by J. J. Dean
Spencer picks up the remote and turns Netflix on, searching through the selections. While the others watch, commenting on movies, and Novia points out which ones she hasn’t seen or sound like she’d enjoy, I send a thought to Zayn.
Were you serious when you said Novia already plans on leaving?
His face turns grim, likely feeling the same horrible empty feeling in the pit of his stomach at the thought of her leaving gives us. I see his gaze slide to Novia when she laughs at something Spencer says about one of the movies before they come back to me.
She’s definitely planning on leaving. I heard her thoughts as though she’d spoken them out loud.
He sends me everything he saw play out in Novia’s head: her worry, confusion, heartache, more confusion. Her entire thought process is sent to me like a telepathic email, and I suddenly realise how scared and alone she feels. She hides it well, but it’s all there. The fear of being alone, of not having anyone to rely on or someone to comfort her when she needs it. She’s terrified out of her mind for what comes next, of facing the world alone after spending so much time as a prisoner.
She doesn’t want to leave, Nix. She was upset with the idea but couldn’t understand why the idea of leaving was affecting her as it was. I believe she’s feeling the same connection, but she’s confused, and she’s been through so much already. She understands what’s going on right now less than we do.
My chest clenches, and my hand drops to Novia’s knee without putting too much thought into it. She looks at my hand and then faces me, a shy smile on her face, before she looks back to the television. I feel her settle her body against me, and my sensitive hearing catches the softest sigh of contentment she releases.
My animals settle instantly.
Something deeper inside my chest settles.
I look over Novia, watching her smile and snort when Ezra says something about a movie being shittier than Twilight. I watch her eyes light up when Spence finds a comedy with the same actor in it as the one she’d watched yesterday. I can almost sense how at home she feels, how content she is here with us. It’s only been a few days, but she already has a spot here. The simple thought of her leaving aggravates my animals, and I know I wouldn’t be able to stop any of them from breaking free and dragging her back here if she decided to leave. So... I think she should stay.
I agree. I’d like her to remain here with us. She has nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to. We’re all she has. And, honestly, I don’t think I could let her go, either. Mating bonds are rare for us vampires. Very few have found their Blood Mates, and if my reaction to the scent of her blood earlier is any indication, she’s mine.
I smirk at the vampire and nod. It’s settled with the two of us. She stays. We just need to lure Spencer and Ezra to our side. Should be easy enough since I have a strong feeling they both want her here as much as we do.
Spencer finally picks the movie Novia was keen to watch, and we all settle in for movie night. With a flick of his hand, Spencer switches the lights off, and a bowl of popcorn appears on his lap, one on Novia’s, and a ridiculously big bowl on mine. I send him an appreciative grin, teeth and all, and hear Novia giggle beside me.
Once we’re all settled and the movie plays, Zayn passes on the message to Spence and Ezra, keeping me in the loop while he does. Spencer agrees to let her stay, surprisingly quickly given the way he doesn’t take to anyone other than me, Zayn, and Ezra. I won’t question it, though. He’s team Keeping Novia, and that’s all that matters.
It’s a different story with Ezra. Although he doesn’t outright say no, I can feel his reluctance from where I’m sitting. I can see it in his clenched fists and the way his eyes keep seeking out Novia, but then they snap away, and a frown forms on his face. He’s fighting it, and fighting hard.
Eventually, Zayn wears him down. He fights dirty, bringing up everything we know about Novia, how she’s the last of her kind and doesn’t have anyone else. He takes Ezra on one hell of a guilt trip without the seatbelts strapped on, and it’s enough for the incubus to hesitantly agree to have Novia live with us.
“Fuck yes!” I whisper under my breath.
I mustn’t have whispered quietly enough because Novia turns to look as me with question marks in her eyes. I mutter an apology without an explanation for my outburst and spend the rest of the movie beaming like an idiot.
When the movie ends, Novia asks if we can watch another. She looks genuinely happy, the happiest since we’d found her, so I do what anyone would do in my position. I badger Spencer to put another movie on. He relents easily enough, filling our bowls back up with popcorn.
Two movies, warmed spaghetti and meatballs, and a truckload of popcorn later, and my eyelids are drooping, and the sun has been replaced with the moon. One look at the others tells me they’re just as ready to pass out as I am. In fact, Spencer’s head is already lolling on his shoulders, jerking upright when he falls asleep for a brief moment. His head drops from his fist and he blinks several times before changing his position.
Novia, however, looks like she’s ready to stay up watching movies until she can’t keep her eyes open. She’s smiling bright and still chewing on her popcorn, and she looks completely stunning while she does it. Her face is bare, her pale skin lit up by the colours of the TV, and she’s wearing clothes several sizes too big for her small frame, but she’s the prettiest damn thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.
And she’s staying with us.
She just doesn’t know it yet.
“Well, I’m going to go crash. I’m already falling asleep, and if I stay here much longer, I’ll be passing out until morning.” Spence leans forward and stretches his back before standing.
Ezra nods and lifts himself from his seat, cracking his neck when he moves his head side to side. “I’m turning in, too. See you all in the morning.”
The two walk towards the hall that leads to our rooms until they’re out of sight. Zayn is next to leave, offering Novia a good night and sweet dreams with a shy grin before he’s gone. I feel Novia shuffling next to me, so I turn in my seat to face her.
“Are you too tired to watch another movie?” Yes. Good lord, I am way too tired to be watching any more movies for the night.
“No, I can watch one more if you want to stay up.” I’m a goddamned sucker already. Talk about whipped, and she’s not even mine. Yet. Mine yet.
She gives me a grin that makes it completely worth it. She lifts from the couch to retrieve the remote and hands them over. “You can pick the movie this time. Choose your favourite. And we’ll watch that. I’ll go get us drinks and something else to snack on other than popcorn. Pretty sure I have a piece stuck in my teeth.”
Novia pulls a funny face and does something weird with her tongue, likely trying to remove that very piece of popcorn. I laugh and accept the remote while Novia moves towards the kitchen. I find my favourite movie – The Longest Yard – because that shit can’t be beat and pause it before it has a chance to play. I get up and head toward the kitchen, helping track down snacks.
I smother a yawn in my arm as I pour M&Ms in a bowl along with Reese’s peanut butter cups in another. I’m pretty sure Novia catches it but doesn’t mention anything, going about her task of pouring chilled glasses of Dr Pepper.
We carry our things to the living room and settle back into our seats, a little more comfortably with the throw over or laps. I press play on the movie, and throughout the first half, my thoughts are stuck on how I’m going to tell Novia that she can stay with us. Should I ask and risk her actually saying no? Should I just take that option away? That’s a little forward, and probably a little creepy, but I quickly come to realise that I’d rather simply tell her she’s staying and deal with the fallout afterwards. That seems to appease both the man and animals in me. It’s working in my favour that she seems distracted enough not to remember that we had something to discuss too, giving me the chance to think about how we’re going to suggest she stay with us.
So
, with a rough plan set in my mind, I recline further back into the couch and watch my favourite movie with the girl I intend on keeping. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s mine.
The movie goes on, and once again, I can feel my eyelids slowly closing with exhaustion. A loud yawn wakes me up, and I twist my head on the back of the couch. My sleep-filled eyes meet bright green and blue eyes. Novia’s mouth is turned up in a small smile, and the light from the TV behind her makes her pale blonde hair stand out more.
“I knew you were exhausted. You should go to bed,” she tells me, humour lacing her words. “I won’t be able to carry you if you pass out, so your safest bet is to carry yourself there and crash.”
“Probably a good idea,” I tell her, but I don’t move.
“You’re falling asleep again.” She jabs me in the ribs, and it’s enough to wake me up enough to move to my room. I sluggishly climb off the couch, leaning back slightly to remove the kink in my spine.
I turn to Novia, not really sure what I’m going to say, but I see her settle into the couch again, pulling the throw over her entire body. It’s then I see the tired look in her eyes. Is she going to sleep on the couch when I have a perfectly usable bed available? Not on my watch.
Without warning, I bend over and pluck her straight from the couch, throw over and all. I’m lucky she’s placed the snacks on the coffee table because she flails for a moment before her arms wrap around my neck tightly while I carry her bridal style.
“Nix? What are you doing?” she asks, her voice unsure and confused.
I carry her to my room without answering. I catch Spencer standing in his doorway, leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed and a small grin on his face. He shakes his head and disappears into his room, closing his door with a soft click.
As soon as I’m inside my room, I move to the bed and place Novia down carefully.
“Nix?” she whispers, moving around until she’s sitting up on the bed and watching me.
I tear my shirt off and climb onto the bed beside her. “My bed is huge. Enough room for five people. You can share mine until Spencer makes your room for you.”
Silence greets me. Her eyes widen, and her head snaps to face the end of the bed. My eyes begin to close, sleep creeping up on me, but Novia’s soft whisper keeps me awake a little longer, not that I mind. “My room?”
“Mhmm. Your room. You’re staying with us. This is your home now, so Spencer will do his wizardy shit and make your room.” My words are slightly slurred but easy to understand. She still doesn’t lie down, just stares at the wall opposite her. It’s a different story for me, however. Now that I’m lying in the comfort of my own bed, sleep finally wins out, dragging me under in seconds.
Just before I’m completely unconscious, though, I hear sweet voice whisper with awe, “My room.”
I fall asleep with a smile on my face and the woman I’m going to make my mission to claim beside me.
Chapter 12
Novia
I don't fall asleep straight away for several reasons.
Reason one: there's a large, muscled, very shirtless man fast sleep right next to me. He's lying close enough that his body heat is warming me from head to toe, and his nearness is his sending my heart into a weird pitter-pattering state. With every breath he takes, his chest tightens, making his pecs stand out more. Did he have to take his shirt off before lying down? It's all I can do to stop myself from staring at him like a perverted creeper.
Reason two: he just nonchalantly announced that I'll be living with him and the others. Living here. He dropped a bomb on me and then passed out straight after it. He called this place my home, told me I'd be getting a room to myself, and then just... fell asleep. I knew he was exhausted. He'd been falling asleep during the last movie we all watched together, then he tried to hide a yawn from me. So, did he mean what he just said? It feels like he meant it, and my power doesn’t sense any lies, but he’s tired and almost asleep. They could have just been the inner musings of a sleepy shifter. Does he even know what he was saying? How does one announce something like that and then fall straight to sleep? It's making me question the authenticity of his words. What if he wakes up and doesn't remember he said them, or remembers and regrets what he said?
Reason three: if he meant what he said, it means I have somewhere I belong now. It means I won't be alone. It means I'll have people in my life, and I won't have to wander through life by myself. I don't know how long it'll last, or if it's only until I get back on my feet and get my bearings, but I won't be by myself while I figure that out. I'll have a home, a place to stay. My own room. Something I haven't had for five years.
I really, really hope he meant those words. They feel like my lifeline. I know I shouldn't be relying on these four strangers. I know very little about them, if really at all, but for the first time in a long time, I finally feel safe. With them, I feel protected, like nothing can hurt me anymore. I don't understand why I feel that way, why I feel like I know these men, and trust that they won't hurt me or let anything else hurt me. It's like something deep inside of me is telling me that they'll always protect me, and I'll never be unsafe with them around. How I can possibly feel that about four strangers beats me, but I'm holding on to that feeling so tightly as though I'm afraid it'll slip out of my fingers.
I sit in the bed a little while longer, my brain running a mile a minute. Could I really stay? Make a home here, for however long they want me? I'd like to think I could. As much as it pains me to remember, I have nowhere else to go, nowhere else to be. Right here seems like the best place I can think of, even if it's somewhere unknown and incredibly far from where I used to call home. I'll make a new home... with them.
With a smile on my face, I lie down next to the giant beast of a man when I realise he didn't even bother taking off his shoes before crashing onto the bed. He really must have been tired. Why did he stay up watching another movie with me, then? He could have gone to bed a lot sooner. In fact, now that I think about it, they all looked pretty beat at the end of that last movie. Spencer was already nodding to sleep twenty minutes before the credits started rolling. Why didn't they go to bed sooner?
I shake my head, deciding the confusion that's brought with that question can wait until morning. Instead of pondering it, I shuffle carefully out of the bed. The throw over comes with me and tangles at my feet, but I land close enough to the shifter’s sneaker-covered feet, so I ignore it. I sit at the very edge of the bed and lean in to untie Nix's shoes and slide them off his feet.
Just as I reach his second foot, he wakes up slightly. His words are just barely tangible and slightly slurred, but I make out what he's saying. "Whatcha doin', babe?"
My chest does something weird at the term of endearment, and my cheeks flush. I vaguely remember hearing Spencer call me 'sweetheart', and I think Ezra called me 'love', but this is the first time someone's called me something like that when I'm lucid enough to hear and understand what's being said. It doesn't matter that the man is mostly asleep; the word still warms me from head to toe.
"Taking your shoes off. You didn't take them off before getting into bed. Go back to sleep," I whisper back. I don't get a reply, so I assume he's drifted back to sleep, and I remove the other sneaker. He's already in loose-fitted sweatpants, so I leave him as he is and wrap the comforter over his legs more fully. I climb back into bed, tucking myself under the comforter since I left the throw at the bottom of the bed.
Once under the cover, I turn onto my side so I end up facing Nix. The moment I do, my gaze collides with half-lidded ocean blue eyes. He does nothing but watch me silently. The intensity of his gaze isn't lost on me, and my body flares to life like it did when he kissed me.
With a deep, roughened voice, he says, "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
He smiles quickly, and then his eyes are closing again. His arm rises to wrap around my waist. He doesn't pull me closer, only rests his arm over me like he needs to be touching me. Hesitan
tly, I lay my hand on his bicep, placing my arm over his while I tuck my other hand under the pillow beneath my head.
And that's how I fall asleep, warm and safe in the partial embrace of a shifter.
****
I wake up with my body lying on something firm instead of soft. The pillow under my head seems to be thudding steadily, sounding faintly in my ear. The entire front of my body is incredibly warm, not enough to be uncomfortable, but enough to know that it's definitely not my body heat causing all the warmth.
Without moving, I open my eyes and look to the left. Bronzed skin meets my gaze, and the thudding suddenly makes sense. I'm quite literally lying on top of Nix, whose arms are wrapped snugly around my back, keeping me secured to his body. When I look down, I see one of his legs is raised, bent at the knee, and his foot’s placed on the bed by my thigh. I can feel his other foot tucked under my hip, so I know for a fact that I'm lying on the entire length of him, very literally, and in more ways than one. I'm lying between his legs like I somehow belong here, my upper body draped over his like it's within my right to do so.
How the hell did I get in this position?
Better question, how do I get out of it without one, kicking him in the junk, and two, this entire situation being incredibly awkward and embarrassing?
That's something that is taken care of for me when I feel Nix move beneath me, and a growl that sounds very similar to a purr vibrates through his chest under my ear. His arms tighten around my back before they loosen. The fingers on his one hand trail up and down my back while his other hand sneaks under my shirt and sprawls over my lower back, his thumb rubbing the sensitive skin there.
I practically melt on top of him with his fingers tickling the entire expanse of my back through the shirt. My eyes close, and I rub my face into his chest like a damn cat before I even realise what I'm doing.