Page 10

Reed

Standing in the elevator going up to Cassi’s apartment, Reed reached for her hand.

Midway through the move, he thought better of it and shoved his hand in his pocket.

He was desperate to touch someone. Idris was holding one of her hands, and Silas was on the other side of the gargoyle.

The only person close to him was Cassi, but he didn’t want to make her feel boxed in.

Among wolf shifters, who were already considered a touchy-feely group, Reed had a reputation for being extra affectionate.

If he managed to annoy other wolf shifters, he needed to be careful around Cassi.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Cassi murmured, touching his arm with a concerned expression.

“But I can tell something’s bothering you.

I promise I’m not going to stay here or at my parents' place. I only want to pack some stuff up right now. I’m going back to the castle after we visit my family. ”

Tension eased out of him the moment her hand trailed down his arm to finally tangle her fingers with his.

“I’m not worried about that,” Reed said, finding he could smile again.

“Reed likes to be able to touch one of us at all times,” Silas said, spilling his secret to Cassi.

He shot Silas an annoyed look before going back to smiling at Cassi. “But it doesn’t have to be you. I promise I won’t pester you or anything like that. I could hold Silas’s hand, or Idris’s. I don’t have to be in physical contact all the time. I swear!”

Cassi never looked away from him, and her smile didn’t diminish “You can touch me anytime you need. Please don’t pick me up without asking first, but hugging and holding hands is totally f-f-fine. I don’t have anything against PDA.”

He could feel the truth of her words through their link. Letting go of her hand, he moved behind her and wrapped her in a hug. She leaned back against him, and a hum of happiness came through the soul bond.

“Reed is sure that at any moment we’re going to get annoyed with him and ask him to leave us alone,” Silas said. “If you ever see him standing around with his hands in his pockets, that’s a sign he’s feeling needy but scared to say anything.”

“Noted,” Cassi said, petting Reed's arms where they crossed over her chest. She looked over her shoulder at him.

“Have you noticed that neither of you is stuttering much anymore?” Silas said as the elevator’s doors slid open. He and Idris filed out first.

“Could be the bond is settling,” Idris said. “Remember when we first soul bonded, and I kept shifting any time one of you tried to leave? It took a few days, but I regained control.”

Silas nodded. “That makes sense.”

Reed lifted his arms off Cassi. She grabbed his hand and led him out of the elevator. “I’m glad it was temporary. I was feeling guilty about spreading my stutter to Reed. It was also annoying to be stuttering so much after so much work to keep it at a minimum.”

“But I don’t mind the stutter! It made me feel closer to you,” he protested, feeling strangely rejected.

“As sweet as that is,” Cassi said with a note of humor in her voice as she squeezed his hand, “being close to me is this, not my stutter.”

Her reassurance made him feel better. Soon they were inside her apartment. It was a cute one bedroom filled with bright colors.

“We need to redecorate,” he announced, taking in the overstuffed purple couch, burnt orange accent wall, sunny yellow throw pillows, and several large jewel-toned pieces of art hanging from the walls.

Silas nodded. “That might be necessary.”

He could feel a shock of surprise coming from her. “You guys like my style?”

“I’ve liked many different styles through the years,” Silas said with a shrug. “It wouldn’t bother me to add all this color.”

Reed wasn’t a fan of the Scandinavian style the designer had suggested for the castle, but Silas had been in a hurry to make the place livable for all of them, so Reed hadn’t argued. Changing to Cassi’s colorful style sounded perfect to him.

“That’s a great idea!” Reed enthused. “Cassi and I can start shopping tomorrow.”

“What’s the rush?” Cassi said with a chuckle.

“No rush for the decorating,” Reed admitted. “But I want to make the castle feel like your home so you never want to leave.”

She turned him to face her. “Even if you paint the whole place black and replace the furniture with concrete, I’d come home because that’s where the three of you are.”

Reed felt his eyes burn. “That’s good,” he said, voice tight.

Then Idris was behind him, wrapping him in a strong hug. “Easy, Reed. You're loved and safe. No one’s going to leave you.”

He should be embarrassed at being so vulnerable in front of their newest flock member, but if he couldn’t be exposed and defenseless in front of them, they weren’t a true flock.

“I know,” he mumbled.

Idris dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “It doesn't hurt to hear it again.”

Cassi was still holding his hand, and she let it go to step close and hug him from the front. Silas moved to his right and pressed in.

They stood like that for several minutes, bathing in the love and affection coming through the bond.

It felt so good, the tears dried up and all the nervousness and insecurity he’d felt earlier mostly vanished.

He knew himself well enough to know he’d always need reassurance, but it was good to know he could get it whenever he needed it.

“I’m always available to tell you how much I love you,” Cassi whispered to him.

The others murmured their agreement. They stood like that until Cassi’s phone beeped, reminding Reed this was only meant to be a quick trip to Cassi’s place to pick up more items before heading to her parents' house.

With a sniff and a smile, he pulled out of the embrace, put his hands on his hips and looked around the apartment. “We got places to be, people. Let’s figure out what we’re packin’.”