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“Your mates came for you and took us all with you,” Addy sniffed. “That makes them good men in my book.”
I huffed a laugh. “I think it’s a bit more complicated than that, wildcat. The Soul Reapers came because what was happening was wrong. This MC doesn’t hold with the skin trade.”
We moved back to the bed and climbed on, still huddled together in a sad little group. The playing cards scattered around the sheets like fallen dreams. Silently, Talia began to put them away.
“Benji gave them to me,” Talia explained with a shrug. “When I was visiting.”
“He feeling any better, sweetheart?”
“Yeah.” A beautiful smile curled her shy lips as she risked a quick glance in my direction. I smiled tiredly, giving her a nod to continue. “Doc says the silver’s leaving his system. Soon he’ll be good as new.”
She shivered in anticipation and her gaze darted quickly to my claiming mark before skipping away.
“So, Grimm’s your mate, right?” Addy piped up, still chewing on her thoughts.
The girl was far too observant for her own good. I sighed, “Silver is my mate.”
And Mongrel, probably. But we’d leave that revelation for later.
I pulled a blanket up and over us as Louise settled her head in my lap.
“I like him, too.” Talia murmured, cuddling up with her sister again, now that she’d put away her gift for safe keeping. “He feels safe.”
“He is,” I agreed softly.
I could still feel Silver’s anxiety but his tumult had calmed at least. This bonded mate thing would be tricky, if we were always feeding off each other’s emotions.
“Hey, guys. I brought drinks. You’re welcome!” Viola called as she swung into the room with a fresh pallet of bottled water. She stopped in the doorway. “Um. Who died?”
“Winter’s angry,” Robbie shrugged and took the pack from her.
“Oh.” Viola looked over at the bathroom door which was still ajar. “She came out?”
“Sort of,” Talia said, as Louise whispered, “She left us.”
“No. She’s mad at me, Louise. Not you,” I pinched her chin until she looked up at me. “Got it? That fight had nothing to do with how Winter feels about you. She has a right to her feelings.”
After tucking us all under blankets, I accepted a bottle of water from Robbie.
“Silver claimed me,” I explained to Viola, turning my head so she could see the mark. “Just to be clear, I claimed him back. I asked for it. With words and everything. It’s a good thing.”
I hoped. Just so long as my selfish actions hadn’t torn my new family apart. Because I couldn’t choose between my mates and my people. I wouldn’t. I needed all of them. Even my broken Winter.
“So we’re happy about it,” I finished, trying to sound decisive.
“Of course you are, babe.” Viola dropped a kiss to the crown of my head as she flopped onto the bed with us. “My brother found his mate, too. Got a phone call from him. He’s riding high as a kite. That’s why I’m staying here. With y’all. Three’s a crowd, if you know what I’m saying.” Then she waggled her eyebrows at me, “Unless it’s a special kind of crowd.”
My lips tilted into a tired smile and I shook my head.
“Silver’s a sweet boy.” Viola gave me a side hug around Louise and cracked the top off her own bottle. “Winter will get there. Probably. Maybe. Hell, probably never. But you can’t live your life only for others, Sasha. There’s gotta be some room in there for you, too.”
“Yeah.”
I looked over to the door that loomed between us and the corridor, separating our group from the rest of the MC. And now, from my friend, too. The person I’d tried so desperately to save, yet had done nothing but cause harm to since we’d met.
Hopelessness swirled.
My stolen moments of happiness in the arms of another had only made everything worse.
