Page 48 of Those That Defy the Realm

Our deal was fun, but now it’s over. And that is for the best. Letting them closer will just lead to heartbreak, or to me being the fool once more.

Except, now it seems I’ve caved after only a few messages in a damn group chat with the pair of them.

ASH: Not buying it. I’m taking you out. Henry too. You pick the place, we’ll keep it public. No expectations of more, but I miss you both. Believe it or not, you’re both more fun than just a good lay.

Gods above. Are all wolf shifters like this? He’s like a dog with a bone. Huffing out a breath, which turns into a laugh, I imagine Henry reading that message and his cheeks turning pink. For a romance writer, he blushes so easily.

The dots on the screen appear and disappear as Henry types, then stops. I wonder what he wants to say but is clearly rewriting several times.

HENRY: I miss you too.

There’s no way it took him that long to write just four words. I want to know what else he typed. But those four words still land heavy on my chest.

I miss them. I can admit that much to myself.

Staying away from Henry since he’s been back has been hard. But it’s for the best, I know it is. We’ve managed the impossible already, we managed the cordial goodbye with some fun memories to add to the story of our lives. If we let anything more happen, it’ll burn in flames, I know it will.

Because you would ruin it.

My ex’s voice has been in my head far too much lately. I shouldn’t listen to him, shouldn’t let him still live rent free in my mind. But he has a point. He gave me a chance of happiness and I broke it off. I didn’t try hard enough.

Henry and Ash will get bored and leave me alone soon enough. What could I possibly give them? The sex was incredible, I’ve never craved it as much as I did throughout those few weeks. But I’m merely a human, and I’m so focused on my career right now.

My career is what I gave everything up for, so I can’t turn my back on it now for a few months of fun. Especially as I nearly ruined it when Rory disappeared.

No, I’ve got to stay strong and stay away from both of them.

ASH: What about you darling? I bet you’re missing us just as much, but just don’t want to admit it.

CLAIRE: I can’t admit to what isn’t true. Don’t you remember our deal?

ASH: I don’t like the stupid deal. I want to renegotiate the terms.

CLAIRE: You’re the one who came up with it in the first place.

ASH: That was before… this is now. And why stop a good thing? I know you’ve been thinking about that thing I did with my tongue while you rode my face.

Now I’m the one blushing, my cheeks burning as I do indeed remember how deep Ash got with his tongue, and how rigid he could make it as I grinded down on him. I’d come so hard I’d nearly blacked out.

CLAIRE: Not once.

HENRY: God's almighty. I’m not alone. You need to stop saying this shit.

ASH: Who are you with?

Even through the messages I can hear Ash’s indignation. Clearly, Henry does too.

HENRY: Why can I hear the growl in your voice as you ask that? As you already know, I’m sharing a room with Antares and Bartie.

ASH: Okay fine. I’ll let it slide. Claire, when is Henry getting his own room?

CLAIRE: It’ll be a few weeks yet. Once the out house is plastered and painted everyone can move out there whilst the building work and extension gets done to the main house and the rooms upstairs get remodelled.

ASH: Shame. I would love to turn these into video calls. And I’m ignoring the lies you told earlier, by the way. But I am keeping score, however, so fair warning.

Dammit, I thought he’d accepted my word and was letting it go.

I don’t reply. Instead, I lock my phone and focus on finishing up the last bits of the final plans for Rory and Ty’s bedroom. Ignoring the notifications that flash up on my screen, I concentrate on my job until my eyes are failing to stay open. It’s well past midnight before I crawl into bed, via a quick detour to my bathroom, and fall into a fitful sleep.