine. They left last night with Caleb.”
“Who’s Caleb?” I asked.
Macgrath’s jaw tightened. “The man that Rhiannon used Gaius’ spell on. She created anotheranimavorelike Rhys, only she made him easier to control.”
“How is he?” I sipped my coffee and eyed Macgrath. He still had his mental shields in place so I couldn’t ascertain how he was feeling.
