Page 155 of A Wild Darkness

My stomach clenches. “Yeah, there was so much going on at once. There wasn’t time to think⁠—”

“You did something so brave, Stevie,” she says. “Like you accepted me. My choices and how I confided in you how I felt after killing Andrew.”

“That was different.”

“How?”

I run a hand down the front of my face. “He…they hurt you, Lux.”

“What you did was so much better. You got in front of the problems and stopped these monsters from hurting anyone else.” She rests a hand on my head and smooths my hair. “That man was a monster and deserved it. And the other one, River said you took out.”

“They both deserved it. Each one of those serial killers in the entire group deserved everything they got. I’m in shock, that’s all,” I admit, then push myself off the bed. “I’m going back to Sebastian’s room.”

Lux straightens slowly, then nods her head. “Okay.”

She follows me down the hall and back to the room Sebastian’s staying in. As I round the corner, I’m swept into an overpowering hug and the scent of delicious food. Both of which engulf me.

“Oh, honey. Everything is going to be all right,” Aunt Mae soothes me, tightening her arms around me.

I return her embrace, my muscles melting in her comfort. “I’m so worried about him.”

She pats my back. “Sebastian’s tough and will fight through this. Our doctor is phenomenal and is confident he will make a full recovery.”

A tear rolls down my cheek as I pull away to meet her eyes. “I know, but it’s hard for me to believe right now.”

“I understand.” Her wrinkles kiss at the corners of her eyes, with a confident smile. “Now that you’ve had a shower, how about some good food from Ben?”

My stomach growls. “That sounds amazing.”

Aunt Mae leads me over to a small settee table in the corner of the room by a large bay window. Wide-open curtains reveal the forest on the property at the center of a torrential downpour.

“He loves the rain.” Aunt Mae stares outside as lightning brightens the night sky.

I lower into the chair, smiling. “I know.”

Then I notice River, Hayden, and Christian sitting around a grand fireplace across the room in large leather chairs. They’re all leaning forward, huddled together as if they are in deep discussion.

“They huddle like that all the time.” Lux is suddenly at my side. “Usually Sebastian is with them, too. You’ll get used to it.”

My eyes dart back over to him. “He will be soon.”

Aunt Mae fixes his blankets, then shuffles over to Lux and me. “I’m going to head back to the manor for the night. Good night, ladies.”

Lux smiles at the old woman. “Good night, Aunt Mae.”

“Good night. And thank you,” I say.

She gives us one more loving glance before leaving the room.

I stare down at the metal lid covering the food on the table in front of me, but I don’t have an appetite.

Lux must sense it, because she gives my hand a gentle squeeze from across the table, then rises and walks over to the guys near the fireplace. She says something to River, and then he repeats whatever it is to the guys. They all glance in my direction, sympathy in their stares.

One by one, Lux, River, Hayden, and Christian all give me a subtle wave before leaving the room. The door closes behind them, and then finally I’m alone.

My eyes shoot over to Sebastian, and all I want to do is be next to him. I head back to his bed and climb in, tucking myself into his side. Sucking in a deep breath, I take in his scent before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep once again.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE