I wasted no time in walking up to the tinted vehicle and flinging open the backseat of the car before it had even finished rolling to a stop. When I looked inside, I could see Troian driving, his head whipping to see me as he finished pressing the brakes and the car officially stopped. When I dared a glance at the backseat, I could have burst into tears as I saw the figure waiting there on the other side waiting for me. Tears shimmied against my eyes as I took in a zigzagged breath.
“Qwill.”
He gave me a small smile as I flung myself inside the SUV, desperate to feel his warmth and his touch. As soon as I crashed my head into his chest and felt his arms wrap around me, everything else ceased to exist to me. My body rocked as sobs spilled out of my mouth, unable to keep it in anymore now that I was surrounded by his intoxicating aroma of earthy delight and fresh rain.
Being in his arms felt like the most right thing in the world, like everything had finally righted itself since the kidnapping and the universe was back on track to its rightful path.
“It’s okay, baby.” Qwill said, swirling patterns with his fingertips across my clothed back, squeezing me tight as my sobs reached completion, sniffling into his black t-shirt and taking lungfuls of his scent into my body. “You’re okay. You’re safe. Everything’s going to be okay.”
And because it was Qwill saying it, I knew that it would be. Because I was in his arms, it felt like everything really would be okay again. I might be feeling out of sorts right now, but being enveloped by Qwill’s muscles, everything would align itself accordingly.
Still holding on to Qwill, I heard one of the front door’s of the SUV close. I opened my eyes, directing them towards the front of the vehicle. Troian had his body twisted toward me front the driver’s seat and Bas was now mirroring the same thing from the passenger seat. Looks of ultimate worry coveredtheir faces and it hurt my soul that I was the cause of their current stress.
“I’m okay,” I iterated, slightly nodding the side of my head into Qwill’s chest. “I’m alright. Or I will be.”
They both gave me a synchronized nod and turned back in their seats. Troian threw the vehicle into drive and started speeding away from the police station, hopefully taking me back to my apartment where I could at least pretend that I was safe from the horrors of the world.
My head spun, but the affection I felt pouring from Qwill’s touch was doing a lot to ease me into a more consistent state of calm. I felt Qwill’s hand snake between us so that he could pivot his palm against my jaw, making me look at him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am now.” I smiled weakly, leaning up and placing the lightest of kisses on his lips before curling my face into his neck.
“I was so worried about you, baby.” Qwill’s voice wobbled with emotion and it was enough to make my cry, hearing how much he cared about me from the tone of his voice. My tears were stalled as he made me look at him again. “I don’t ever want to feel that scared again.”
Seeing the potential tears wanting to be let out from Qwill’s golden eyes made mine stay in place. I hated that he’d been so bereft in my absence and I wanted to reassure him just as much as his being in this vehicle with me right now was doing for me. “I’m alright, Qwill. I just want to go back home and recluse from the world for a bit.”
“Kroven’s waiting at the apartment,” Bas offered from the front seat, looking over and seeing him tap away a text to his beloved on his phone. “Any requests for food being delivered to the apartment?”
My mouth watered at the idea of food. I hadn’t been too hungry while I’d been in the warehouse despite that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast this morning. Something about survivingmade having an appetite the last thing on your mind, it seemed.
“Pizza. Just pepperoni. The greasier, the better.” I called up to him, curling into Qwill’s embrace once more.
It wasn’t until Qwill’s fingers started combing through my hair that I felt the ease settling into my bones again. Now that I was wrapped around my man and feeling safe in his arms, surrounded by the support of my best friend and my twin, my body felt like it could accurately relax. And before I knew it, with Qwill’s fingers soothing trails against my scalp, my consciousness was taken from me as I fell asleep.
Chapter 23
“Thayer, we're here.”
The sound of Qwill's voice brought me out of a dreamless sleep. I didn't much remember falling asleep, having missed the entire drive back to my apartment. I slowly allowed my body to wake up, pausing as I realized I was still blanketed in Qwill's arms. His handsome scaled face was in perfect view, and I leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, just needing another taste of affection from him before I returned to the turmoil of reality.
“We're back at your apartment.”
I nodded, not wanting to leave the backseat with him but having the scrumptious urge to be back in my most familiar setting following the dark and dank that the warehouse had to offer. Troian dropped us off right outside the apartment building so he could go park the car in the designated parking behind the building. With Qwill and Bas on either side of me, we made our way up to my apartment.
Once I slid my keys inside, I was greeted with Kroven sitting with his legs crossed on the couch, holding up and reading a newspaper he'd probably brought with him because I sure as hell didn't have one around the apartment. As soon as he sawour entry, he folded the newspaper on the other side of the couch and ambled over to us. Bas shut the door behind us as Kroven gave me the sympathetic glint of his blood red eyes.
“I won't waste time asking if you're okay,” Kroven nodded. “But I'm glad you're alright and back with us, Thayer.”
“Thanks, Kroven.” I nodded back, glancing around my apartment and noticing that the door to Bas' old bedroom that shared a wall with the living room was pried open and I could just make out belongings that I didn't recognize. I glanced over at Bas as he ambled over and gave Kroven a quick kiss on the cheek before standing next to him. “Are you guys staying?”
Bas gave the briefest of affirmations with the shaking of his head positively. “We thought we'd stay the night. If that's okay with you, of course.”
“We'd totally understand if you wanted your space.” Kroven added, wrapping a hand around Bas' waist, pulling his lover closer against him.
I felt Qwill do the same, wordlessly claiming me as his. When I turned and looked into his handsome face, I felt instantly at ease again.
“Whatever makes you the most comfortable.” Qwill iterated.
