Page 41 of Property of Karev

“No,” I instantly blurt. “Don’t zap your memories.”

The thought of losing the memories of my own family hits me hard. Even if they treated me like shit it doesn’t take away the fact that they were once a part of my life.

He tilts his head. “Why not? It would solve my issues.”

I get to my feet and start to boil water for tea to keep my hands busy. “You might think so, but it would also erase Zara from existence. Memories are a part of your past and give you the baggage to take with you into the future. The Zara you knew isn’t the person she is now. You guys didn’t exactly get a second chance, but you do get a chance. That doesn’t sound right. I mean, maybe it’s like Sevrin and Cassia’s twins. One person cut in two, and while the twins are still one and two, Zara is a before and now version. See her as a new person, give her another name inside your mind without erasing the old Zara.” I wince and grumble, “Okay, that sounds even worse.”

Levan chuckles. “Yeah, your reasoning doesn’t exactly make sense. Yet, somehow, I get what you’re saying.”

I place a mug of honey tea in front of him and take a seat.

Placing my hands around my own tea, I sigh and say, “Life will never get any easier, love needs hard work because it’s never granted, but when you get hit by all the bumps in the road they call living? You simply have to accept the faceplant in that shit, and drag your tired ass back up to go on ’cause admitting defeat is like dying inside, you know?”

Levan barks out a laugh, but it’s cut short when Triton stumbles into the kitchen. He seems completely drunk and almost lands on the floor when he drags out a chair to sit down on it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Levan questions.

With bloodshot eyes Triton looks right at me and slurs, “I have a half-sister.”

“Oh, fuck,” I whisper.

He waves his hand in an effort to point a finger at me, but points at the fridge instead. “Oh, fuck indeed. She’s human and has no fucking clue about anything supernatural. An innocent I just gave a death sentence.”

Triton rubs the back of his hand against his face and stops mid-rub making his nose and his upper lip stay in a weird pose.

Which is why his words sound off when he says, “I found her when I scavenged for a connection to my blood. Why didn’t I do that years ago, just to be sure? It’s my own damn fault. I ruined her life.” He glances at Levan. “I ruined your life, everyone’s life. Life itself is unalived.”

His head hits the table and he’s out cold.

“Okay, my life might not suck as bad as his...or his sister for that matter,” Levan mutters.

“We’ll fix it,” Karev states as he steps into the kitchen.

His hair is wet and he’s only wearing gray sweatpants. His bulging muscles are on full display and it’s completely inappropriate to lust after him with the heavy topic at hand.

I clear my throat and agree with my mate. “Yes, we will.”

“Come on, let’s get this fucker to his room so we can all get some shut-eye. We’re gonna need it so we can get up early tomorrow morning and make a plan,” Levan says and gets to his feet.

Karev and Levan pull Triton to his feet and I quickly gather some food along with two bottles of water. A few minutes later Karev and I wander into our room. Without a word we munch on the food and then strip to get into bed.

It’s comforting to cuddle against him. His warmth, his strength surrounding me. The sadness of Levan hits me. He found his mate but has so much baggage to carry with him into that connection. Fated mates have a strong bond and yet mental scars are hard to deal with.

I nuzzle Karev’s chest and tilt my head to place a kiss on his neck. All of it makes me appreciate the bond Karev and I share. Life can change within a second while the connection we share will last forever.

Well, it can last forever if nothing crucial happens to either one of us, hence the life-changing second bullshit. Though, I’ve come to realize a whole new concept of standing strong together thanks to Karev and his brotherhood.

Where my father forced my sisters and I to combine our powers for his own personal gain, this brotherhood uses it to protect one another. Spending time here has showed me the excruciating difference.

Karev’s arm tightens around me and I can feel his lips on the crown of my head. “Sleep.”

I sigh and push slightly up to look at him. “I can’t. The threat hanging around us might have been dealt with but there’s so much going on and...”

He kisses me hard, completely stopping my ramblings.

Pulling back, he says, “There will always be club business to handle, and we will dive into things first thing tomorrow morning, just like Levan said. So, for now we need to rest to fight another day.”

“How can we rest when my mind is running a hundred miles an hour?” I grumble.