I wrapped a towel around myself, pushing the door open and cursed as I found Seth lying just where he had been before only now he’d shifted, so his naked ass was planted on my bed and his junk was in full view.
“Seth!” I snapped, snatching a pillow from the nest Max had been sleeping in and slapping it down on his dick to hide it.
He bolted upright with a doggish yelp, snatching my wrist before I could draw away.
“Balls,” he wheezed. “How dare you?”
“If you don’t like covering up your dick then maybe you should sleep in your own bed sometime.” I arched a brow at him and he cocked his head, giving me the puppy dog eyes.
“But you need me,” he said.
“I don’t need you, Seth,” I laughed but he gave me a serious look.
“You talk in your sleep these days, you know? You’re all ‘help me Sethy, come hug my cute ass. Oh ravish me, Sethy, ravish me!’”
“Yeah, right.” I moved to my closet, taking out my uniform and sighing as I ran my fingers over the crest on the blazer. My throat closed up as I thought of Tory. She should be here. I don’t want to do this without her.
The ache in me over her loss was like a knife twisting in my gut. I never felt whole anymore. Without her, I was half a girl. We were meant to be together. It was how it had always been and always should be.
“See,” Seth said darkly. “Whenever your mind drifts it’s onto her, or him. That’s who you really talk about in your sleep.”
“We don’t talk about him,” I muttered.
“I know, but…that doesn’t mean you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” I growled. “It’s done, I’m over it.”
“Pfft,” he scoffed and I rounded on him as fire prickled along my veins.
“Oooh you’re getting the flamey eyes.” He chuckled, getting out of bed and casually dropping the pillow before tugging his boxers on. “You must be really thinking about him today.”
“Stop it,” I snarled, but he was right. I’d dreamed of him again, holding me, kissing me, not betraying me. You know, all the good stuff. Shame he had to ruin it.
“Darcy,” he said gently. “You know you can talk to me about him, you don’t have to bottle it up.”
I shook my head, the wound over Orion begging to split open in me again, but fuck that.
“How about I tell you a secret in exchange for one of yours?” he offered enticingly and I frowned, gesturing for him to turn around so I could get dressed. He did so and I figured what the hell, that offer was too intriguing to ignore.
“Go on then, tell me,” I said.
“Swear you’ll tell me yours after,” he said firmly.
“Fine,” I agreed. “Now go on.”
“You can’t tell anyone,” he said in a growl and I became even more intrigued.
“I swear it on the stars and all that jazz.”
“I might have to actually make you swear it on them in a minute,” he said in a low tone.
“Sure.” I pulled on my underwear before running a hand through my damp hair to dry it with air magic.
“Okay so…I have this crush. It’s a really secret crush.”
“God you’re gonna start talking about the moon again aren’t you?” I said in exasperation. Ever since he’d visited the damn moon over the summer, he wouldn’t shut up about it. Like he was some sort of moon wizard now. I mean yeah, it had been cool to hear about it when he’d first gotten back, but four weeks on and the shine had kind of worn off of his moon stories.
He chuckled. “No, but that reminds me of when I was on the moon and I stuck my dick in a moon hole. I have literally fucked the moon.”
“I know,” I said exaggeratedly, laughing as I tugged on my skirt. “And you have literally told me every detail.”
“Right yeah, well anyways, it’s not about my moon crush. It’s another crush.”
“Okay…” I waited as I pulled on my shirt, but he didn’t go on. “Seth?”
“It’s kind of a big deal.”
“Every crush you have is a big deal, you had a crush on a cookie the other day and didn’t eat it for like eight hours.”
“The chocolate chips were arranged into the shape of a dick!” he defended himself and I snorted. “Anyway, this isn’t like that.”
“What is it like?” I pressed, pulling on my blazer before grabbing some knee high socks and sitting on the edge of the bed to roll them on. Seth glanced over his shoulder at me then turned around fully when he realised I was dressed.
“It’s like…a crush on my friend,” he said coyly and I swear if he’d been a Wolf right then his ears would be flattened to his head all cute like.
“Oh yeah?” I frowned.
“Yeah… Caleb to be exact,” he said shyly and my lips popped open.
“No way,” I gasped.
“Way,” he said with a lopsided smile. “I mean, I always thought he was hot but lately, I dunno…” he ran a hand through his unruly long hair and I jumped up and hugged him.
“That’s so perfect. Have you told him?”
“Perfect?” he scoffed. “It’s very imperfect actually on account of the fact that he’s straight. So obviously I haven’t told him. And if you breathe a word in his direction, babe, I will spank your ass red.”
I laughed. “I won’t.” I offered him my pinky and hooked it around his. “Promise. But you should tell him despite all that shit.”
“Nah.” He waved me off, but I gave him an intent look.
“Seth Capella, life is not guaranteed and with the shit we do most nights, you will regret it if anything happens to him and you don’t get the chance to tell him the truth.”
“We won’t die,” he said with a shrug. “We’re the Heirs and the Savage Princess. Darcy and the dudebros. Wolfman, Bitey C, Fish Fury, Dragzilla, and the Phoen Dream.”
“Okay firstly, never call us those things again, and secondly, we’re not immortal, Seth. Just…don’t take this time for granted, okay?” I implored. “You never know when the world could just be pulled out from under your feet.” My heart knotted up in my throat and I took a shaky breath.
Seth stepped forward, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear with a whine. “We’re gonna be okay.”
“I don’t know that anymore,” I admitted. “I used to think everything would just work out one way or another, but now…” I dropped his gaze, trying to ignore the void living inside me, but it was a hungry thing. Sometimes it felt like it was going to consume everything inside me and leave me hollow. If it wasn’t for the will to save my sister and my desire to see Lionel brought to his knees, I was sure it would have done so already.
Seth gripped my chin, tilting my head up to look him in the eyes. His irises were deep and earthy brown, full of a hope and positivity I hadn’t felt in a long time. Looking at him pulled on some instinctual piece of my soul these days. I’d always felt a connection to Seth, but I’d never really understood why that was when he’d been treating me cruelly. Now, my enemy had somehow become someone I deeply cared about. And though there was still an echo of hurt that lived between us, my hate was now saved for someone much more worthy of it in Solaria.