“You wear your heritage the same way your brother does. And all your sisters. I could understand how overwhelming this must be, but, Deena, you are a Cabal. Where we come from, the Cabals are royalty.”
I reach for her, running my hand over her shoulders. “It does explain why you’re so entitled, always thinking you should be able to eat the last of everything. And the first!” I tease her gently, although there’s truth in what I say. Deena has an air about her that is sometimes in complete contrast to the warm-hearted, quiet soul she now is.
“How do you know him?” she asks me as her gaze flickers back to Santiago.
“Maybe it’s a Cabal thing because how we met, and how we found each other, is a little out of the realm of normal. It’s almost as hard to believe as what Santiago is saying about who you are, but he is honest and truthful, a strong Alpha but one with a heart made of gold, Deena. I believe what he says.”
Deena rocks back in her seat, letting her head fall back so the rising sun kisses over her face. She’s quiet as she digests everything that’s been shared, but it doesn’t take long for her to huff out a breath and sit straighter.
“I have these strange dreams of a house on the water’s edge. There’s vines climbing around tall white columns, the roof is tiled the color of clay, and there’s laughter spilling out the open windows. I want to go inside, but there’s a black, spiked fence that surrounds it, and it grows taller the closer I get to it.”
“Shit,” Santiago whispers. “Let me get my phone.”
He’s with us one moment, gone the next. And the whole time he’s getting his phone, Deena and I simply stare at each other.
Santiago returns and squats next to Deena, but he waves me over, and then he holds his phone where we can all see the screen.
Deena starts swearing under her breath as soon as she see the house she just described.
“This is…” Santiago starts.
Deena finishes his sentence, her voice like a whisper, “Casa del Cielo.”
The sweetness of the morning air changes with our shock, but it also now scents of hope. We sit together, looking at photos, getting drawn further into the conclusion that while Deena might not remember being a Cabal, she very much is.
I move out of Santiago’s arms, the both of them looking at me strangely.
“I’ll be back. I’m just going to get Deena some food and make you a coffee.” The restlessness is starting to become hard to ignore again, but at the same time, I’m aware Deena’s dealing with a lot, and I want her to feel the best she can, given the circumstances.
And then I realize why they might have both looked at me oddly. “Unless, of course, you’re not comfortable with Santiago, Deena. Just because I trust him doesn’t mean you should.”
“I’m fine. A bit bewildered, but I feel perfectly safe. You go do your fussing, or you’ll be a nightmare,” she teases, but she knows how I can get sometimes.
I check in on Santiago, and he too is fine. “You don’t need to wait on me, bebe. I’ll leave my phone with Deena, and she can look through the photos herself.”
“No, I’m just inside. I think if Deena is okay, she should find out who Isabella is.”
I walk off, and the both of them watch me leave. I feel their focus on me like I just felt their hands in mine. I need to rest. I’d like to switch off, but I’m still out of whack, and until everything in me rights again, it’s going to be a waste of time trying to sleep.
The house is spotless. Aleksei and Kade were up late last night, righting everything and cleaning up as best they could, and they did a great job. There are no reminders of what happened before we arrived here. And it was important because Marco doesn’t need to see anything that could jar his memory.
I think of him, and then invariably my thoughts drift back to Deena, then they shift again to Santiago, Kade, and Aleksei,even the dogs. I’m struck by an urge to cook and feed the people who are vital to my peace and happiness while also cleaning the already-spotless house.
The energy that's been making it hard to sleep turns a little frantic, but I focus it into preparing a few dishes I know Deena and Marco love, and a few I hope my pack enjoys.
I stop right in the middle of adding the next round of French toast to an already overflowing plate when I feel Aleksei wake up. It’s ridiculous, the notion of being able to sense him stirring in another room, but I do. He doesn’t wake up slowly, though; he’s up and awake and in front of me before I’ve put the toast on the plate.
His chin rises, his eyes dark and stormy. If I had to describe him in one word, it would be hungry.
And then the same sensation I felt with Aleksei happens with Kade. It’s as if they mirror each other. I stay stuck in the same position, which is how he finds me.
Kade stops at the door of the kitchen for half a second before he smiles at me. I can feel his plan to sweep me into his arms, but Aleksei’s arm shoots out and stops him.
“Nyet!” he barks. It’s pure dominance, and it nearly knocks me off my feet because it pretty much comes from nowhere.
Kade doesn’t submit, but he eases back as they share a look I don’t quite get.
Santiago is suddenly in the kitchen too. I didn’t see him move—I was blinded by Aleksei’s and Kade’s actions—but I could feel Santiago’s steps as if they were my own.
