Then, I’d been reckless and saved Nixie, unknowing at the time if she would be just as crazy as the first fairy I’d encountered. Thankfully, she hadn’t been, and even though she tried to push me away when we first met, I understood that she was just afraid. Letting people in after being hurt by blood was scary shit.
“I’ll go with you,” I said, right after I’d turned on the shower in hopes that if the guys could hear us before, they wouldn’t be able to any longer.
She shook her head. “I’m not dealing with your boy toys going all alpha male and making things worse. I can get there on my own. It will just take longer if I can’t use my normal powers or fly.”
“No, this is non-negotiable. You’re not going by yourself when we know my powers will work against Greggor. I could be useful in persuading him to do what you need without you giving up more than you’re comfortable with.”
Her eyes narrowed as my words seemed to set in. I had a valid point, but when she still didn’t respond, I kept going.
“We can sneak out. I know where the keys to the vehicles are. We don’t need the guys to come with us if you’re really worried about it. I’ll clear it with the warden, and since he seems to enjoy it when I piss off his minions, I doubt he’ll object.”
Her tiny finger tapped against her thigh as she got up and fluttered around the counter. “Okay, if the warden will give you a pass, then let’s do it. Otherwise I’d be hitchhiking, and I’d probably end up leaving a trail of bodies from the idiots who annoyed me on the way.”
My head shook as I smirked. She acted like she hated people, but the more I got to know her, the more I realized she was just guarded. Her bit of information about her family earlier confirmed my assumptions, but I’d let her keep her secrets. For now.
After Nixie and I had cleaned up, which included me taking a thirty-minute shower and her bathing in a soap dish, we were greeted with dinner.
“What did you guys do?” I asked suspiciously.
Mason winked. “We brought you a nice warm meal. What’s wrong with that?”
“You assholes are rarely nice unless you’re trying to avoid our wrath or you need something,” Nixie said as she fluttered down from my shoulder to the table. While she couldn’t fly properly, she could at least get around a little better when she was traveling downward.
“She has a point. So, what’s up?” I glanced at Jaxon, who was avoiding my gaze before moving on to Spencer, but he wasn’t giving any information up, either.
Mason, on the other hand, was grinning like he’d just gotten laid, so I focused on him. “Well, you gonna tell me what has you so giddy?”
He leaned forward and tapped me on the nose—his favorite thing to do to me. “I don’t think I am. At least, not yet.”
Mason was continuing to stare, which told me he was hoping for a reaction of epic proportions, but I wasn’t going to give him one. “Okay. I’ll just enjoy the food and wait until you’re ready.”
Nixie’s head snapped up, surprised by my nonchalant attitude. “Fuck that. I want to know.”
Leaning in closer to her, I whispered not-so-quietly, “Don’t forget, we all have our secrets. We can let them have theirs.”
She grinned before biting into the tiny slice of bread one of the guys must have cut for her. We weren’t exactly conventional, but we were slowly becoming a family.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mason growled, clearly displeased we’d turned the tables on him.
“Oh, nothing.” I grabbed my plate and began eating the burger they’d gotten me, but I was only one bite in when Mason stood.
“That’s bullshit. You can’t do that.”
“Can’t do what?” My eyelashes fluttered at him innocently.
“She’s playing you, bro. Don’t fall for it,” Spencer warned while Jaxon watched our interaction silently and Blake grinned.
Mason turned toward his brothers. “And what if she’s not? What if they have something planned that will get us all in deep shit? You know it’s possible.”
The fae was such a smart supernatural, but thankfully none of them seemed worried.
Jaxon shrugged. “She’s a grown-ass woman who can make her own decisions.”
Asshole. Of course he wouldn’t care, which made me want to leave with Nixie as soon as possible.
Mason was clearly not happy about being shown up by our secret, but he still didn’t spill what he knew, and neither did the others. Instead, we all ate awkwardly in silence.
“It’s your turn to sleep on the couch,” Spencer said to Jaxon as he got up from eating.
Every fifth day, things got even more awkward when Jaxon was required to vacate his own personal space so I could sleep in his room. Without him.
Once I’d been healed up from the vampire fight, the guys had decided we would rotate whose bed I slept in, while I also took my own turn on the couch.
This was the third time I’d be sleeping in Jaxon’s bed, and my wishes to have him in it with me hadn’t faded, but my stubbornness still won out. He had hurt me, and I needed him to know that wasn’t okay. More importantly, that I wouldn’t put up with it.
Even if it killed me a little more every day.
Chapter 2
The previous night, I slept like shit in Jaxon’s bed. His smell was extra heavy, like he’d marked his territory just to further piss me off. Nixie was cranky as well, and I wondered if we were both tired or just PMSing.
Both were possible since I was due for my period anytime. Thankfully, witches only had cycles every few months. I’d have to ask Nixie—when I wasn’t so cranky from lack of sleep—if periods were a thing for fairies, too. She was one lucky bitch if not.
“Good morning,” Blake said warily, already sensing my mood.
Glancing around, I confirmed Jaxon was gone and settled onto the couch. “Morning.”
“I take it the sandman wasn’t your friend last night?” he asked.
“Not exactly. Where are the others?”
“Jaxon went for a run and the other two are getting food. Want to get Nixie and join them with me?” As soon as the words left his mouth, I had an idea, but hid my excitement.
“I’m exhausted. Do you think you could just bring me back a bagel and some bacon? Oh, and definitely coffee. Two cups if possible.” My mouth was already watering, and I hoped we made it back in time to still enjoy my liquid gold while it was still steaming.
He eyed me suspiciously, but before he could question my motives, Nixie shrieked. “I’ll let you check on her while I head out.” Then, he was out the door, avoiding whatever fit my fairy friend might have been having.
Even though the guys had accepted her as a part of our group, they were smart enough to acknowledge what she was capable of and kept some sort of distance.
Racing back into Jaxon’s room, I searched for her, but couldn’t see her silver hair or wing anywhere. “Nixie?”
“Down here,” she snarled.
After taking a step around the full-size bed, I found Nixie tangled in a pair of Jaxon’s boxer briefs and covered my mouth to suppress the laughter.
“It’s not funny. My wing is stuck in the junk hole. Get me out!” She was having a massive fit with fairy dust flying everywhere, and while I normally would have let her suffer a little longer, we didn’t have much time to waste.