Storming into the bathroom like I wasn’t about to collapse in an exhausted heap, I slammed the door behind me and turned on the water.
Water pounded down, steaming up the bathroom, but I needed a moment to catch my breath, so I sat my ass down on the side of the tub. My mind was reeling with this new influx of information, and I was stinging with the knowledge that both Caleb and Austin had relevant information that they’d chosen not to share with me.
But why? Did they not trust me enough?
Fucking hell, these were two guys that my stupid, trusting subconscious had chosen to be my forever companions, and they had been keeping some huge ass secrets.
How was I even supposed to get past this? Obviously it was impossible to change the past, but I couldn’t just forgive and forget something of this magnitude so damn easily.
Ugh, why couldn’t I have it easy and be a damn human?
When I eventually dragged my butt out of the shower, my skin was pruning a little and I was quivering with exhaustion. Also I was seriously wishing I had taken Caleb up on his offer to help soap my back because the small energy exchange Austin had given me wasn’t nearly enough.
“Vixen!” Cole barked, as I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in Master Yoshi’s bathrobe. My clothes had been pretty covered with Austin’s blood, and I shuddered at the thought of putting them back on again, so this was as good as it got.
“Cutie, when did you get here?” I asked through a yawn, and he wrapped me in a huge hug.
“We took the Omega chopper as soon as you sent the address. Well, we were sort of already on our way, but the address helped.” He huffed and held me tight.
“How do you mean?” I puzzled, not sure if it was just my fuzzy, tired brain not making sense of things.
“Ah, Wes tracked your phone, so we knew what general direction you were heading in,” Cole admitted, and I nodded against his chest. It made sense, and I expected nothing less from Wes.
“Are you okay, love?” River asked softly, and I pulled back from Cole’s chest to look at him.
“Yeah, fine. This was all Austin.” I waved a hand at the mess of blood and runes all over the floor. “Did he and Caleb fill you in?”
The twins were both at the little kitchen table with Wes, and both looked like they were in sour moods. No doubt River had been reading them the riot act before I had gotten out of the shower. Damn right, too; they both fucking deserved it. Secretive bastards.
“They did, and I think we can discuss it further when we get back to headquarters. Are you okay to head back? Or do you need...” River cocked his head in question, his golden eyes full of concern, and I shook my head.
“I’m fine, yeah; let’s head back. I just need to find something other than this robe to wear. My clothes are gonners.” I cringed at the thought of putting the dried blood–encrusted garments back on, even though it was becoming almost like a fashion statement for me these days.
“Here, I found these in the closet,” Wesley piped up, handing me a pair of sweatpants and a hoody. “I figure they might work? At least it has to be better than a bathrobe, right?”
“Thanks, Wes.” I smiled gratefully, taking the clothes from him. “I’ll just be a sec.”
I quickly retreated into the bathroom once more and dressed in sweats that were way too big for me, but easy enough to tighten with the drawstring. My reflection in the mirror showed me just how drawn and exhausted I looked, but it wasn’t even half of how bad I was feeling. Damn stubborn pride.
It didn’t feel right accepting any sort of sexual contact from Caleb when I was this mad at him, though, and Austin sure as shit made it seem like a chore. Of course, River and Cole were here now, and Wes... but I was just tired as shit and not in the mood.
“Ready,” I announced, leaving the bathroom again with my wad of bloody clothes in my hand. “Please tell me we can take the helicopter back? That was a long ass drive down here. Maybe I can come back for my car another day?”
“Of course we can, love. I’ll arrange for your car to be driven back to base.” River nodded, giving a tiny lip-twitch of a smile but tucking my hand inside his own as he led the way out of the apartment. “We have a lot to discuss when we’re back. A lot.” His glare speared the twins, and they both dodged his eye contact like naughty puppies.
“Vixen, you need to call Vali,” Cole advised me, handing my phone to me from where it must have dropped sometime during the mess that was Austin’s almost-death. It had little flecks of blood on the screen that I obsessively needed to scratch off with my fingernail before I could use it.
“He almost dragoned out and flew here himself. Maybe just let him know you’re okay?” Cole looked torn between wanting to be annoyed at his brother’s extreme reaction and impressed that he clearly cared.
“I’ll shoot him a text and call tomorrow. I’m wrecked,” I admitted, tapping out a quick message to assure Vali that I was totally fine and there was nothing to be concerned about.
Austin led us out the back door so we didn’t have to all troop through the tattoo shop, and I saw the guys had left a car waiting. There weren’t enough seats for all of us, so I willingly crawled into Wesley’s lap and curled up with his arms around me.
A sigh of relief rushed through me as the little, electric tingles of magic kicked back into gear wherever our skin touched, so I slipped my hands under his hoody to increase the contact. He must have either felt it or sensed what I was doing because he did the same thing to me, and my skin shivered in delight.
“It’s not far to the airstrip, but sleep if you want. I can wake you if I need to,” Wesley murmured in my ear, and I nodded sleepily, already halfway closing my eyes and snuggling my face into his neck.
As I drifted to sleep, I felt his strong fingers stroking little patterns up and down my spine, infusing my body with the magic it needed to recharge and just generally making me feel loved.
17
COLE
Hands stuffed in the pockets of my jeans, I waited patiently for the warden to unlock the gate and usher me through. When he finally did, I simply nodded my thanks, not bothering with unnecessary niceties. Words were so overused these days they were losing their meanings.
“Just through here,” the portly man said, unlocking another door and holding it open for me. “A guard will bring the prisoner through in a few, and when you want out, just knock on the door. Clear?”
“Clear,” I responded, my tone clipped and gruff. There was a table in the center of the room with a chair on either side of it. I didn’t sit, though. My dragon was enraged, pacing within me and clawing to get out. It was all I could do to maintain my human shape when I was this worked up. Still, I’d much rather this be me than Vixen.