MAYA

  When a warm breeze rushed over my skin, a slow sigh left my lips, my body completely suspended in a euphoric sense of pleasure. Not the type my mates gave me, but rather a slow, honey-like heat that was wrapped around me protectively, healing in nature.

  In the distant recesses of my mind, I could hear a sprinkle of conversation, none of it making much sense to me. It felt like I was forgetting something, though, because despite how relaxed I currently was…there was another sensation, like a mental tug, urging me to think deeper.

  I didn’t want to, though. I liked this. I liked this sense of peace.

  A light poke to my nose had me blinking my eyes open. I frowned in confusion, a bright ray of sunshine coming down on my face. I squinted, trying to figure out where the poke on my nose had come from—Bella, maybe? Then a giggle sounded.

  “Mommy, wake up.”

  What? Mommy?

  A little boy, maybe six at most, peered down at me from where he knelt on the ground, his gold eyes bright and curious as he offered me a smile. My heart melted because he was so adorable, his dark wavy hair surrounding his face like a cherub. Then I felt a sense of immediate concern on why he was alone, or better yet, why he assumed I was his mom.

  He had said that, right?

  I looked around, expecting to see others or possibly his mother, but no one else was around. We were on a gorgeous prairie that led to a seaside cliff, the bright midday sun creating a golden landscape. I’d never been here before, but it was absolutely beautiful. It also didn’t give me the same feeling as the weird ‘death realm’ I’d been in before being reborn…

  Everything began to trickle back in as reality shook my already unstable foundation.

  When the boy’s finger poked my arm, I looked down at him again. This time the boy looked a bit distressed, if not sad, his expression contorted in confusion. “You look sad.”

  Was I sad? No, I was confused.

  “Not sad,” I promised. “Where are we?”

  His smile grew happy again, shrugging in an action that was lighthearted and relaxed. “I don’t know—this is your dream. I’ve never been here.”

  “And who are you? Where’s your mom? Why are you alone?” I couldn’t help the bubble of panic that came up my throat, feeling a heavy concern for this young boy.

  “I’m yours.” His eyes lit up as he shook his hair out of his face in an action that reminded me a lot of Sai, actually. “You’re my mom.”

  “I’m your mom?” I mused, finding it both endearing and a bit worrisome he thought that. Maybe I shouldn’t have been as worried as I was since he was apparently a figment of my imagination—I’d never dreamt of our future kids before, but it wasn’t terribly surprising.

  “Well, you will be…” He hesitated and frowned. “Somehow. I don’t really know.”

  “Why are you here?” I reached forward to squeeze his hand, and he squeezed mine back. I had no idea what to make of this interaction, but I had to admit, this boy did look a little bit like me.

  Okay, maybe more than a little bit.

  “To wake you up. You’ve been sleeping for almost three days…they’re worried about you,” he explained with concern.

  Three days? Holy crap. That wasn’t good. That wasn’t good at all.

  “How is this happening?” I asked, confused. “How do I wake up?”

  Although part of me didn’t really want to wake up…at least not until I figured out what was going on with this boy.

  “I don’t know…magic?”

  Right, magic.

  “And to wake up, just open your eyes.”

  Could it really be that simple? I closed my eyes to test out the theory because I was almost positive they had been open…but the minute I closed them, the space shifted.

  “Sweetheart.” Henry’s voice ran against my ears like a soothing waterfall, my skin prickling in awareness of how close he was to me. He could always be closer, though—I wanted Henry to constantly be touching me in any way possible.

  My body felt heavy and completely relaxed, like I’d slept for the first time without worry or tension running through me in what felt like forever. It was like my bones themselves knew I could let go, because while not all our problems were solved, a massive aspect had been handled.

  Ry was gone and no longer a threat to my family—because of me. I’d saved my family.

  There was a surge of pride that accompanied that. I’d spent so much of my life feeling helpless, like I was the one who needed saving or protecting. That action had empowered me, made me feel bold and capable.

  I didn’t feel guilty over Ry’s death—I felt like a fearless warrior.

  My body didn’t feel the same though. After that push of power, it had completely given out, exhausted from dying, being reborn, and then using a surge of magic that we’d never attempted before. I had to wonder how long I’d been asleep. Something tugged at my memory, like a faint dream, that told me it had been a few days, but I was finding it hard to focus on how I knew that. Honestly, I found it hard to focus on anything other than Henry’s wonderful minty scent that was filling the room.

  A pleased sound left my throat, thrilled to be so close to him again, especially after I had…you know, died. I didn’t open my eyes though, resisting the urge to see him, because I didn’t want this peaceful moment to be shattered. I just wanted to bask in the warmth of being near him. I had missed him so incredibly much, and when his lips brushed over my forehead, I couldn’t help but shiver in pleasure.

  When he pulled back from the tender touch, I finally opened my eyes, meeting his steely gray gaze. A gaze that was filled with so much intensity, love, and relief it was overwhelming.

  At that moment it became obvious to me that Henry had been destroyed by the concept of me being dead. I could feel the emotional remnants of the situation wrapping around me violently, and even though I was alive and in bed with him, I could see he was nearly shaking with tension.

  “I’m here. I’m okay.”

  I could tell he needed to hear that because I wasn’t positive that he was okay.

  In fact, I had a feeling he was the exact opposite of okay. His blonde hair was messier than I’d ever seen it, and his glasses were bent on one side of the frame like he had left them on while sleeping. There were dark circles under his eyes, and the clothes he was wearing, while clean, were wrinkled and pulling slightly because of the bandage he had wrapped tightly around his right arm. Injured. Henry had gotten injured, and not just physically, because everything about the normally neat and put-together man was disorderly. I didn’t mind in the least; I only wished it was for the right reason—that he was relaxed—rather than the despair I could see tinting his lens on life.

  “Okay?” he choked out, his eyebrows pinching together as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying. “I thought you were fucking dead, Maya. You were fucking dead! You’re not okay—all of this is so fucking far from okay.”

  I inhaled sharply. Okay, he was very worked up. I don’t think I’d ever heard him swear that much when we weren’t…well, doing a lot more fun stuff than this.

  “I did die,” I confirmed. His eyes darkened, his pulse jumping and his breathing growing rougher at my words. “The three of us did, but we were reborn. We’re okay. I’m way more worried about you right now.”

  Henry caught my jaw and interrupted me in a harsh whisper. “I love you, sweetheart. I love you so much, but if you ever leave me again, I’ll level this realm. Understand?”

  Oh sweet lord.

  I couldn’t help but smile at his sweet yet violent words. “I love you more, Henry.”

  He exhaled roughly. “Impossible.”

  Before I could counter his claim, the door opened, and my head snapped to the side— Oh, thank the Maker.

  “Ledger,” I whispered.

  “Fuck, you’re up.” Ledger’s normal relaxed tone was strangled as I was suddenly pulled from Henry’s grasp and pressed against whatever soft surface I was currently on. I couldn’t help but smile because holy crap, Ledger was okay. I’d been so worried about all of my mates, but I was especially worried about Ledger, having lost both his mate and twin at the same moment. His deep indigo eyes were bloodshot, and I could almost see his dragon howling inside of them, trying to force him to shift. Something that wasn’t possible right now, despite my phoenix being in complete agreement.

  Instead I strung my fingers through his dark, curly orange-tipped hair and pressed my forehead against his, trying to wrap soothing energy around him. Distantly I heard Henry get up, but I stayed focused on Ledger as I reacquainted myself with his warm bonfire scent. Being in his arms was like coming home, and tears welled in my eyes as I tightened my hold on his muscular shoulders.

  After a long moment, he spoke, tension and stress underlying his words. “Firefly, I thought…I thought I lost you and my brother. I thought that was it, that I wouldn’t ever see… Fuck.”

  His emotions were suffocating him, and I nodded in understanding, my hands running over his neck and jaw in what I hoped was a soothing manner. My fingers easily followed the patterns of his tattoos, having memorized them in the time we’d been together. I knew each of my mates so well, but being back in his arms reminded me how much I still had to learn about them…

  We had eternity; I just had to remind myself of that.

  My touch seemed to relax him a tiny amount, so instead of saying anything or trying to move, I just kept him close as I let out what I hoped was a soft, comforting hum.

  “Where’s Anani?” I asked after a minute or so.

  “Sleeping,” he breathed out. “He was exhausted.”

  When he pulled back slightly and gently lifted my hand between us, we both looked over the sigil ring on my right index finger. “I didn’t think I would ever see this.”

  “He told you,” I said, stating the obvious.

  “I didn’t believe it at first, but…I mean, shit—with both of you coming back to life, I can’t doubt it. I only wish I’d been part of that—meeting her. But I’m glad that if it had to be one of us, it was him. Anani seems…he seems better, like he got a lot of closure from it. He took the worst of the abuse from our father, and I think a part of him always felt abandoned by our mother.”

  “I get that,” I murmured. And I did, because even though I’d been taken from my parents, I think a part of me, since finding out that Tina and Malcolm weren’t my parents, had felt a bit of anger. A hint of betrayal that someone had left me alone in the dark situation I’d grown up in.

  “Marco, give them a moment.” Henry’s voice rang out from the hallway, and Ledger muttered a curse but rolled off of me. My eyes ran over him, noting that he didn’t have any injuries. I relaxed marginally as I looked at Marco.

  He stood frozen in the doorway, his normally mint eyes completely black as he kept a hand on the doorframe, stabilizing himself. The pure torment on his face was enough to level me. I moved to get off the bed, wanting to be close to him, but in a second flat he was there, wrapping me up in his arms. His lips seared to mine in a hard kiss, enough so that I felt breathless for a moment, completely overwhelmed by everything that was my mate. When he pulled back from the kiss, his hand slid up the back of my neck to hold me against his chest, his heart going a million miles an hour.

  “I’ll never let that happen to you again, baby girl,” he promised, seething with a fury I’d yet to see from him. “You will never have to be reborn again; I don’t care what I have to do. That scared the shit out of me, Maya. The way you screamed… I’ll never mess this shit up again, I—”

  “This is not your fault,” I interrupted, pulling back and examining his face in shock. How could he blame himself for this? His fresh vanilla and pine scent tickled my nose as I forced myself to not bury my face against his neck where my mark was—I needed him to look him in the eye, to let him know without a doubt that I didn’t blame him.

  Marco leaned back, and I realized that despite his obvious distress, he looked more put together than Henry or Ledger. I think it was in an attempt to maintain control, but I could see the cracks in the facade. A quake had torn open his chest, all because of his fear of losing me.

  Then again, was I any different? If I ever thought I’d lost Marco, I wouldn’t be able to breathe.

  “It is,” he snarled. “I let you die—”

  “You didn’t let me do anything.” I put my chin up, grasping his face between my hands to hold his tormented gaze. “I died because I refused to let Az give his life. I died because I jumped in front of Anani to try to save him from Ry. I died because I sacrificed my life, not because of you, Marco.”

  His jaw clenched. “Don’t remind me. Fuck, baby girl, that was so damn reckless.”

  “And I would do it a million times over,” I whispered. “Especially if it meant learning how to kill Ry. I love you. I love you, and we are going to be completely fine. I promise.”

  Marco examined my expression before deflating, pressing his lips to my forehead and mumbling, “I was so damn worried you wouldn’t wake up.”

  “I’ll always come back.” It was a promise and vow.

  “You better.” Sai appeared in the doorway, his face filled with so much vulnerability that Marco stepped back, allowing me to go to him.

  Sai wrapped me up in his arms, in a hug so tight it felt like he was squeezing the tension from my body. I let out a small sob of relief as my hands dug into his damp curls, then pulled back to look up at him. His burning ember eyes were darkened with so many unsaid things, but I knew we would have time when we were alone.

  “You put yourself in danger like that again, kitten, and I’m going to punish you,” he growled, making me nearly smile. I could tell he was all talk, but I still couldn’t help but rub my nose against his gently in what I hoped was a comforting move. My fingers smoothed over his chest as his dragon let out a low rumble in the back of his throat. He was welcoming my touch, so despite being upset, I knew he wasn’t actually mad at me.

  “I promise I won’t put myself in danger on purpose,” I said in an attempt at compromise. He grunted but didn’t argue, his grip simply tightening on me.

  “Anani is sleeping?” I clarified. He nodded, clearly not able to talk yet. “What about Az?”

  Was it wrong to hope that Azrael and my mates would get along? That was silly, right? But I also could feel an important connection between Az and me, so I wanted him to be around. I didn’t want them to fight, though… What if they ended up hating one another?

  I had no idea how to deal with this.

  “We need to talk about Az.” Marco’s voice was filled with a dangerous amount of possession. I loved it. The darkness sparked and ran over my skin, making desire blossom in my center.

  “He’s up.”

  Croy’s deep southern accent had me jolting back from Sai as I looked towards my wolf mate. The confident, normally relaxed man took a sharp inhale at seeing me, awe filling his face as he blinked, looking over me as if he couldn’t believe I was truly here. Sai released me and I walked towards him, meeting him in the doorway and reaching up to cup his jaw. His breathing increased, and a growl broke from my throat.

  His blonde hair was hanging in his face, his green eyes filled with a vibrant intensity and wonder. He gently ran a hand through my hair, studying the texture with a hyper-focus I didn’t fully understand. Then it hit me.

  Croy had never seen me reborn. He hadn’t been there the last time I’d been brought back from the dead.

  I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him fiercely, the tension running through his body not stopping him from holding me close. I felt mesmerized by the way his wolf let out a purr-like rumble from his chest, the sound making me feel relaxed and nearly dizzy with relief.

  “You’re alive,” he whispered, squeezing me tighter as if assuring himself. “You’re alive.”

  “Are you okay?” I pulled back to look up at him, his gaze already transfixed on my expression.

  “Okay? Sure. Just completely fucked up from seeing you die and then be resurrected.” Guilt hit me, and it must have been plain on my face because he shook his head, looking panicked. “I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m sorry, sugar, I just…I just can’t believe you’re here. Standing in front of me. Alive.”

  Before I could respond, he looked up at the other two in the room. “Atlas is downstairs talking to her parents. Someone should let him know she’s up.”

  My parents? Holy crap. They were here, that’s right… I would deal with that later. Right now, I could feel that Croy needed me.

  “I got it,” Sai said. “Marco, want to come with?”

  “I’m not leaving her,” Marco growled, but he did move across the room towards a large bank of windows, giving Croy and me a moment alone.

  I focused on Croy again, studying the way he was watching me. I worried that if I spoke, I would break the intense moment between us.

  “I love you.”

  My eyes widened. This was the first time Croy had said those words to me. I think we had both felt them for some time, but the impact of the words couldn’t be described. I swallowed down the wave of emotions that slammed into me as my eyes watered, my grip tightening on him. “I love you so, so much, Croy.”

  “Sugar…” He let out a soft groan, cupping my jaw and kissing me deeply before whispering, “I love those words on your lips.”

  “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I murmured again and again, willing to give him those words a million times over if he loved them. “And I’m so sorry I scared everyone so much—”

  “No.” Croy let out a low rumble. “Never apologize for being brave, Maya.”

  Brave. He was right—I’d been brave.

  “Angel?”

  My head turned towards the open doorway as Atlas stepped in. His hair, which was normally brushed out and long, was tugged away from his face, his soft blue and gold eyes hard as they ran over me. It was obvious that Atlas wasn’t in his normal state, a predatory energy running under his skin.

  “Atlas,” I breathed out. I could see that he’d thrown up an emotional wall, and I knew it was to hide what he was feeling. I also knew that it meant we needed to be alone.

 

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