“You guys are the ones inventing petty feuds with the wolves out of boredom, so I refuse to feel bad for something justified. Want to go watch her get arrested?” she offers, head still canted to the side.
I run my tongue over her flesh, the scent of her skin my own personal drug. “Does it make me a terrible person if I say yes?”
She hums, leaning into me. “I don’t think you could be a terrible person if you tried. But if you are, so am I. Because I really want to see at least some twisted sense of justice after that.”
Ares fires up the truck, merging into traffic and heading down a block. When we get to the flashing lights he slows, and all of us crane our necks, watching with satisfaction as Grace, Nick, and Jake are shoved in the back of a police cruiser.
“I should feel bad.”
“Bullshit,”Ozzy snaps. “Where did all this stuff about having to take the high road come from? They were abusive, selfish, pieces of shit that hurt you without remorse. Fuck those guys. You don’t have to forgive people that aren’t even attempting to earn your compassion.”
Ares rumbles his agreement. “Hold onto your anger if you need to; better that than not being able to feel anything. If it helpsyoumove on by forgiving them, then by all means. But you don’t owe them shit, brother.”
“You’re not a terrible person for wanting to be treated decently,” Rin adds, her anger bleeding into her tone.
I meet Jake’s eye as his head is shoved in the backseat and it may just be my imagination, but I’m pretty sure I saw the tiniest bit of regret looking back at me. Maybe it’s a fool’s dream, but it helps to think that at least one of them acknowledges that they fucked up. I doubt I’ll ever get closure, not from them at least, but maybe I can at least delude myself into pretending.
“Hey,” Rin starts softly, kissing my shoulder as we leave them behind us. “For what it’s worth? I like how clingy you are. Makes me feel all wanted and junk.” She winks and my heart lurches, torn in too many directions too quickly.
“I love you.”
I bite my tongue as soon as I blurt the words, mentally slapping the shit out of myself. This isn’t the fucking time, and she’s just going to think it’s because I’m upset and looking for anything to hold onto right now, and that’s not it. But fuck if I know good timing if it smacked me in the face.
“Love you too,”she breathes, sounding just as nervous as I am, but at least she had the good sense not to say it out loud. Hell, she might have not even meant for me to hear it if what Ozzy says is true and she doesn’t know how to put up a mental block.
“Bright side!” she chirps out loud, leaning forward to rake her nails down Ares’ arm like she has the uncanny ability to tell when one of us if feeling left out. “I have good news.”
He pulls into the parking lot of a public park, turning in his seat to face her. His eyes are brighter than usual, all of the chaos bringing his protective instincts to the forefront.
“Do tell,” he prompts, and I half expect him to try to crawl back here with us so that we can pick up where we left off with her last night.
“Ladies in the shop were terrible gossips.” She flutters a hand to her chest, donning her best posh accent. “Did you know that Katherine and her husband are swingers?” She places the back of her hand to her forehead, pitching her voice higher. “Well, I never! How respectable people can step foot into Mystic’s and still show their faces is beyond me. Heathens, the lot of them.”
“Why was that so hot?”Osiris purrs and I burst out laughing.
“I’m not sure, but do it again,” Ares suggests. “I’m thinking it was the ‘heathens’ part.”
I nod solemnly. “Sounded dirty, I agree.”
Her eyes light up as she crawls over, straddling my lap and nipping at the side of my throat. Honestly, we’ve all been pretty sexually charged since last night, and I’m pretty sure she could make a potato sack look sexy right now with as keyed up as we are.
It’s just been too much, too fast, and it’s reaching a boiling point. Despite how little time has actually passed, it feels like months. If I don’t mark her soon, I might legitimately shift and do it anyway, unable to control my instincts, and the absolute last thing I want to do is hurt her. Fuck her senseless, sure, but I’d rather chew my own arm off than actually hurt her. But if I can’t let some steam off soon, I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep holding back.
If I’m this bad, then Ares is likely only a day away from losing it. He’s more in tune with his baser half than any of us and being in the city has him jittery. Our unclaimed mate so close to the person she fears? It’s a miracle he’s still holding it together.
“You three are incorrigible,” she laughs, nipping at my ear before straightening.
I band my arm around her lower back, reminding myself that it can’t go any further unless we want to risk getting arrested for public indecency. “Can you blame us? You’re diabolically perfect.” She rolls her hips and I groan, gently biting her breast. “Behave. Or we’re going to blow this mission to hell.”
She runs her fingers through my shaggy hair and I purr, soaking up the affection after such an emotionally draining day. “Then you’re going to be really upset when you find out what Mystic’s is.”
“What is it?”Ozzy asks, stuck hiding on the floorboards despite how I know how much it grates at him.
Her eyes flash with mirth, a sultry grin sliding onto her face. “Mages love to be the center of attention, yeah? The gods’ gift to men? Well where would someone like that hang out to soak up attention?”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a dramatic tease?” Ares asks, prompting her to spit it out.
She just grins, unoffended. “Well, now it’s going to be a surprise. I hope you’re happy.”
