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Creed didn’t have that. He loved the man who raised him and idolized him in every way. All for it not to matter the moment he stepped through the doors of Silvercrest Academy in his golden armor.

“Why don’t any of us have enhanced hearing?” I grouch, glancing at the time again.

Brax, Eldon, and Zane are all casually sitting around the dining table like this isn’t a fucking mess while I’m one step away from pacing in front of the door. How the hell are they all so calm and collected?

“Why don’t you get a glass and press it against the door, amplify their sound?” Zane asks with a grin, earning a laugh from Eldon.

Wetting my lips, I consider my options and decide it’s worth a try. I don’t even bother trying it the mundane way like I’m used to; instead, I use my magic to produce a slim glass in my hand.

“Fuck, Raven. I was joking,” Zane says with a splutter, and I shrug, frowning down at the glass with uncertainty.

Would it be rude of me?

Suddenly, the door swings open and slams shut behind a storming Creed. His hands are balled into fists at his sides as his chest heaves with every breath.

I’ll kill him. Whatever his father did to make him look like this, I’ll kill him for it.

The glass almost topples out of my grasp, so I use my magic to make it disappear before I inch closer to him. The distress is evident on his face, from the tic of his jaw to the pinch around his eyes.

Twisting my fingers together, I force myself not to move any closer. “The need to ask you if everything is okay is overwhelming me, even though I can tell it’s clearly not,” I rasp, and he sighs, his gaze fixated on the floor.

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” I insist, my foot starting to tap on the wooden floor as I fight the urge to move.

“What did he say?” Eldon asks, cutting to the question that has me sinking my teeth into my tongue.

Creed runs his fingers through his hair, a heavy sigh falling from his lips before he finally lifts his head. “Not enough? Too much?” He shakes his head, aware it makes even less sense to us than it does to him.

I just want to help him, and that means giving him what he needs and not what I want.

Fuck.

Clearing my throat, I force a smile to my face. “I feel like you want to hide away in your room and I’m stopping you.”

Guilt swirls in his onyx eyes as his gaze meets mine. “You would be correct,” he admits hoarsely, and as much as it’s not what I want to hear, the fact that he’s being truthful with me in this moment means everything.

“If you need space, I want to give that to you, even if it goes against my better judgment.” I take an instinctive step forward, my fingers twitching to touch him, embrace him, and bask in his warmth while offering him mine.

He shakes his head. “No. The last time I did that, I was a dick and earned myself a face full of Brax’s fist,” he grumbles, earning a chuckle from the guys at the table.

I cringe at the memory, eager for it to not get to that stage again.

“It’s whatever you need, Creed,” I breathe, while defying my actual words and taking another step toward him.

“No, it’s always what you need, Raven. That’s how I need it. That’s what keeps me grounded.”

His statement makes me frown, the words tightening my chest as I peer up at him. He’s within arm’s reach now, but I focus on keeping my hands at my sides.

“You can’t lose yourself in me like that.”

He scoffs. “Like you haven’t done the exact same with us.” His eyebrow rises in challenge, firmly putting me in my place and he knows it.

I pout despite the truth. Not liking him using it against me, but he has me there, and even I can admit to that.

The need to offer him something is on the verge of consuming me. The intense care I feel in my soul for them is unwavering, and I can barely breathe. It’s in these moments with my men that I truly realize I’m a fixer. The undeniable desire that radiates through me to solve problems and make things better is glaringly obvious.

“She’s right, Creed. We need you to handle this whichever way avoids you getting another beating,” Zane states, the grin on his face noted in his voice. “If you need to be alone, say the word. If you need some Raven time to yourself, I’ll begrudgingly agree to that too,” he adds, and I note the smallest shift in Creed’s shoulders as the tension eases just a smidge.