"Not a dream," Asher confirms.
“While it’s great to see you with your face back on,” Wylder says, “we need to cut this reunion short and celebrate once we get home. Poppy’s right, Asher being upright and breathing is exposure waiting to happen.”
They don’t seem to hear Wylder, or don’t care. They are making out like there’s no tomorrow—and, fair—because there almost wasn’t.
My mind is spinning. “What about the old ‘patient in the laundry cart’ idea? They always use that on TV.”
Wylder is scowling, but I’m not sure if it’s because he hates my idea or because the PDA is quickly getting out of hand. “Get a fucking room, you two. We need to?—”
The fizzle of magic over my skin gives no warning before a flash of light brings the four of us to Asher’s room back at Hallowind House.
“What the fuck just happened?” Wylder snaps, glaring at the room as if something or someone is about to jump out at us. “Who portaled us here?”
Asher and Orion seem aware enough of their surroundings to at least ease back from their celebration affections to consider how we ended up here.
Asher grins. “I think that was me.”
“What?”Mind. Blown.
He’s lying on his bed and stretches out, getting comfortable. “Yeah, I was thinking how badly I wanted to be here and how I didn’t want to be stuffed in a laundry cart, and bam, a surge of energy zapped out of me and here we are.”
Orion collapses on the bed next to Asher. “So focused on getting me back to your bed that we unlocked one of your new powers?”
“Yeah, baby.” Asher waggles his brows. “I died today. That puts things into perspective. Priorities, you know?”
I snort. “Well, we’ll leave the two of you to your prioritizations, and will call Declan to see if he has any ideas on how to create a medical cover-up at the hospital. You kids have fun. I love you.”
Asher winks. “Love you, too.”
Footsteps thunder up the hallway and Rowan bursts into the room, her hair wild from sleep.
When she sees us, she freezes.
"What did I miss? I just felt a surge of power I didn’t recognize.”
Right.Rowan’s been sound asleep, oblivious to the trials and triumphs of our night.
I gesture for her to retreat to the hall, and Wylder joins us, leaving Asher and Orion to their fun. “Come downstairs, girlfriend, and I’ll explain everything. You’re going to need to sit down for this."
In the end, I explained everything that happened to Rowan and Wylder, and then the three of us turned in. Wylder stayed for another PG sleepover because he wasn’t comfortable going home and leaving me susceptible to Tharuzel.
I didn’t mind the company a bit.
Because, despite it all working out in the end, I’m both anxious and annoyed that while the silver disk on my neck and the Thornhill potion didn’t allow me to be possessed mind and body, having little to no personal autonomy wasn’t much better.
So, with Orion staying over, too, there are five of us for the Hallowind House celebration brunch.
“Uncle Declan said he’s taken care of the mystery of Asher’s disappearing body at the hospital, and since his face wascompletely chewed up, he doesn’t think being recognized will be an exposure issue.”
I cheers Orion with a piece of bacon. “Excellent. Thank you for following up on that.”
Orion eats his bacon and cuts off a chunk of pancake as a chaser. “I wasn’t so much following up as reporting my whereabouts. I tore out of the house in the middle of the night, and Eliza can get protective if I don’t keep her posted.”
Asher finishes chewing and takes a swig of coffee. “You’re lucky to have your aunt and uncle. They’re good people and they love you.”
Orion nods. “Pack families are very different from human families. They can be growly and overbearing, but if tragedy should strike, there’s no one left behind.”
Rowan sets her peanut butter toast down for a few pieces of chewy bacon. “It’s like the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. Only it’s a pack of supernaturals who turn into animals and can rip you to shreds.”
