by Desi Lin
I wrapped my arms around him and dropped a kiss to his temple. “Idiot.” Another kiss to his cheek. “Dancer.” His arm. “Singer.” His head again. “Ventus.” I nudged his head up and pecked his lips. “No matter what you are, you’re still mine. And Brooks feels the same, I’m sure. JJ, too.”
“I’ll try to do better,” Souta whispered against my lips.
“Why do you react that way?” It felt so out of character for him.
Souta pulled back, uncurling, hands moving to my hips before he stilled and let them fall to his lap.
I knew what he wanted—needed—so I shifted, tossing my legs over his to settle in his lap.
He smiled, a soft, tiny imitation of his usual grin, and moved his hands to rest on my thighs. “My dad—”
My forehead scrunched up. What would his dad have to do with anything? “Your dad is nice.”
Souta’s fingers absently stroked my inner thigh, sending heat shooting through me and pooling at my core. “Tadashi Kurihara isn’t my biological father.”
Shocked, I tried to contain my reaction but couldn’t stop from blinking rapidly.
“He adopted me years ago, shortly after he married my mom. My biological father was a total bastard. Though I didn’t know it until the end.”
It was hard to listen and not squirm under Souta’s still stroking fingers. “Souta?”
His name came out as little more than a breath of air as I tried to get his attention, but his unfocused gaze told me he was miles, or maybe years, away. My heart sped up, and my muscles tried to tense, but I drew slow, even breaths and quietly wrapped my hand around his to still the wandering fingers.
This was really not the time.
“My biological dad was my hero. We were very close.” He spoke absently, and I moved our hands from my thigh to the floor as I listened. “Then one day when I was nine, he took me for a ‘man weekend’ or some crap like that. What he called it didn’t matter because it was a lie, anyway.”
He paused, gaze unfocused. The desire to say something rose, but I didn’t know what, and I didn’t want to jar him out of his thoughts, so I stayed silent.
“We went to this vacation cabin we had. I remember being completely psyched. But about an hour after we got there, this woman showed up, and my dad told me to entertain myself for the weekend.” Souta’s voice cracked, a frown pulling his full mouth down.
I ran my thumb over the back of his hand, offering what little comfort I could.
“I barely saw him that weekend, and it was pretty obvious what was going on. Especially since the woman only threw one of my dad’s shirts on when they bothered to leave the bedroom. At the end of the weekend, on the ride home, he went on this long spiel about how this was just between us men, Mom didn’t need to know, and a bunch of other stuff I tuned out. It took less than a week for me to tell Mom.
“When she confronted him, he came at me. Told me I was a worthless little fuck and wasn’t good enough to be his kid. Turned out he’d been cheating on my mom for years and, often, had more than one side-piece. The betrayal tore me up. Even now, I keep waiting to catch Tadashi cheating, even though I know he’s a good man.”
Echoing footsteps made us both look up in time to see Michael walk into the hall. When he saw us on the floor, his eyebrows raised. “That can’t be comfortable. What are you two doing out here, anyway?”
At his words, the numbness seeping into my rear became obvious. I stood, brushing imaginary dust off my jeans. “Souta and I had some things we needed to work out.”
Behind me, Souta stood, hand finding my waist.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Ash told me what happened at the park.” At first, I froze, horrified Ash told him my personal issues, until the rest of his statement registered. “We need to report the attempted kidnapping. I’m going to put in a call to a friend at the Sheriff’s Office, but I wanted you to be prepared.”
My stomach clenched. I didn’t want to relive what happened, but he was right, I needed to report what happened.
Souta’s hand tightened at my waist. “Sir?”
Michael’s attention shifted to Souta.
“I think we should call the Lex, instead. The guy who tried to take her was an Elementum.”
Michael nodded. “I’ll go make the call. And Seraphina?” My attention snapped back to him. “No hurry on that decision okay? The offer always stands.”
My throat went dry when Souta stilled behind me as Michael left. “What decision?”
Twenty-Three
Souta spun me around, a suspicious glint in his eyes. “Sera? What’s going on?”
“I’d rather tell you all together.” I failed to meet his eyes but held his hand.
With everything going on, how would they feel about Michael’s offer? Backing up a couple steps, I tugged at Souta and headed back into the living room where JJ and Brooks waited.
They looked up as we came back in, conversation stopping.
“Okay?” Brooks glanced between Souta and me.
We both nodded.
It still felt unsettled and unsure, but mending. Like always, Brooks sensed my emotions and rose. He wrapped his arms around me, pulled me into him and tilted my head up so I met his beautiful blue eyes. A blond curl fell into his face, and I pushed it back.
“Whatever it is, beautiful, we’ll deal with it together. That’s what family does, what couples do.” He pressed his lips to mine, gentle and soft, undemanding.
With a sigh, I melted into him, every muscle finally relaxing for the first time in days. His lips parted, encouraging mine to open to him. Flutters assaulted my stomach, heat simmered just below the surface. His tongue played around my lips, licking them slow and lazy, before thrusting into my mouth to take his time exploring. I loved kissing Brooks. I could kiss him like this for days.
All too soon, the kiss ended, leaving me dazed. A gentle tug on my hand alerted me to the fact I was being led, but since I landed in a familiar lap, I didn’t mind.
JJ’s chuckle vibrated me. “Did you have to kiss her stupid?”
“Can’t be helped. Just how I kiss.” Brooks grinned, then grabbed Souta.
Minutes later, I giggled as Souta stood with a similar dazed expression on his face.
JJ laughed into my shoulder, his whole body shaking.
“Bet I can do better,” he whispered into my ear.
I turned my head, willing to let him try, but Michael walked into the room at that moment, followed by two unfamiliar and official-looking individuals. Stiffening, I leaned into JJ as his arms came around me to squeeze me.
I didn’t want to do this, but I needed to.
“Seraphina, sweetheart, this is Lex Quinn and Lex Braxton.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips and waved a greeting while my gaze investigated the two men who would take my statement. Neither looked overly intimidating, thankfully. Similar in height, one was willow thin while the other spent plenty of time at the gym.
As they walked into the room, the thin one’s eyes drifted down his partner’s backside and settled on his rear. I bit back a grin at the idea of him having a thing for his partner. No way, just my imagination I was sure, but it put me a little more at ease.
I tapped JJ’s arm, so he’d release me, then rose and held my hand out to the Lex.
The brick wall wrapped his hand around mine in a barely-there grip. A sense of calm and cool washed over me, telling me he was likely Aqua. I’d never met an Aqua this big before.
“Lex Braxton, miss.” His voice rumbled through me.
As he released me, his partner stepped forward, wrapping my hand in a warm, firm grip.
We only held for a second because our hands sparked against each other. Weird. I never reacted to another Ignis like that. Another question to put on my list for May.
His brow furrowed as he released me. “Lex Quin, Miss Phoenix.”
“Embers, actually,” I replied, the mistake completely understandable.
Lex Quin’s eyes widened an
d darted between Michael and me.
“Embers?” He stepped back, the motion involuntary. “But that’s not…” Shaking his head, he smiled at me. “Never mind.”
“Seraphina, do you want me to stay?” Concern covered Michael’s face.
“How old are you, Miss Embers?” Lex Braxton asked in his rumble.
“Eighteen,” I answered before directing my attention back to Michael—my dad. “I’m okay, Dad.” I reached back, unsurprised when JJ’s hand found mine immediately. “But I’d appreciate you staying.”
Michael nodded and leaned against the wall, leaving the chairs for the Lex.
Settling back onto JJ’s lap, I motioned to the two available chairs. “Please, sit.”
Braxton nearly didn’t fit, his wide, muscled bulk filling the chair completely.
Quin, on the other hand, curled into his chair with his legs tucked up and still had room to spare. “All right, Miss Embers, why don’t you tell us what happened?”
Heat rose in my cheeks as I realized there was no way to tell the story without getting into personal details.
JJ’s arm tightened around me, and he nuzzled the back of my neck, the short strands of red hair ruffling from his breath.
A rustle of movement from the side caught my attention. Brooks and Souta both rose from the couch and settled on either side of me. Souta pulled my feet into his lap, twisting me to sit sideways on JJ. Brooks pressed a hand to the small of my back.
Taking a deep breath, the story poured out.
“I was talking to”—how to describe Dane?—“a friend in the park, and Souta showed up. He and my friend had words, and while they did—”
“Ma’am,” Braxton rumbled, “we need you to tell us everything, please.”
Briefly, my eyes closed tight, hands sweating.
Brooks’ arm joined JJ’s around my waist, and Souta’s fingers dug into my calf, massaging gentle circles.
“We had a fight, Sera and me,” Souta spoke up. “She left. Not like left me, but left the house, just for a walk. She does that all the time when she’s upset, but she’s promised to try to—”
Lex Quin held up a hand to stop Souta’s swift flow of words. My stomach fluttered, giddiness filling me at the return of my familiar, bubbly guy.
“I’m sorry, but are you both—” He looked at us, wrapped up together. “Are you all involved?”
“Well, we’re all involved with her,” JJ responded as he pressed a kiss to my cheek.
Michael chuckled. “They’re her Genus.”
Lex Quin nodded and waved his hand for Souta to continue.
“So, we had this fight, and my girl here took off, and about twenty seconds after she left, I realized I was being stupid and said shit I didn’t mean. When I went after her, I found her talking to her friend, and they looked cozy.” Souta stopped for a breath. “Jealousy got the better of me, and I got in the guy’s face.”
“I got it, Souta.” Laughter laced my voice. “So, Souta and Dane were fighting, when suddenly I was grabbed and pulled away from them. When I got a look at the guy, it clicked that we’d seen him before, at school, talking to Scholae Jones.”
“Do you know who he was?” Braxton leaned forward.
“Chester Wyn,” Souta replied.
Lex Braxton noted the name on the tablet I hadn’t noticed before.
“How did you get away?” Lex Quin asked.
“I screamed for Souta. I’m a heater, and I tried heating my skin, but it didn’t seem to bother him. Souta saw us and sent wind gusts, but they didn’t seem to bother him, either.” I hesitated, not wanting to report the next bit but knowing it was impossible not to.
While Dane might be a jerk, he did seem to be trying to be better, and I didn’t want to get him in trouble.
“Then this gust— I don’t even think that’s a good word for it. This wind”—I shook my head, words failing me—“stronger than anything I’ve ever felt, barreled through and tore us apart. Chester left after that.”
“I’ve only felt the kind of wind that happened in the most advanced Elementum,” Souta said. “It came from our direction. I was still throwing my power out, and I think the guy she was talking to, Dane, threw his out, too. I can’t do anything that strong on my own.”
It still struck me as odd since, during training at school, multiple powers were often being thrown around at the same time, and nothing like that ever happened.
Lex Quin met Lex Braxton’s eyes; a silent conversation took place. “Okay, thank you. What is Dane’s last name? We’ll need to get a statement from him.”
“Hicks,” I replied. “During the week he lives in the dorms at Illustratio.”
I didn’t know if they needed that detail, but it couldn’t hurt to save them the step of tracking him down.
With their questions over, they rose and shook our hands again.
Michael paced over to the doorway. “Gentleman, I’ll show you out.”
They nodded in passing before they left.
Hopefully, I’d never see them again. With a sigh, I sank into the chair Lex Quin recently vacated and waited.
Souta sat on the couch, raised an eyebrow. “Sera?”
Knowing what he wanted, my fingers found my cuticles and started picking. “So, there’s something I should tell you, and I don’t know how you’re all going to feel about it.” My eyes found a spot on the floor and fixated there. I didn’t want to see their expressions when I told them. “Michael and Kelly have asked me to come stay with them.”
Silence hung heavy in the air, no one even shifting. A finger under my chin startled me, and I jumped back in the chair.
JJ’s gaze greeted me. “Firefly, do you want to stay with them?”
“I don’t…” I stumbled over my words as my gaze drifted to Souta. “I don’t know.”
He sat stiffly, spine straighter than I’d ever seen it.
“Souta?” Fear skittered through me at his continued silence, and his unusual stillness.
JJ’s hand drifted down and tangled with my own.
Finally, Souta’s dark eyes lifted to meet my own. “Did I do something wrong?” His voice cracked. “I mean, I know I did, but I swear I’ll do better, Sera, I promise.”
I gave JJ a gentle nudge to move him aside, and he shifted to let me stand. Closing the distance between us in a few short strides, I crawled into Souta’s lap, pried his clenched hands apart, and wrapped them around me. Lightly, I pressed kisses along his neck, trailed up to his jaw, then pressed a short, swift one to his lips.
“I think I do want to stay, but it’s nothing against you.” While JJ and Brooks didn’t look happy, they didn’t look unhappy, either. “Nothing against any of you.” I turned back to Souta, making sure he met my eyes. “It’s nothing against your parents, either. They’re great, honest. I mean, not everyone would let some girl they only just met come live with them because of their son.”
I watched his face carefully. He needed to understand this wasn’t his fault. “I’m still not comfortable living with them, true, but that’s not anything to do with me staying here.”
He nodded, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth.
“I want to stay because he’s my dad. I’ve dreamed of real parents my entire life, even if I never admitted it to myself. And he’s here. I want this. I want to spend time with him and Ash and Kelly. I want that experience. But Souta, you, JJ, and Brooks— You’re my home, too, no matter where I live.”
Souta’s mouth came down hard on my own before the words entirely left me. A quick, hard press, over as swiftly as it began. Before I could register what happened, hands tugged me over until I found myself in Brooks’ lap with more kisses being delivered.
When I was plopped down into JJ’s lap and received another quick kiss, I pushed against his chest, laughing. “Stop passing me around like I’m a turkey, guys!”
Seriously, they were being ridiculous. They could all have simply leaned over to where I already sat.
“You�
��re most definitely not a turkey.” JJ squeezed me. “You’re our beauty.”
“Our heart,” Brooks chimed in.
“Our passion,” Souta finished off.
My insides warmed, and a silly grin stole over my face. “This has to be the cheesiest, most ridiculous moment ever.”
I never thought for a moment I would ever be part of something straight out of a novel. Even still, I smiled so wide I thought it might break my face.
A throat clearing got our attention, and I looked up to find Michael standing in the doorway with an unexpected guest.
May smiled and breezed into the room with a sure step.
A blush crept up my neck and over my cheeks, warming my skin as I crawled off JJ’s lap. For a moment, I debated whether to stay on the floor or take a seat on the couch, but decided it likely didn’t matter.
May settled into the chair I had recently vacated. “I hear we have some things to talk about.”
Twenty-Four
“Your father filled me in.” May’s deep brown eyes filled with concern as she assessed me. “Come here.” She waved me over, and I stood to cross the room and stand in front of her. “Let me look you over. Did he hurt you? Use any power on you?”
I held out my arms for her inspection. “No. He never even hinted at what element he was. His grip was firm but not hard enough to bruise.”
May took hold of my left hand and turned my arm around before doing the same to the other, before releasing my hand and sitting back. “And who was it?”
“Chester Wyn,” Souta answered for me.
His need to pull me back into his lap was etched into every adorable line on his face. His fist clenched tight as his side. I wouldn’t sit in any laps with May here, but I moved and took a seat in between him and Brooks, pulling his tightly clenched fist into my lap and twisting our fingers together.
May pursed her lips in thought. “Doesn’t ring any bells, but I’ll look into him. Now, you have questions?”