Rhett’s fire flares—actual flames rippling across his shoulders, smoke curling into the air. His eyes are molten gold when they meet mine.
Stellan crosses the room in three strides, moving with that elegant predator grace. He stops in front of me, silver-gray eyes taking in every detail.
“You take my breath away,” he says quietly. Then, softer, with something almost like pride: “You’re such a badass.”
The stranger by the window chuckles, warm and genuine.
Stellan glances back at him, then at me. “Bree, this is Auren. He’s… well, he’s the reason we’re all still breathing.”
“And you,” Auren says warmly, setting his cup down and crossing the room, “must be Bree.” His amber eyes are kind, welcoming. “The Source everyone’s been searching for.” His gaze tracks to the daisy on my chest, and something like reverence crosses his face. “And wearing the sigil. It suits you.”
“Thank you,” I say, suddenly uncertain. “For… everything. The room, the clothes, letting us—”
“Don’t.” He waves a hand. “You’re welcome here. All of you. For as long as you need.”
He says it like he means it.
I glance past him and find the others scattered around the room. Theo sits at a small table near the window, a book open in front of him. Rhett leans against the wall, arms crossed, looking more restedthan I’ve seen him in weeks. Jace is sprawled in a chair, playing with one of his knives.
I don’t think. I just walk over to Theo and drop into his lap.
He freezes. Goes completely still except for the sharp intake of breath.
Jace snickers. “Smooth, Bree.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, but I’m smiling. Theo’s arms come around me carefully, like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he holds on too tight.
I lean closer, my lips near his ear. “I missed you,” I whisper.
His arms tighten just slightly, and I feel him exhale against my hair.
“You okay?” he asks quietly, his voice close to my ear.
“Getting there.”
Auren pours coffee from a carafe on the side table and brings it to me himself. “You look better. Less like you’re about to shatter.”
“I feel better.” I take the cup gratefully. “What did I miss?”
His expression shifts—still warm, but serious now. “Quite a bit, actually.”
He settles into a chair across from us, and Thane moves to stand behind him. The rest of the guys shift closer, sensing the change in tone.
“How long?” I ask, my voice quieter than I intended. “How long was I gone?”
Auren’s amber eyes soften with something like sympathy. “For you? The Void distorts time. From what the others have told me, it felt like a year inside.”
“But out here?” My chest tightens.
“Five years.”
Chapter 19
Bree
Five years. Riley has had five years to become me.
“We knew time moved differently in the Void,” Thane says, his voice low. “But we didn’t realize…” He stops, jaw clenched. “We had no idea it had been this long out here.”
