It’s worth the wait. Killian smirked across the room in Ryder’s direction, trying to get a rise out of the stallion.
It is. The Kitsune had a dreamy look on his face. Damnit. I couldn’t help the jealousy that ran through me for a moment as I thought about them kissing her. I was biding my time, waiting for the right moment. Logically, I knew I wasn’t the right man to kiss her first. If I tried to kiss her now, I’d overwhelm her. With her triggers, I thought it best to let the others warm her up before she got to me, but the wait and teasing was killing me.
I made sure to block Nix out of our conversation, but I’d been able to perfect the balance of keeping her from hearing us while I was still connected to her. Holding up a hand, I made the guys stop talking as I listened to an internal battle raging in Nix.
She was as hot and bothered as we were, but was worried about her ability to move forward with us due to her triggers. Would they stay with me if I couldn’t, you know, please them physically? Her worried thoughts cut straight through me, and I couldn’t help the growl I let slip out as I heard her thoughts loud and clear. Sometimes having my gift was a catch twenty-two. I wanted to march right up those stairs and reassure her that she was important to us, that we all felt drawn to her in ways we couldn’t even explain. Call it biology or whatever else you wanted to; the truth was that Nix called to me and my creature in a way I had never felt before. I was in it deep with her already. I wanted to tell her that we would ease her into everything, never push her, and help her overcome her fears and triggers. My hesitation lay in the fact that I wasn’t sure what her response to my having heard those private thoughts would be. I groaned; the balance between knowing when to listen in and when to tune out was precarious at best. Add in the fact that she was projecting rather loudly, only dimming her thoughts and feelings when her mental barriers were in place. We needed to work with her on strengthening them, although I would miss having a direct link into her beautiful mind. I didn’t want her to think she had absolutely no privacy from me—from us.
Undecided, I pushed her thoughts to the rest of the group.
Fuck. Killian swore.
Theo sat down on the section and dropped his head in his hands. We should probably take it slower with her. Ease her into this relationship we want. Looking up, he made eye contact with each and every one of us, taking on an air of authority. I think it’s quite obvious given everyone’s level of attraction and attentiveness to Nix, but let me ask this now. Is there anyone who doesn’t want to take our relationship with Nix to the next level, and I’m not talking sexually. He cast eyes at Hiro and Ryder, knowing their wild imaginations had been spurring us all on earlier in the evening.
I’m very serious about her. Hiro stated, stepping forward. So is my Kitsune. We both want her, and it’s much deeper than anything a physical level with her will add.
I want her, and I haven’t even had her in any kind of sexual way yet. Ryder affirmed, then quietly added, I’ve never felt this way before.
Killian grunted. You know I’m in. The connection to her is… He trailed off, not one for words. Instead, Kill pushed a bit of how he felt about Nix to me, and I projected it to everyone else. The same deep pull tugged at him as it did for me.
Tapping into everyone’s feelings, I pulled them together and pushed them through each one of us.
If anyone had any questions regarding anyone else’s devotion, the power of our feelings for Nix that were zinging through the connection shut them down. There was no doubt that we were on the same page with where we were heading.
I’m interested in anything she will offer me. I told the group.
The pull to her is strong—stronger than what is considered normal. It’s just a theory, but we’re a group of five strong mythologicals. I think her power calls to us the way she does. She’s strong enough to handle all of us and our alters, and we’re all strong enough to handle her and hers. Theo smirked as images of her in the water with his Kraken ran through his mind. That train of thought alone was a tell for Theo. He’d never found anyone he remotely wanted to show his Kraken to.
I don’t know that we need to slow down. I countered back to Theo and gained everyone’s attention. Leaning back against one of the living room walls, I crossed my arms over my chest, still catching wisps of Nix’s thoughts as she readied herself for bed. She cares about us, more than she lets on. She doesn’t want to jeopardize her friendship with us, but she does have romantic feelings. I know she feels the pull to each of us. I think we need to spend quality time with her, one on one. We all need the ability to deepen our relationships with her. I actually think slowing down even more could be a problem for her. She’s already majorly attracted to us, has kissed several of us, and has seen that—at least in Hiro and Ryder’s case—they’re attracted to each other. If we back off, she’s going to worry that we’re not interested. I’m not saying we jump into bed with her. I’m saying let things move physically at their own pace.
Yeah, I like the sound of that. I want that one on one time with her… like a date. Ryder rubbed his hands together as he started thinking.
Exactly. We need to date her.
A courtship. Theo nodded in affirmation, placing his glasses on his nose as he pulled out his phone and started taking notes. We can each take turns, pick a day. Let’s take the night and come up with ideas. With Michael still on the loose, we’ll need to vet our ideas and make sure we all feel safe with where we want to take her. Hopefully, he won’t be an issue much longer.
The threat in his mental voice didn’t go unnoticed. We all wanted to get our hands that bastard. More than anything, I wanted Nix to have the answers she needed. I hoped that closure from that part of her life would ease her fears and help her move more confidently into this next phase of her life. A phase we all desperately wanted to be a part of.
Fourteen
Nix
My phone vibrated on the nightstand next to me, and I startled awake—taking a moment to figure out where I was and what was happening. White walls stared back at me as I woke up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and stretching before my plans came rushing back to me. I hopped out of bed, feeling well rested and excited. I had set my alarm early so that I could beat Damien to the kitchen, deciding to make breakfast for everyone. I hadn’t gotten to cook on my own yet, and I wanted to surprise them with a full spread of their favorite things. I had spent the last few days randomly asking questions until I knew all of the guys’ favorite breakfast foods.
Hiro loved eggs and rice for breakfast; Theo would eat almost anything but loved waffles; Damien—my health nut—loved protein smoothies and eggs with sausage for breakfast; Killian would eat anything you put in front of him, and Ryder loved anything sweet—preferably cereal or donuts. For a guy who was studying to be a doctor, he sure loved his sugary carbs.