After kissing the last scarred spot on my neck, she looked up at me. There wasn’t any pity in her eyes. There was empathy, but no pity. “Damien, I love you—”
I cupped her face and smashed my lips to hers, slipping my tongue in her mouth. I needed her. My soul was screaming to become one with her again.
She pushed against my shoulders gently, and I leaned back with a pout. “Let me finish what I was saying. I love you, and I love all of your scars. They signify who you are and what you’ve overcome. I’m so proud of you.”
Hot tears slid down my cheeks, and I blinked a few times before realizing I was crying. A smile broke onto my lips. “You’ve overcome a lot, too.”
She worked her bottom lip between her teeth before sucking it into her mouth. “We’re mates, Damien. You complete a part of my soul, and I want to do that for you, too.”
I pulled her closer and inhaled her scent. Wren was my safe place, and I loved her more than I could put into words.
TWENTY-ONE
Wren
Stretchingoutonthebed, I fumbled over the comforter to notice I was alone in the room. I rubbed my eyes with one hand while I covered my yawn with the other. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and blinked at the golden light streaming through the one round window in Damien’s room.
Damien and I had fallen asleep in each other’s arms after he’d told me about his past. My heart bled for him. I didn’t understand humans.
I’d woken up sometime in the night when Rhett slid into the bed behind me. He wrapped an arm around my waist above Damien’s, and I fell back asleep in an instant between the two of them, feeling a warmth bloom in the depths of my soul.
After so many years sleeping alone on a cold, creaky bed, I appreciated the comfort being between my mates provided me. I’d slept beside Rowan, Thorn, and Damien frequently, but I’d never slept next to Rhett. He never usually opened himself up to me long enough for that.
Swinging my legs off the side of the bed, I climbed to my feet and found the en-suite bathroom empty.
I wasn’t sure what time the meeting with the council was, but I assumed the guys would have woken me up if it were any time soon. They were probably getting breakfast. I trudged over to my bag and pulled out a change of clothes. There wasn’t a chance I’d pass up the opportunity to seize a shower after the amount of sweat that poured off my body yesterday.
Taking refuge in Damien’s shower was heavenly. His peppermint scent clung to the shower, and I used the peppermint shampoo he had on the ledge. The icy water cascaded down my body, cooling off my overheated skin.
Damien opening up to me about his past had touched me. I hated that I’d overheard the maids, and in turn, forced him to tell me something he wasn’t ready for. At the same time, I was thankful he trusted me enough to tell me about it. I loved him fiercely, and he needed to know that. If I ever saw the human girl who did that to him, I would have to fight the urge to kill her—she deserved it.
I sucked in a gasp at my thought and turned the water off. There weren’t many times I’d wished someone dead. I’d never wanted to kill someone so much. I slid a hand over my face, watching the lingering water droplets fly to the ground.
Pulling my emotions together, I stepped out and grabbed a towel to dry off before dressing in the white pleated skirt and short-sleeved blue button-up Alister had given me to wear for the meeting.
Once dressed, I curled up on the side of the bed as I waited for someone to come get me. I didn’t feel comfortable walking through their home to find the guys, since I’d run into trouble last night with the maids.
A buzz from my bag lying next to me drew my attention, and I reached into it to pull out the tablet.
Thorn’s name flashed on my screen, and I let out a gleeful sound as I clicked the button to answer.
“Everything okay, Kit?” his voice rang through the room, and longing poured out of me through our bond. I’d missed him so much.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I miss you.”
“What about me, fledgling?” Rowan’s deep voice shot through my core, and I grinned.
“Of course. You both are a piece of me. I’ll always miss you when I’m away.”
Two chuckles echoed through the tablet, and my cheeks heated as longing shot down both bonds.
“Where are Damien and Rhett?” Rowan asked.
“Ah, they’re in the house.” The bond tugged for Damien, signaling his closeness. “I just got out of the shower. Rhett’s probably around too. I just woke up not long ago.”
“They left you in the room alone?” Rowan growled.
“Even when they promised not to let you out of their sight?” Thorn asked, his tone icy.
