Page 26 of Galen

“For what?”

“It sounds like you’ve had a shitty life.”

Galen held my gaze. Said nothing. I wondered if I was the first person to ever say such a thing to him before.

I pondered his words. Nothing had ever sounded crazier. Angels? The seven deadly sins? I feared I was losing touch with reality, that this was some carefully orchestrated prank. I touched my chest, felt the ache of the wound. That was definitely real. So was the honesty shining in Galen’s eyes.

“What sin are you?” I asked, deciding to put my faith in everything he told me. I didn’t really have any other choice at the moment.

“Wrath.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

Galen laughed before walking across the room and opening a door. He flipped on the light and revealed a huge walk-in closet. “My clothes will be too big for you, but they’ll do for now. One of us will stop by your loft this evening and grab clothes and anything else you need.”

The change of subject was probably a good thing. I didn’t know how much more I could absorb before my brain exploded.

“What about the broken window?” I asked, remembering how the shades broke into my loft. “I need to get it fixed, otherwise all my stuff will be ruined.”

“I’ll take care of it,” he said from inside the closet. He exited holding a black T-shirt and tossed it to me. “Put this on.”

Careful not to irritate any of my injuries, I slid out of bed and stood on shaky legs.

“Will you be able to walk?” he asked, concerned.

“I think so,” I answered, putting weight on my uninjured leg. Whatever magic they used to heal me must’ve been powerful. There wasn’t much pain at all. My chest was the worst of the three wounds, but even it didn’t hurt as bad as it should’ve given the severity of the injury. I slid the shirt over my head and tugged it down. The thing was so long it brushed the top of my knees. “What now?”

“Now?” Galen placed a hand at my lower back and guided me toward the door. “You meet my brothers.”

***

Galen led me down a hallway and to a winding staircase. Light filtered into the mansion from the many windows, and it took all my willpower not to stop on the steps and gawk at the beauty of the place.

“You’ll have plenty of time to admire everything later.” Galen smirked at me. “But I can hear your stomach growling from here. Food first.”

Heat crept to my cheeks, and I averted my eyes. How could he read me so easily?

We reached the ground floor, and my mouth watered at the smell of bacon. And yeah, he was right. My stomach grumbled.

Voices drifted from the other room, followed by a few chuckles and the sizzle of cooking meat.

“I should warn you,” Galen said. “Things can get… rowdy. And loud. Too goddamn loud.”

“I went to a ton of frat parties in college. I can handle it.”

“Yeah, well, they’re like frat boys on steroids.” He glanced at the open archway. “If they annoy you too much, let me know and I’ll strangle them.”

I laughed, then stopped when I saw his serious expression. “You’re not joking.”

Humor sparked in his eyes. Whether he’d strangle them or not, I had no idea. Probably best for them not to test him though.

Entering the kitchen, I saw four men. Three I recognized because they’d been in my room when I woke up. The other man was fucking beautiful. He had a head of wavy blond hair and a perfect balance of masculine and feminine features: a strong jaw, pouted lips, long lashes, bedroom eyes, and high cheekbones.

He smiled at me, and I looked away, my face heating.

Gray sat on a barstool, legs crisscross on the seat and head resting on the counter. He looked sleepy, all the energy he’d had earlier gone. He opened his eyes long enough to give me a tired smile, and then he closed them again.

“Can’t believe you let a shade make you its bitch last night, Raiden,” the guy with vibrant red hair said to the man at the stove. “I thought those claw marks were because you got kinky. Not because you got your ass kicked.”