Page 34 of For the Ghastly and Beautiful

“Rin?” I speak softly, moving closer when she looks up at me. “It’s okay.”

“That scent,” she says in a rasping voice.

“We’ll make it go away.” I assure her.

I glance at Connak, asking him to leave the room with a nod of my head. He lifts his shirt to his nose, his eyes going wide when he smells the mistake. It lingers for a moment after he walks out, but she finally settles as it fades away.

“Every time I—” She sighs. “I just need a hot bath and a nap.”

“I’ll give you some privacy,” I tell her. “I’ll come check on you in an hour unless you need me before then.”

She scoffs. “I’m not broken, Ada.”

“No. You’re not broken, Rin,” I say, my voice full of conviction. “This is what it feels like to have a friend who has been through similar situations.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“Okay.” She nods. “I’ll yell if I need you.”

I smile at her as I close the door to my room. Connak is standing in the hallway, frowning at the wall as he’s lost in his thoughts. The rich chestnut hue of his irises are tainted, blackened by his own memories of Rin’s past.

He flinches when I touch his forearm, then shakes his head as he gazes at me.

“I didn’t think,” he murmurs.

“She’s okay.” I lean in to smell his shirt. “But you’ve got to lose the clothes. The scent is clinging to you.”

He grins wryly at me as he tugs the ashy-colored linen over his head. “Better?”

I groan just as Rin did earlier. If it’s not Spiran killing me, it’s these insufferable, beautiful Mongrels I’ve grown attached to.

I thought my hormones would chill out when she stopped influencing us, but I was wrong.

Then, I thought having sex would Talodus would surely douse the havoc my libido was causing… That was also an incorrect observation.

Today has shown me two things.

Vascular forearms and ripped muscles.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t envisioned each one of these men gripping some part of my body with those large scarred hands as they’ve been moving furniture from room to room. I had to excuse myself before I drooled, because Jesus, Neptune, and Osiris. Talodus shattered my self-control.

Connak leans down to peer into my eyes, smirking as if he knows all the filthy images piling up and short circuiting my brain.

“What?”

“You didn’t hear anything I said.”

“You’ll steer clear of Rin until the scent is off your skin. Something about Ecaeris and your pants…” I trail off when he chuckles. “What?”

“How did you hear any of that while you were distracted by all of this?” He motions to his bare torso.

I shrug, smiling sweetly. “Contrary to your beliefs, my eyes and ears work separately.”