The taste of her blood flowing down my throat, my name on her lips, and her squeezing around me is too much, and I find my release right after her.
“Fuck!” I groan, leaning into her slightly.
“You can say that again,” she chuckles, giving me a squeeze around the neck.
“Let me clean you up.” I spin her around, putting her back on the counter. “Sorry, I’m not like Levi and can snap my fingers, so I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way,” I joke, leaning into her neck and leaving my healing saliva.
I pull back and see a haunted look on her face.
“It’s not like he would do it if I asked anyway,” she admits. “He’s pulling away from me, and I can see the taint on our mate bond now, with the magic I have now. It’s a sickly gray instead of the pure white the rest of us have,” her voice wavers slightly. “He didn’t even say welcome back.”Now that she mentions it, he didn’t. He was the only one, and apparently, she noticed it too. That’s something out of character for him, and we need to look into it.
Well, I can’t have that look on her face after I just fucked her. “His loss. My way is better anyway.” I pop a fang when she givesme a disbelieving look, and then her jaw drops when I drop back to my knees.
Knox
We’re a few minutes late for breakfast, but no one is upset with how Zeke comes out with the widest smile on his face, and Rez glowing like the queen she is. Hell, even Zissa keeps her mouth shut once she sees the couple come out of the bathroom.
Then again, that could be because of the smell of sex clinging to them. Either way, that sadness that was once attached to Rez is gone, so I’m content.
During breakfast, we take turns catching her up on what happened here with the ambush and Ryker’s new Horseman powers, which isn’t much compared to her adventure. She keepsher word and fills us in more on her time with the Fates. The entire table almost collapses in relief when we hear that the Fates had an antidote for God’s Trumpet. From the look on Rez’s face while she explains the taste of it, I hope I never need it.
I think the most shocking thing is the fact that she got to visit with her dead birth mother, Liliwen. I know how crazy that sounds, given I’m a shifter with four animals instead of the typical three, and I’m the next War reincarnated, but damn, even I find that hard to believe. Between her time with the Fates, Cain, and defeating some Harpies, no wonder we found her passed out behind the sanctuary.
She tries her best to answer how she ended up back there, but it seems she doesn’t know the answer either. Once the Fates opened a portal and sent her through it, she remembers seeing multiple visions of places and memories that weren’t hers until she had a splitting headache and collapsed. The next thing she remembers is waking up in my warm arms. So as far as the Gauntlet goes, we all saw some battle in Hell. I’m just grateful she had Bas with her.
“I knew I liked that Thunder Stag.”
“Oh, come on,” Rez mocks me. “You didn’t want me near him when you first saw him,” she easily calls me out.
“He’s definitely one of a kind, Kitten. You don’t understand how notorious they are for their malicious and dangerous behavior. They are not known to have a soft spot for anyone, let alone to form a strong bond with someone,” I admit.
“Well, it’s a good thing she does. He saved her. Like a knight in the night.” Moni swoons, and Chester catches her.
“Damn, I’m sorry, Goddess, that you had to go through all of that and on your own. Talk about trauma.” Ryker shakes his head, stabbing some fruit.
Rez chuckles. “Yeah, do we have any good therapists here in Purgatory? If not, I might be able to get an appointment with myold one on Earth after all of this. That is, if she doesn’t commit me to a mental facility.” She quickly sobers up. “I might see you guys in a few decades if that happens.”
“No way, if that happens, we’ll go with you,” Moni says, standing up tall and putting her fist to her chest.
“Moni? What are you doing?” Rez asks, trying not to snicker.
“Trauma bonding. Isn’t this how we do it?” she asks, seriously looking at the group.
“Sweetie, we’re already trauma-bonded. It’s when you experience the same trauma with someone, like us, going through the Road of Worth. Not everyone can say they did that together, so that’s our trauma bond,” Chester tries to explain.
“Or just putting up with DeadWood,” Lynx mutters.
“Keep talking, Puss n’ Boots. I’ll turn you into a coat,” Knots retorts.
“See. Trauma bonding, it’s everywhere,” JP says with a smile.
“Oh. I understand. Being a family is trauma bonding. Got it!” She gives us a thumbs up.
Yep, sis. This family is definitely a trauma bonding experience, alright.
“What do you think that final time you saw the Fates meant?” Chester asks, pushing his glasses up his nose.
“I don’t know, but I think it means they are gone,” Rez admits, tearing at her napkin.
