Page 41 of Gray

“Yep.” He lunged forward and licked my cheek. “See? I licked you. That means you’re mine.” He rolled off the bed and bounced in place. His hoodie had cat ears on the hood, and he lifted it up in dramatic fashion. “Let’s gooooo.”

I was still stunned from him licking me and stared as he hopped toward the door like the world’s most adorable bunny.

How could someone who had so many sleepy spells possibly be so hyper?

“Mason,” he whined, flipping around to pout at me. That pout was the nail in the coffin of my self-control.

Hyper, oftentimes sleepy Gray would be the death of me. Of that I was certain.

I pulled on my clothes from the day before—since I hadn’t been able to grab more prior to Galen practically abducting me—and met Gray beside the door. He rushed out into the hall, dragging me with him.

“What’s the hurry?” I asked. My voice sounded odd. Lighter.

“One word.” He grinned at me over his shoulder. “Waffles.”

He slowed his pace when we reached the staircase, but he didn’t release my hand. His palm was warm. Everything about him was. And it felt like I’d been freezing for so long—for two years to be exact.

Maybe that’s why I was so drawn to him. Gray was like the first break of sunlight after a long dark night you thought would never end.

“I met Simon last night,” I said as we treaded down the stairs.

“I love Simon. He’s my favorite human on the whole planet.” Gray softly swung our joined hands before letting go and jumping to skip the last step, landing on the floor with his arms stretched out. A puzzled expression crossed his face as he faced me. “Well. One of my favorites.”

Fuck. My heart thrummed faster.

“Simon’s human?” I asked as a distraction. I had assumed he was by his comment about not believing in the supernatural until a year ago, but anything could’ve happened between now and then. He could’ve been turned into something… well, not human.

“Yep. He’s Galen’s mate.”

“Mate? Like his friend? Or…”

“As in his fated mate,” Gray said. “Brought together by destiny and all that. Galen and Simon are married, and their souls are bound together. Three of my brothers have found their mates so far. Pretty cool, huh?”

“How does that work?” I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept. “How did they know?”

“When you meet the soul you’re meant to be with, it’s kinda like love at first sight. Your whole world tilts on its axis, and the planets align. You can fight it, but in the end, that’s your destined path, ya know? They become your person.” He cocked his head, intently studying me.

“What?”

“I don’t know yet.” He stepped closer. “You give me butterflies.”

Again, so honest. No filter.

Steps sounded behind me, breaking the moment between us. Galen and Simon descended the stairs, hands joined. The lovesick look in Galen’s eyes shifted to annoyance when his gaze found mine.

“Hunter.”

“I have a name. You should use it.”

“Sparrow? No, that’s not right. It was some other feathered fiend.”

“It’s Hawk,” Gray told him, hands on his hips. “And we have feathers too, so you have no room to talk. Simon, you need to whop your husband upside the head. I don’t wanna use up my energy.”

The entire situation was bizarre. Not only the conversation, but everything. Their existence, for one, and how they lived together in a mansion surrounded by a magical barrier no one could find unless they were invited. The fated mate thing. And the good versus evil war they wanted me to help them fight.

But the thing that stumped me the most was my reaction to Gray. He had said I gave him butterflies. When he grabbed my hand, continuing toward the kitchen, I realized he gave them to me too.

“Mornin’,” Raiden said, grabbing plates from the cabinet. “Y’all want to help me set the table?”