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Even if I wanted to object, I knew I shouldn’t.

The human—Raelynn—would be a distraction we didn’t need if Zeke acted on his curiosity. Cyn already struggled to maintain control around her.

And me? I wasn’t sure what I felt.

Raelynn intrigued me.

I wouldn’t lie—the scent of her blood made my cock twitch. She was attractive. With an oval face, a small nose, and a cupid’s bow above full lips, she looked young. But her gray eyes told a different story… one that mirrored the weariness I carried at only twenty-six.

What made a human so young so weary?

I shook the thoughts away.

We couldn’t disturb things on Earth unless ordered by Ezra’s father. That included playing with one human female who messed with forces she had no business toying with.

If the others felt drawn to her, dark magic must be involved. Although bonding multiple Nyriths was rare, anything above a second pairing was unheard of.

8

CONSEQUENCES

RAE

Groaning, I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow. My body ached as if I’d sparred ten rounds with Ronda Rousey.

All night I tossed and turned, tormented by nightmares. Monsters and blood. Screaming and fire. Nothing eased my mind, and I blamed the vodka.

Too much vodka, greasy pizza, and occult books made the perfect cocktail for my mind to play tricks on me, making me believe demons invaded my home in dreams so vivid they felt like memories.

There was no other explanation for why I felt comfortable feeding horned demons pizza while chatting in the living room as if it were a normal weeknight with friends.

Granted, they didn’t look demonic the entire time, but my mind betrayed me the same way it had betrayed Mom and Grandma. I couldn’t separate dreams from reality.

Maybe I should seek professional help. I’d finally reached the point where I believed I could interact with my hallucinations. Tim and Patricia would put me on the first bus to Broughton Hospital if they knew.

I sat up, threw my legs over the side of the bed, and stretched until my back popped. I needed coffee and then a long shower. Grabbing my pajama pants off the floor, I shimmied them over my hips, wincing when I put weight on my foot.

I sat down and lifted my foot, unwrapping the gauze to find fresh cuts of various sizes. I’d thought the glass was part of my dream, too. When had I wrapped my foot?

I rubbed my eyes and exhaled. I couldn’t think without caffeine.

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and left the bedroom, discarding the gauze. I wasn’t bleeding, so I’d rewrap my foot after a shower and ointment.

Limping down the stairs, I turned the corner and jerked to a stop. My gaze fell on the sectional sofa, and reality crashed into me.

I hadn’t been dreaming.

This couldn’t be a hallucination. They never lasted this long.

Ash sprawled on the chaise at the end of the sofa, sleeping soundly with his hands folded over his stomach. Beside him, Zeke lay face down, one arm dangling off the sofa. Ezra sat at the counter with his back to me, hunched forward. Cyn stood at the stove, frying sausages.

When I cleared my throat, Cyn’s gaze snapped to mine.

The way his amber eyes lowered, taking in my rumpled appearance, made me want to sprint upstairs and fix the rat’s nest on my head.

Had he not slept? He appeared as impeccable as he had the night before. No pillow creases on his face. His artfully messy hair wasn’t a knotted disaster like mine.

“Sit down,” he said, returning his attention to the pan.