“Then go eat something. Take a shower…” She glanced at Michael. “Oh, and yes, I am with team Ely on this.” She squeezed Ely’s waist. “Nate saved Shadow, he makes Ely happy, and that is all I care about. Besides, Ely wouldn’t fall for some malicious male, demon or not.”
“Elska, you don’t know that,” Týr groaned. “He hasn’t awakened yet. We don’t know what symbiont he has now—”
A wave of power swept over the place, curling around Ely. She pivoted, searching for the source, then she glanced back at Michael, who frowned. Not him. His sway and abilities were shielded.
“Ely!”A growl resonated through the apartment and out to the deck, startling her.
Reynner flashed to stand in front of her. Týr and Nik blurred over and flanked him.
Dammit. She peered above her brother and Týr’s shoulders.
The living room door opened, and Nate shuffled outside on bare feet, his inked chest heaving. The ripped and bloodied black jeans he wore hung loosely on his lean hips. His topaz stare locked on her, he shuffled over. At seeing him up and walking, even if he appeared a little on the grumpy side, tears of gratitude filled her eyes. So tall, completely healed now, with no scaly black patches or horns, but still gaunt and heartbreakingly handsome.
She pushed through her guards and hurried over.
“Ely.” He dragged her close and just held her, his long body aligning with hers. “You weren’t there,” he rumbled, trailing his nose along her neck.
“I wasn’t far. I’m here now.”
“You smell amazing.” He ran his palm down her back in a slow caress, stirring every nerve awake. Stars, she wanted him so badly, needed to reassure herself he was all right. Their intimate moments had always been fraught with an underlying tension, aware of the sinister beast lurking within him. Now that he was free of it…
He slid one hand to her butt and cupped her chin with the other. His mouth came down on hers in warm kiss, a bit of fang teasing her tongue—
He still had those? Then she didn’t care, kissing him deeply as well—
A throat cleared.
She stilled. For a second, she’d forgotten they weren’t alone. Inhaling a shuddering breath, she forced herself to break away from Nate’s tormenting mouth. He glowered. She put a hand on his chest and petted him. “Nate, I want to introduce you to everyone.”
“Why? You are all I need.” He didn’t even look at them as most would do.
Ely bit back a smile. She missed his,don’t give a shit about others or what they thought of him, attitude. “Because this is where I live, Nate,” she said softly. “And they are my family.” She stroked his warm back, her eyes beseeching him to understand, to meet her halfway, and she saw the moment he gave in to her plea. He let her go and faced the gang.
“That’s Kira with the auburn hair, another dear friend, and her mate, Týr.”
Enclosed in Týr’s arms, Kira wiggled her fingers in a little wave and smiled while Týr remained silent.
“You know Nik and Shadow.” Her friend leaned against her mate, but her eyes were shiny and wet. Her expression was one of profound relief. “I’m so happy you’re okay, Nate.”
He gave Shadow a little nod.
“You’ll meet the others later—” Ely could almost feel the unimpressed stare he cast her and didn’t look at him. Choking back a sigh, she continued, “You remember my brother Reynner. And that’s Michael, our leader.”
Her fellow Guardians watched quietly, but she knew they were on alert, at the ready, if Nate suddenly went berserker.
However, Michael’s expression remained inscrutable. Nate eyed him, equally cool. A light breeze picked up, and the clouds parted, the moon casting a bright light over the deck.
Nate frowned and rubbed his chest, the corded tendons on his neck tensing.
Frowning, Ely caressed his spine, and the symbionts there slowly pulsed under her fingertips. A shuddering exhale escaped him. And she knew, he needed to feed.
“Nate?” she whispered, facing him, hoping the others couldn’t hear her. “What do you require?”
His gaze skated from her to the vast open ocean. Without a word, he let her go, sidestepped everyone, and shuffled to the corner of the wooden railing. The sudden remoteness in him had her breath catching. What if this symbiont didn’t want her near him like the last one?
He gripped the guardrail and lifted his face upwards. Moonlight beamed down on him, silhouetting him in a silvery glow. Then the night air grew denser around him. The three smaller symbionts lining his upper back pulsed, the dull reds merging with amber. The murkiness in the amber one above the others faded, revealing the warm gold, almost like his irises when he smiled.
A groan escaped him, and his head lowered, the tendons on his forearms tensing. The wood of the railing creaked under his fists.
