Page 21

Ever

H ome. Sweet, sweet, precious, home.

I stop myself from dropping to my knees and kissing the floorboards, because I still have some dignity left, but it’s a close call. Instead, I settle for trailing my fingers along the entryway wall while Ledger insists on checking the house first to ensure no one broke in and is lying in wait.

Fingers crossed all is clear, because I’m pretty sure once my head hits my pillow, I’ll be sleeping for a week straight.

“What are the odds Oscar and Kiara both ended up with houses across the street?” Myles asks.

Ledger returns, relaxed enough to prove everything has survived untouched during our absence. “Are you really surprised? Ellis is the town realtor for a reason; he’s damn good at his job.”

Arson finishes setting up Adam’s habitat, and I can't help but snort at the finished project. He took a three-tier ferret cage on wheels and refurbished it into an obstacle course from hell. Spiked wheels, a pool of water with something swimming in the murky depths I don’t want to be on a first name basis with, and an assortment of ridiculous traps that stand between Adam and the pile of food and clean water he needs to live.

And the second he thinks about camping out there?

Arson will move the drop location to the opposite side of the habitat.

Thankfully, he thought ahead and got a black out curtain cover for it so we don’t have to worry about him seeing anything he shouldn’t.

Doesn’t mean he won’t be able to hear me getting railed six ways to Sunday, though. Serves the asshole right.

It’s ridiculous, stupidly perfect, and makes me love them even more because they get it and don’t judge.

I’m over Adam, but I really do want him to suffer for everything he put me through.

It’s not a matter of me not being able to move on, it’s a case of petty vengeance that I knowwwww I should be better than to reduce myself to, but…

I’m just not that good of a person. They don’t expect me to be, though, and I appreciate the hell out of them because of it.

I’m hovering between the kitchen and my bedroom when Myles appears and wraps an arm around my waist, telling the guys, “Ever’s mine for the rest of the night. If you need anything… figure it out,” and steers me away.

He doesn’t even wait for their reply, and I admit; I’m intrigued. Of all of my mates, Myles is the most shy. The least sure of himself. So seeing him take control?

It’s kind of doing it for me.

He leads me upstairs to the bathroom and closes the door behind us, flipping the lock. “The others can hold down the fort for one night.”

“Agreed, but… why do they need to, again? Not that I’m complaining,” I hastily add.

Moving to the bathtub recessed in the floor like a hot tub in the center of the room, he gets the water running before rummaging around in the cabinet beneath the sink, pulling out several bottles.

“Because you've been through a lot these past few weeks. And I know you’re used to dealing with everything alone, but you’re my mate.

” He adds a few things to the water and puts the bottles back, returning with a stack of towels.

“And I haven’t gotten any time alone with you since,” he swallows, “everything happened.”

“You mean my kidnapping?” I flippantly ask. “I’ve gotta say, it’s way hotter in books. Ten outta ten, do not recommend.”

A shudder runs through him as he drops the towels and looks at me earnestly. “I’m so sorry, Ev. I was the one that encouraged you to go with Bellamy. If I hadn’t pushed-”

My lips are suddenly on his, shutting him up with a kiss. “Stop trying to blame yourself for other people’s actions. You didn’t get Skylar killed, and you didn’t kidnap me. You’re a good man , Myles Evergreen, and I’m proud to call you mine.”

The tension in his shoulders fades as he palms the back of my neck, stepping into me and deepening the kiss.

His other hand lands on my hip, thumb stroking back and forth, teasing the strip of skin at my waist and dipping beneath my shirt.

When he pulls back, his voice is husky. “Let me take care of you tonight.”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine; really. And I’m sure you’re just as exhausted from-” he threads his fingers through my hair, tightening just enough to take control and tip my head back to face him as he kisses me again, hard and fast.

“I wasn’t asking. Get in the water, Ever.”

Oh shit. I like nervous Myles, but I love bossy Myles.

Holding his gaze, I strip off my shirt, loving the way his eyes darken and he gives me his complete, undivided focus, like he doesn’t want to risk missing a single moment.

My bra comes next, and I swear, the way his throat bobs as his gaze dips to my naked breasts and he takes an unconscious step closer makes me feel powerful for the first time in weeks; no magic necessary.

Until meeting these men, nobody really saw me. Now, I have four mates that stare at me like no one else exists.

Riding a confidence high I wish I could bottle for later, I force myself not to overthink how unflattering the harsh fluorescent lighting is as I bend over to shimmy out of my pants and underwear, leaving myself on full display.

Sure, I’ve been naked with him before, but it was in the heat of the moment.

As his gaze leisurely peruses my naked form, I tell the small part of my brain that’s secretly worried what he’s thinking and if he’s going to change his mind and walk away, to shut the hell up.

If he doesn’t like what he sees, that’s his loss.

But any secret fear of rejection I was harboring goes up in smoke as he croaks, “Fates, you’re so fucking beautiful it hurts. And you’re mine? ” He tilts his head back to the ceiling and curses, adjusting himself and muttering under his breath, “Algebra, sweaty gym socks, power outages.”

A startled giggle bubbles out of me. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“You don’t understand how hard it is not to come just by looking at you and remembering the way you felt strangling my dick.” Closing his eyes, he sucks in a sharp breath. “Nope, can’t think about it, or I’m going to embarrass myself. Get in the tub and under the bubbles, for both our sakes.”

Grinning, I have mercy on him and step into the steaming water, groaning in relief.

“Damn it,” he mutters, fisting the base of his cock and shooting me a playful glare. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were torturing me on purpose.”

Blinking innocently, I reach for the shampoo. “Why do that when I could just point out that this tub is big enough for the both of us, and I need help washing my hair? After all, you’re taking care of me tonight, right?”

A breathtaking smile takes over his face.

“Yep, totally torturing me on purpose. Jokes on you, I’m into it.

” Reaching behind him with one hand, he pulls off his shirt in that magical hot guy way that makes girls swoon, making quick work of stripping.

His glasses go on top of his pile of clothes, and in no time he’s sliding into the water and taking the bottle from me, setting it on the lip long enough to encourage me to lean back and wet my hair.

As soon as he’s lathering the shampoo through it, fingers working my scalp and lulling me half to sleep, he asks, “Now, no jokes for two minutes. How are you really holding up after everything?”

A part of me wants to slip out of his fingers and beneath the water so I have an excuse not to answer.

Can’t be vulnerable if you’re dead, right?

But he deserves better than that; they all do.

Sex is great and all, but if I want this to work out long term, we need a better foundation than sweeping shit I don’t want to talk about under the rug and distracting them with blow jobs.

Might buy me a year or two before they catch on, though.

“I’m angry,” I eventually whisper, eyes shut tight.

He hums under his breath, fingers slowly massaging my scalp. “You have every right to be. You were dealt a shit hand in life.”

That little bit of acceptance goes a long way, making some of the tension ebb from my muscles as I stumble my way through my feelings aloud.

How shitty it feels that Adam blamed me for everything, when it was his fault for being a fucking tool and creating the problems in the first place.

And yet, I’m the one that overlooked all the red flags in the beginning because of how lonely I was, and how pathetic that is.

The mind-fuck that is my fated mate’s father killing my parents, and how thrilled I am that Ledger was finally able to get closure for both of us against the man that abused him.

“Am I a terrible person if I don’t really feel anything where my parents are concerned?”

“Of course not,” Myles growls, pulling me up from rinsing my hair and looking me dead in the eye. “Feelings are always valid. It’s how you deal with them that defines a person. And you, pretty girl, have handled everything like a fucking badass.”

Grabbing the conditioner, he works it through my hair like a man on a mission.

“Tell me if I’m way off base, but from what I can tell, you already grieved them and the life you missed out on because of how you grew up.

Like you pointed out to Naomi when we got to the compound, either they were already dead, or were alive and abandoned you.

Sure, there was an off chance you were kidnapped and your parents had been searching for you since, but all things considered?

As bittersweet as it is, this was sort of the second best case scenario.

You got closure and know now that you were loved.

Wanted. And their deaths have not only been avenged, but you found a living family member. ”