He snorts. “As am I, little dragon. I’m glad you got your fire back.”
I sigh dreamily. “As am I, giant bodyguard.”
“Ezra, I’m so sorry, I-“ I cut off Soren, turning my head and nipping his bicep.
“Stop, okay? Worst I went through was not knowing if you three were actually dead or alive. They harvested my blood and smacked me around a little, but that was it.” I bite my lip before deciding to add any more, wanting to make sure all my cards are out on the table. I can’t expect them to always be open with me if I don’t offer them the same respect. “There was a few minutes there where I thought they’d actually go through with it, but some human showed up and distracted him,” I croak, hating admitting it and the shame that comes with it.
I didn’t do anything wrong. I shouldn’t feel the slightest bit of shame, and maybe I’m confusing it with fear, but I don’t think so. I know exactly what sort of fate befell that woman and a horrible part of me is just so relieved it didn’t happen to me. I hate it. I hate myself for feeling that way, and I think that’s where the shame is stemming from. If it’s the last thing I ever do, I’m going to find a way to free that woman, to free all of them. I don’t care that they’re human; absolutely no one deserves that fate.
“Saige,” Cai whispers.
He reads the questions on my face and proceeds to fill me in on absolutely everything I missed while we were separated. He ends with them breaking into this house that’s listed for sale on the edge of a town, that way they could avoid the very obvious questions they’d get if anyone saw them dragging around an unconscious woman while they looked like they just escaped prison.
“So we have no food, money, or supplies. What’s next?”
When Yri tries to backpedal and give me more of that bullshit about choosing better mates, I kiss him, hard. “Moving on, what are we doing next, ohmatesof mine?” I emphasize the word, looking at him pointedly. “Because I don’t need a ritual to make it official; screw the paperwork.”
I bring his hand up to my face and lick the back. “Mine.”
His lips twitch in a ghost of a smile. “I’m not a donut.”
I shrug half a shoulder, leaning against Soren again. “I’m willing to overlook your flaws for the sake of our relationship. But seriously, Yri?” I wait until I have his undivided attention. “I love you guys. Thanks for getting me out of there.”
His eyes soften and I see the Yri I know coming back to me, less freaked out now. His kisses the back of my hand and leans against my shoulder until we’re a domino of dragons against each other, staring at Cai.
“Ren, you paid more attention than any of us in class, so I’d love a couple of theories,” Cai says, looking at me while talking to him. “It’s been over a week and she’s not in full blown heat.”
“Stop trying to get in my pants, jeeze,” I tease. “Or at least bring me a burger first if you’re gonna’ seduce me.”
He snorts, so I’m finally able to shut my eyes, exhausted and starving, but more assured things are okay.
“Could just be how much blood they took and her body healing,” Ren says slowly. “Or she could already be pregnant. I’m not a doctor.” He shrugs the shoulder I’m leaning against, jostling me.
“Or maybe the ritual is a load of horseshit to scare girls into not having sex before marriage,” I scoff. “Ritual’s probably a bunch of old weirdos that just want to watch us get it on and then sign a marriage certificate.”
Even Cai laughs. “Doesn’t explain whatever makes us able to shift.”
I sigh. “But really, where do we go from here?”
Cai reaches out and touches my ankle, rubbing his thumb back and forth. “We don’t even have the map anymore and none of us know where the other sanctuaries are. We could ask around, but it would be a red flag to a lot of people wondering why we want to know. It’s a risk, but I think we should just call it and go home to lick our wounds and regroup. It’s better than wandering around without any money or direction; we’d just be more vulnerable.”
I groan. “I don’t want to turn my brothers’ panic room into a sex dungeon. I’ve already scarred Eli for life as it is.”
A pang of hurt flashes through me that I lock down, not mentally able to handle that train of thought on top of everything else. “Fine, but after a nap, give me one of your guns.”
Cai’s hand stills on my ankle. “Why?”
“You’re too nice of people. Next poor bastard we come across, I’m totally stealing his wallet this time so we can get something to eat.”
***
“So you think the othersanctuaries are on top of mountains as well?” Soren asks as we get close to my house, not seeing any fires or streets lined with blood, so taking it as a good sign.
“It’s like you’ve never read a cheesy romance novel,” Yri scoffs. “If this one is filled with bad guys from group A, obviously the other mountain is full of bad guys from group B. We might just need to rig up a hot air balloon at this rate,” he suggests, arm wrapped around my waist.
I knock on the door, since naturally I don’t have my keys and it’s locked. We stand there for a few minutes, noting that their car is gone. “Forge?”
We weave through town, a little more at ease since I haven’t had any more heat spells and the city isn’t torn apart in war like we feared. And as embarrassing as it was to wake up to, I’m certainly not pregnant, so that’s a huge relief. Not that I’m completely opposed to the idea, but it’s not the best time. It’s hard to remind myself of that when my brain is drowning in lust and an animalistic drive to stake a claim on my mates; what I wouldn’t give for a box of condoms. But at least we know my body hassomesense of self-preservation and is focusing on healing instead of trying to reproduce; if I can’t even take care of myself, not the best time to add a baby to the mix, and I lost a hell of a lot of blood.
