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Okay, maybe not sleeping with them, then abandoning them. That was all kinds of fucked up, and if Audrey and Brenden ever choose to forgive him, I hope he realizes he’ll have to prove to the rest of us that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Within a few minutes, all three of us are naked and in the shower. There’s nothing I can do to hide my erection, but Audrey doesn’t pay it any mind as we wash Brenden before cleaning one another. It makes for a longer shower, but I don’t mind. It means more time with my love.

Once we’re done, I lead the two of them downstairs to the kitchen so I can make us some food and shoot off a text to Cassian and Wraith to let them know Audrey has something she wants to discuss with us.

Audrey picks at her food but manages to eat most of it, while Brenden doesn’t even touchhis. I have no idea how long a vampire can go without food or blood, but I’m worried about him. I know Audrey is too. She might not be showing many emotions right now, but her eyes rarely leave him when he’s in the room.

We have to figure something out, and fast. I don’t want to think about what losing Brenden would do to my pretty girl.

“Sorry,” Wraith calls as he steps into the room. “I was almost done, and I knew Cassian would take a little longer, so I finished up everything before coming down. Anything from him yet?”

I tilt my head when I hear the front door open and close. “Pretty sure that’s him.”

“It is,” Cassian confirms as he joins us. He heads straight for Audrey, kissing her before doing the same to me, then hesitates in front of Wraith.

This is something else I hate—the hesitation between the two of them. They want to be together—I know they do—but they’re trying so hard to make sure they don’t end up fighting. It’s getting harder and harder for them the longer Audrey is affected by the rejected mate syndrome.

“Can you all sit down, please?” Audrey asks, breaking the standoff between Wraith and Cassian. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

I sat Audrey at the head of the table with me and Brenden sitting on either side of her when we came down, which only leaves Wraith and Cassian to sit beside one of us.

Wraith offers me a soft smile as he pulls out the chair beside Brenden, letting Cassian sit beside me. He’s such a damn good mate.

“What’s going on, little mate?” Cassian asks as he grabs my hand, twining our fingers together under the table.

She glances around the table before nodding to herself. “Lucifer suggested another way to deal with the rejected mate syndrome, and I think it’s what I want to do. Not just for me but for Brenden. He’s not doing well.”

I turn my attention to the vampire, finding his eyes on Audrey, but he remains silent.

“He’s still not eating?” Wraith asks, glancing at the untouched plate of food. “And you can’t get him to drink from you?”

She shakes her head as she leans toward Brenden, lifting her wrist to his lips. “Feed from me, Brenden. Please.”

The vampire’s only response is to blink at her.

“Clearly not.” Even if I can’t hear it in her tone, I know just how exasperated she’s feeling right now.

“Then tell us what the suggestion is, pretty girl,” I urge her.

I’m not sure what Lucifer could’ve thought of since he was the one who told us there were only three ways of resolving a rejected bond. But I’m definitely down to hear it. If it means helping Audrey and Brenden, I’d do just about anything.

“It’s obvious Nex wants to bond with us, but, clearly, it’s not that simple. He hurt us—made us feel like he rejected us. We’re broken because of him. That’s not something that’s easy to forgive. Is it even forgivable?” She shakes her head. “But I can’t go into a war—a battle, whatever—like this. I could get myself or someone else hurt or killed. Brenden is barely existing, and I don’t know how much longer he can keep going when he’s not eating.”

She takes a deep breath, her eyes locked on the table. “I’m going to bond with Nex, but I’m going to make it clear he’s not forgiven. It doesn’t mean I want a relationship with him orthat I’ll ever be ready for a relationship with him.”

Silence follows her announcement.

I don’t even know how I feel about this. I understand where she’s coming from. If she completes the bond, then she’ll no longer have to deal with a rejected bond. But even if she intends for them not to have a relationship now—or maybe ever—that still means he’ll be in our life. Bonded mates don’t do well away from one another for long periods of time, whether they’re chosen or fated mates.

“This is not me trying to talk you out of this,” Cassian says slowly, “but have you thought of the logistics of this? You can’t just bond with him and go on with your life. You’ll need to be close to him. He’ll need to live with us. You already know how hard it is to have me away so frequently. Although, that would change if you bond with Nex. That should mean the end of this bullshit between me and Wraith.”

“I have, and I understand. That’s why I’m bringing it up with you now. It doesn’t just affect me. It’s going to affect you as well.” Her eyes find Brenden again. “But that’s not all of it. If I bond with Nex, it won’t help Brenden. I think I know why this is harder for him. He initiated a matebond with Nex, and now it’s a one-sided bond. Nex has to complete the bond with him.”

I turn my gaze to the vampire in question, swallowing hard. “Brenden is in no position to say if he’s okay with this.”

Audrey nods. “I’m well aware, but I don’t think I can take that into consideration right now. He’s going to die if he doesn’t start eating soon—whether that’s food or blood. I can’t let him die, even if it means he’ll hate me.”

“You want Nex to bond with Brenden without his permission?” There’s no judgment in Wraith’s tone. I think he just wants to confirm what he’s hearing.