Page 42 of Brutal Reign (Shadowed Heirs #5)

42

I ’m not sure I’ve ever felt more peace in my life than I do right now. River’s warm body is pressed snugly into mine, the bond between us humming contentedly in my chest. It feels ten times stronger now that it’s been sealed; an unbreakable tether intertwining our souls.

From the way Seb is quietly resting on the other side of our girl, I can tell he’s feeling the same way. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him so relaxed and at ease. Before tonight, we weren’t sure what the future held, but now the three of us are living, breathing proof that anything is possible.

The king-sized bed was a good call. We all collapsed onto it after our marking, and it took a good ten minutes before any of us even moved. When we finally did, it was only to grab a couple water bottles and get comfortable. Seb and I threw our sweatpants on while River slipped into the t-shirt he’d tossed over the lamp, telling him that while it was a sweet gesture, it was also a fire hazard. I’m glad she pointed it out, because I was thinking the same damn thing and somehow doubt he would’ve been as receptive to the criticism had it come from me. Probably helped that she was naked when she said it.

I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaker and started up a playlist, then the three of us settled back onto the bed with River in the middle. Her leg is slung over Seb’s thigh, her back cradled against my chest. If it were up to me, we’d just stay like this forever– I’ve got everything I need right here in this room.

Unfortunately, the outside world still exists, and Seb’s phone vibrates on the nightstand to remind us of that fact. He grunts in discontentment as he rolls over to check it, murmuring something about Madd being an asshole and Avery being nosy. Guess that explains how he got us the dorm room.

“Tell Aves I’ll talk to her tomorrow,” River yawns as he starts typing out a text message in response to the one he received, reaching over to idly trace her fingers over the curved lines of the tattoo stretching across the top of his shoulder blades. I still remember when he got it done– he was so jealous upon seeing my first tattoo that he immediately petitioned his dad for permission to get one of his own. He knew exactly what he wanted inked on his skin and refused to take no for an answer.

“Did you do this one?” Riv asks me.

Sometimes I forget how much catching up we still have to do. For the first fifteen years of our lives, we knew everything about one another, but a lot happened in that three-year gap when Seb and I iced her out. Those years we lost will always be my biggest regret. At least now that we’re bonded, I have a lifetime to make it up to her.

“Nah, that one’s a Cal Conway,” I answer, my eyes tracking the movement of her fingertips over Seb’s tattoo. The design itself is simple, though it still has some attributes of my dad’s signature style.

“I like it,” she muses as she traces the black lines. “It’s supposed to be waves, right? Like the ocean.”

I smile to myself as I lean in and press a kiss to her shoulder. “Or like a river,” I murmur against her skin.

The movement of her hand stills, her breath catching. Seb immediately rolls back over with grunt, lifting his head to cut me a glare.

“Whoops, was I not supposed to let that slip?” I drawl, smirking at him.

“You’re an asshole,” Seb chuckles, rolling his eyes as he curls up to sit. He grabs for the pillow he was just resting his head on, reaching over River’s body to whack me with it before glancing down to meet her doe-eyed stare. “He’s got one for you too, y’know,” he informs her, as if it’s something I was trying to hide.

She’s seen it many times, but I don’t think she’s ever made the connection.

River turns to look at me, her long lashes fluttering as she blinks her hazel eyes. “You do?”

I sit up, tossing Seb’s pillow back at his smirking face and lifting my arm to show her the minimalistic tattoo inked on my ribcage: pines with a sweeping line underscoring them. A river.

She reaches out, sparks simmering beneath her fingertips as she trails them over my ink. Her brow furrows in quiet contemplation as she pulls her hand back. “I want a tattoo,” she declares, her eyes bouncing up to mine hopefully.

My pulse kicks up a notch at the suggestion of inking her gorgeous olive skin. “The phoenix?” I ask, recalling our last conversation about tattoos up in the lounge. “I still think you should reconsider the placement, make it a hip and thigh piece…”

“No,” she interrupts, shaking her head as she looks between Seb and me. “Something else. Something for us .”

Before I allow myself to get too excited, I glance over at Seb to gauge his reaction. He was outspoken in his opposition the last time River asked for a tattoo, but now, he’s suspiciously quiet, his expression unreadable. “I’ll show you my sketchbook sometime and you can flip through for ideas,” I murmur, figuring that’ll buy time for us to discuss it later. If he still has reservations, I’m sure we can come to some sort of agreement.

The corner of Seb’s mouth ticks up. “Everything from your cubby is in that closet, if you wanna show her now,” he remarks, pointing across the room.

Guess he’s changed his mind.

The two of us engage in a silent conversation– me arching a brow to ask if he’s sure, him dipping his chin in a barely perceptible nod– then I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, pushing to my feet and crossing the room to the closet he indicated. I find my duffel resting on the shelf within, retrieving my sketchbook from inside and bringing it back over.

The moment I offer it up to River, she eagerly snatches the sketchbook from my grasp, giddy with excitement as she flips it open and starts poring through the pages.

“Wow, Ace, these are really good,” she breathes. “Like, really good.”

A surge of pride spears through me. I’ve never sought validation for my art; it’s always been just a personal catharsis. Still, her words of admiration mean the fucking world.

“Thanks,” I quietly reply as I drop down onto the edge of the bed, watching as she continues flipping the pages and drinking in my designs.

“I might have an idea,” Seb drawls, making eye contact with me. He beckons me with a flick of his head and I ease up off the bed again, circling around to his side and bending down to his level. He leans in and cups a hand around his mouth, whispering into my ear while River eyes us suspiciously.

“What’s going on?” she questions, eyes narrowing.

I smirk back at her as I rise to my full height. “When I got this inked on my neck, it was actually Seb’s suggestion,” I say, tapping a finger against the spade tattoo on my throat. “Something dedicated to our friendship, a spade for me, a club for him. I haven’t gotten around to doing his yet, but if you’re up for it, I could give you one, too.”

“A heart,” Seb cuts in, grinning at her.

River sinks her teeth into her lower lip, fighting a smile as she acts like she’s thinking over his suggestion. She’s able to fake it for all of two seconds before she breaks.

“Okay, you talked me into it,” she laughs, tossing my sketchbook aside and bouncing up onto her knees eagerly. “Can we do it right now?”

“Grab your kit,” Seb directs, whipping his head around to find that I’m already two steps ahead of him, halfway to the closet.

I may not wear my emotions on my sleeve like River, but I’m fucking ecstatic right now. I’ve been dying to ink that pristine skin of hers since she first suggested it.

“Just so you know, it burns like hell,” Seb tells her as I retrieve my kit and get right to work setting up, laying everything out on the bedside table and checking the consistency of the black ink I plan to use. “There’s liquid silver added to the ink to bypass our shifter healing, and that shit is no joke.”

“I’m not afraid of a little pain,” she scoffs, shifting positions on the bed and folding her legs underneath her as she patiently watches me get my tools ready. “Where should I get it, though? I’m not sure I can rock a neck tattoo like you can, Ace.”

I chuckle to myself as I swing around to face her. “I’m pretty sure you could rock a tattoo anywhere, babygirl. But Seb’s getting his on his chest, and for you, I was thinking right…” I lean in, reaching out to wrap a hand around her hip. “Here,” I say, rubbing my thumb in the divot beside her hipbone.

“Perfect spot,” Seb agrees, wetting his lips with his tongue. “It’s gonna look hot as fuck on you, babe.”

River’s cheeks pinken in a blush as she reaches for the hem of the oversized t-shirt she’s wearing, slowly dragging it up over her hip and glancing down at the spot I indicated. The fabric shifts as she does, giving us a glimpse of that pretty pussy, and suddenly I’m conflicted over which I want more– to ink her skin, or to sink inside her again.

“I want mine first, but you have to get yours after,” River says, looking to Seb.

He scrubs a hand over his face like he’s trying to ward off dirty thoughts of his own, nodding. “Deal.”

“Lay back, I’ll get everything ready,” I mumble, returning to the nightstand as River reclines back against the pillows. Seb climbs over to lay on her opposite side, giving me room to work.

Riv hums along to the music playing from the speaker as I prepare her skin, flinching at the buzz of the tattoo gun when I flip it on. Dipping the needle into the ink, I glance up to meet her eyes, my pulse picking up speed.

“You ready?” I ask, gazing into her eyes and arching a brow.

She rolls her lower lip between her teeth nervously, but her hazel eyes sparkle with anticipation as she nods her head in affirmation.

Sucking in a breath, I lower the needle, a shiver of delight running through me as I press down into her skin.

“Shit,” she gasps, her muscles tensing at the hit of pain.

I ease up on the pressure, lifting my gaze. “You alright?”

“Mhmm,” she hums, her features twisting in a grimace. “Keep going.”

Seb reaches out for her hand, threading his fingers with hers as I refocus on her hip and press the needle down again, slipping into a meditative state as I get to work. I don’t plan on making this very big, so it shouldn’t take long. Keeping my hand steady, I complete the outline in just a few minutes, then begin the process of filling it in.

“My wolf,” River grits out, shifting her weight uncomfortably on the mattress.

I lift the needle from her skin, glancing up again. Her irises are illuminated with copper shimmers– a telltale sign that her inner animal is close to the surface. It’s not an unusual response to pain, but considering her issues with her wolf…

“Maybe we should stop,” she chokes, a sharp edge of panic in her tone.

I flip off my tattoo gun, reaching out to set a comforting hand on her thigh.

“You’ve got this, Riv,” Seb soothes, tightening his grip on her hand. “Try pushing her back.”

She blows out a slow breath as her eyes slip closed, Seb and I looking at each other, then back down at her. She takes a few more measured breaths, and when she opens her eyes again, they’re back to the stunning hazel color I’m so fond of, devoid of the metallic glow of her wolf. Her lashes flutter as she blinks a few times, brows pinching together in confusion.

“Weird, she actually listened for once,” River says, chuckling wryly. “Appreciate the assist, boys.”

“We didn’t do anything, that was all you,” Seb murmurs, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile.

“You guys just being here helped,” she replies, turning to give me a nod. “Keep going.”

I nod back at her, flipping my tattoo gun back on. Before I lower it to her skin again, I glance over at Seb again, and when our eyes lock, I can tell he’s thinking the same thing I am.

What if sealing our bond affected her wolf?

Riv’s stomach dips in with her gasp as the needle makes contact with her skin again, but she manages to keep her beast at bay as I finish the tattoo, wiping off the excess ink and taking a second to admire my work. I’ve done many tattoos at this point, but this is by far my favorite to date, even if it’s just a simple black heart.

Because it’s on her . And because she’s mine .

“All done,” I remark, the buzz of my gun abruptly cutting off as I flip the switch.

Riv immediately sits up, curling forward to check out her fresh ink. “I love it!” she exclaims, her lips spreading into a wide grin as her eyes ping up to meet mine.

“I love you ,” I reply.

Her breath catches, mouth popping open. “W-what?”

“I love you,” I repeat, setting my tattoo gun down and leaning in to smack a kiss on her lips. “Figured you already knew, but wanted to say it just in case you didn’t.”

“I love you too, Riv,” Seb blurts, seemingly emboldened by my own declaration.

Her eyes widen as her head swivels from side to side, as if she can’t decide which one of us to look at. “I love you guys too,” she rasps, her eyes shining as tears rise to the surface. Reaching out, she grasps for our hands, squeezing them tight in hers as a fat tear rolls down her cheek.

“Hey, no crying,” Seb growls, his free hand reaching up to wipe it away.

“They’re tears of joy, asshole,” she huffs, snapping her teeth like she’s going to bite his fingers.

I roll my eyes, laughing softly to myself as the two of them glare at one another, knowing full well that I just signed up for a lifetime of their bickering. Somehow, though, the thought of that doesn’t bother me in the least.

Seb’s my best friend, and River’s my mate. Though in very different ways, I love both of them.

There’s nobody I’d rather spend the rest of my life being annoyed by than these two.