“I know you will. I just feel… you know. I guess I have always felt protective of you, Maddie. And seeing you go off with Flame to the other side of the country, fills me with too many nerves to control.”
My stomach tightened on seeing her worry, but with more emphasis I said, “I have to go, Mae. He needs this. He needs this to move on. Just as we all have. And I will do anything to make that happen. You would do it for Styx.” In turn, I looked to Lilah, Beauty and Letti. “And you would do it for Ky, and Tank, and Bull. Yes?”
All of them chorused, “Yes.”
Mae put her hands on my arms and I looked into her blue eyes. “Mae. You and Bella always treated me more like a daughter than a sister. Which is strange, because you are not much older than I.”
Mae teared up, but managed to say, “It was because you were so young when you were awakened. Moses was… he was…”
I gripped Mae’s hands in mine and said, “I know, sister. I know my lack of affection, and my constant silence, gave you cause to worry.” I looked down and tried to remember the girl I was, in the commune. My heart clenched and I confessed, “And I know I was broken. I now know that.” A flutter of butterflies filled my chest, but I managed to assert, “I am broken no more. I am strong… strong with Flame by my side.”
Mae stared at me, then whispered, “I can see that, sister.”
Lilah joined us, and her blue eyes glimmered, “You were always strong, Maddie. We always saw it. But now you do too.”
Lilah pressed a kiss to my cheek. Just then we heard sniffing behind us. We turned as one to witness Beauty wiping her eyes. When she saw us staring, she cast a look of incredulity. “What?” she asked, evidently exasperated. “Because of you fuckers I’m gonna have to take in stocks of waterproof mascara. I never fucking cried so much in my friggin’ life!”
Behind Beauty, Letti muttered, “Pussy”, earning a scowl from her best friend.
A knock sounded on the door and Lilah went to open it. I had just retrieved the saddlebag from the floor, when Flame entered the room. As always, on seeing his wide shoulders and naked torso, I forgot how to breathe. Flame’s expression was always heated when he saw me. But this time, his gaze dropped slowly and deliberately to roam over my body. His nostrils flared, hands fisting by his side.
For several long seconds he did not move. Shivers quickly built between my thighs, and I uttered one precious whispered word, “Flame.”
The sound of his name escaping my lips was the encouragement he needed to pound across the small space separating us, to stand right before me. I tilted my head back to drink in his impressive height. His chest was working hard. Flame’s hands slowly came down to rest gently upon my face. He slowly lowered his head to carefully press his soft lips to mine. My eyes drifted to a close on contact. I filled with light when the rumble of a groan reverberated within his broad chest.
When Flame broke the kiss, his forehead gently kissed mine, and he rasped, “You look… Shit, Maddie, you look beautiful.”
And the light within me blazed brighter.
Feeling a blush caress my cheeks, I placed my hand on his chest and whispered, “Thank you.”
Inhaling a deep breath, Flame dropped his arms and clasped my hand in his. “You ready?” he asked, and I nodded. Flame took the saddlebag from my hand and we turned to leave.
Beauty was wiping away more tears, and with humor she muttered, “Yeah, really need that fucking waterproof mascara.”
“I shall see you when I return,” I promised to Mae and Lilah. After they had both pressed a kiss to my cheek, we left Mae’s house and walked toward our cabin.
I could feel Flame continually looking at me. Every time he did so, his hand squeezed mine. Fighting a smile that he found me so desirable in these clothes, I asked, “Was Styx okay about us leaving?”
“Yeah,” Flame grunted. “AK and Viking are coming too. They wouldn’t stay behind.”