Page 109 of Stargazer

I raised a brow at her.

“You weren’t really at training today, but I swear he basically complimented us on form and technique all morning,” she replied. “I thought he’d hit his head or something. But this makes more sense.”

Billie added, “He was even nicer to Raven.”

“Damn,” I breathed.

“A guy in love is a thing of wonder,” Sky sing-songed in her melodic voice, sounding like something straight out of a poem.

“You think he’s in love with me?”

“Babe, he’s head over heels for you,” Kit declared with so much confidence that my heart skipped a beat. Or three.

When it regained its normal rhythm, I told them about us being soul flames—which Kit and Billie were not at all surprised about—and then explained the finer details of both the conversations I’d had.

And when Griffin eventually came home from whatever Knight things he’d dealt with today, the girls took that as their sign to leave and we found our way back to my bedroom, more than a little relieved to finally be alone after a day of being apart.

Especially now that nothing was in our way.

CHAPTER 38

RIVER

“Another one?” Zander’s voice broke me out of my dazed stupor as he hovered over me with a beer in his hand.

God’s yes. I need another one. Or five.

“Yeah. Thanks.” I offered my Beta an appreciative nod. It was all I could muster right now.

It wasn’t a shock to me—I had prepared. Or at least I tried to.

And I was okay with it, I truly was. It made sense. I understood.

But it still hurt.

And for the moment, for right now, I just wanted to forget. So I downed the beer that was in my hand and went back to my guitar, plucking the strings in a sad arrangement that voiced the pain I was currently experiencing.

Zan had found his drumsticks and didn’t hesitate to join my melody with a consistent beat against the coffee table that brought life to the dead sounding tune.

Pack time. It helped in moments like this. To have my family around.

Sky looked at me with concern filling those baby blue eyes. She was my sister in every sense of the way and the worried look she gave me showed how much she cared.

“Are you okay?” She finally asked, scooching closer to where I was slumped on the couch.

“I will be,” I replied honestly.

“We’re here for you man,” Axel said. I was so grateful to have him back for the moment and to see his smiling face right now.

“You need food,” he declared. “I’m ordering pizza.”

I nodded. I could eat. Food might help.

When he was done ordering, he picked up another acoustic guitar and filled the tune with a beautiful harmony, strumming along to the rhythm my fingers picked.

Sky didn’t really play an instrument, but her soothing, earthy presence always added a calmness that my jittery head needed right now. Her occasional humming bodied out our symphony, making me smile.

Finishing the song, I felt better.