In a haze, I go willingly as he guides me into his room and encourages me to take a seat on his bed. I’m overcome with… everything, but that calm look in his eyes and the scent of melted cheese in the air as he places the plate down beside me keeps me grounded.
“You need to eat, Elodie,” he says softly, pointing at the plate, and it’s only then that I realize it’s filled with a margherita pizza.
It smells divine and my stomach grumbles, but I can’t bring myself to reach for the first slice. Instead, my gaze finds Rion’s asI shake my head. “What the hell is going on, Rion?” I blurt, my mind still reeling as I recall today as a whole. Is it even still the same day? It feels like an eternity has passed.
His smile doesn’t dip, but the disbelief in his eyes is prominent. “I think we’ve realized tonight that the extent some people are willing to go to is more than we would ever have guessed.”
I scoff. “Who?”
“Isn’t that the question of the day? I never would have imagined Kael’s brother being so insane, but that’s my fault for thinking I’ve already seen the worst in life. Kael, however…” His gaze softens as he refers to his friend. “I’m stunned that we’re only just realizing the extent of all this because he actually didn’t want to cause you harm.”
My pulse quickens as my chest tightens, and I nod.
“It’s my fault,” I murmur, my blood running cold as I acknowledge the pain someone felt because of me. I might not have been the source, but I was definitely the reason, and that doesn’t seem to make it any better.
Rion moves in a flash, gripping my chin as he tilts my head back, staring deep into my eyes with a pointed stare. “It’s not your fault, Petal.” My eyebrows lift and his eyes narrow. “Don’t give me that look,” he grumbles, tilting my head an inch higher. “This is Jude’s fault. The ability to do something like this doesn’t just happen, definitely not from a vampire. It will have taken time, practice, and another energy source. I think Kael understood he used others for their magical abilities, but to this extent? That’s a deranged man who should carry the weight of this alone.”
The tightness in my chest eases as I blink at him, understanding slowly washing over me as I nod again. His grip on my chin loosens as I take a deep breath.
“I should go,” I mumble, unsure why when I don’t really want to be alone right now, but today has been another mind fuck and I don’t want that to project onto everyone else as well.
“Stay, please. I need to know you’re safe,” Rion whispers, crowding my space. “But I need you to eat too, Petal. You need to be stronger than ever, and that’s not going to happen if you’re skipping meals.” His eyebrow rises in challenge and my lips part, ready to defend myself, but no words come out as my stomach cramps and gurgles with hunger.
The smug look that breezes across his face makes my lips twist in irritation, but instead of speaking a word and admitting out loud that he’s right, I grab a piece of the cheesy pizza from the plate beside me and take a huge bite.
His eyes don’t leave me, watching my every move as I devour the first slice. Only then does he take a step back.
My heart rate finally starts to ease as he slips into his walk-in closet while I move on to my next slice. I’m three pieces down by the time he returns with a t-shirt and a pair of boxers in his hands, a satisfied grin on his face.
“You can sleep in these tonight,” he offers, laying them on the bed beside me.
I rake my teeth over my bottom lip, emotions churning in my gut, and it takes me a second to differentiate between nerves and excitement; it’s definitely the latter.
“I don’t mind running to my room to get something,” I reply, and he scoffs, slipping his finger under my chin as he tilts my head back a little.
“You’re not going anywhere, Petal. Now eat up so I can snuggle with my girl,” he insists, and for the first time in my life, I do as I’m told without causing a fuss first.
The moment the pizza is gone, with his help in demolishing the final two slices, I step into his bathroom and get ready for bed. There’s a freshly packaged toothbrush waiting for mebeside the sink, which I make quick use of once I’m settled into his t-shirt and boxers.
Today has been insane. Between Thorne and Kael, I’m lost in every sense of the word, but with Rion, I never feel lost in his proximity. It’s the one place I don’t question things as much. His presence is almost calming.
Acknowledging his effect on me has me quickly hurrying back into his room to find him sprawled out on his bed with the duvet stopping at his waist. Raking my gaze over his body, I take a second to appreciate the muscles that tighten his core and the cords that protrude from his forearms, which make me shiver.
“I know you like what you see, Petal, but tonight I’m being an honorable man. Don’t make me break the vow I made to myself,” he breathes, and my gaze finally reaches his face, and I gulp.
Damn this man.
Wordlessly, I climb into bed beside him, slipping beneath the sheets, and he instantly pulls me into his arms. With my head nestled on his chest, my leg hiked over his thigh and his hand drawing circles on my back, I settle against him like this is the only way I’ve ever managed to get comfortable in my life.
The rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my chest, combined with the show playing on the television, draws me into a sense of calmness.
Sleep claims me over and over as the night passes around me. I feel myself toss and turn, but every time, he finds me in the darkness, bringing me back against his chest, where I snuggle in and pass out once again.
Until morning comes.
I’m not ready for it.
Dazed, I bask in the warmth of my wolf and freeze.
