Page 66 of Gray

“I’m sure Bellamy will help you if you ask him,” Galen told her, guiding Simon toward the door. They usually only stayed at the club long enough for a few drinks, maybe a dance, and then they went home. Both of them hated crowds. The perfect match.

“Like I need his help.” Clara followed them out the door.

“Thank you for your loyalty, old friend.” Alastair clasped Konnar’s forearm.

“And I thank you for yours. Whatever you need, you know where to find me.”

When I stood up, my strength waned, and I slouched against Mason. He slipped his arm around me.

“Sleep soon,”Sloth said.

“We just slept in the car,”I whined.

“Not long enough. Need more rest.”

My muscles relaxed even more. Fighting against my sin was useless. Because just like how Raiden was unable to resist the temptation of a sweet treat, I could only keep my eyes open for so long before they inevitably closed.

“Go to sleep,” Mason whispered, his mouth at my ear and his arms around me. “I’ve got you.”

“No fight…ing.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest as he picked me up. “No fighting. I promise. I’ll have my hands full anyway.”

Smiling, I wrapped my arms around his neck and dropped my head to his shoulder, closing my eyes. And then sleep took me.

I woke in my bed hours later.

The moon lamp on my nightstand glowed blue before changing to green, then purple. Mason knew I didn’t like the dark and must’ve turned it on after tucking me in. Too bad he hadn’t stayed. Pale light came through the window, and the time on my phone displayed 3:20 a.m.

I sat up and poked Gojo’s face on my pillowcase. He was my current favorite hot anime guy. Something else that sucked about Sloth? Because I slept so much on and off during the day, there were times in the dead of night when I was bursting with energy. It got kind of lonely when everyone else was asleep.

“Totally unfair. Huh, Gojo?” I poked him again.

The mansion was quiet as I slipped out of my room and padded down the hallway, my knee-high socks a bit slippery on the hardwood floor. Again, a sign of Mason. He knew I liked to sleep in them and must’ve put them on me.

My belly warmed and fluttered at the same time.

Were my brothers home? I focused on the link I shared with them, a connection I visualized as colored threads. Red for Galen, orange for Raiden, royal blue for Bellamy—the same colors that were in our wings. Their threads led to where they were so that we could always find each other.

Well, unless one of us was too far away, like when Castor had been taken to the underworld. We had known he was still alive though. Our connection allowed us to feel each other’s life force and sense if one of us was hurt too.

Ah. There they are. Royal blue and orange.Bellamy and Raiden had come home from the club, which was what I had been searching for. I always worried when they stayed out all night. With Asa on the loose, we couldn’t be too careful.

Another feeling hit me then, the one I felt when Mason was close.

What was he doing out of bed? I descended the stairs to the entrance hall and followed the feeling to the kitchen. He wasn’t in there though. I kept walking until I reached the back patio.

Mason stood in the grass facing the water, phone at his ear.

Who was he talking to? Quietly, I opened the door and shut it softly before tiptoeing along the patio and down the few stairs to the grass. It was chilly outside but not too bad. A different kind of chill passed through me when he spoke.

“A whole club of them, Scar,” he said. “Leeches, wolves, you name it. They were feeding on humans, and no one did a damn thing to stop it. They said it was consensual, but who the fuck would want that?”

My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach.

He was silent as the person on the other end of the line responded. “Yeah. I know. I still think it’s in our best interest to ally with them. The Nephilim have their hearts in the right place. I can tell. It’s just the other shit that confuses the hell out of me.” Another pause. “No. Keep this between us for now. I don’t want any hunters showing up and causing trouble. If it turns out I’m being played, I’ll storm that club and take them all out myself.”

My vision blurred with angry tears.