Page 132 of Gift from the Stone

My heart jumps to my throat as he comes to the couch, lifts me, and places me in his lap. I don’t dare move around too much. Fearful he may place me back down. I need his touch as much as I need my next breath.

“Better, much better,” I whisper as I slowly lower my head to his chest, pleading for him not to tense up.

I could cry tears of joy as he just wraps me up tighter in his arms and his shadows travel over my body. I’ve done my best not to push him. I’ve given him time, and I’ll continue to give him eternity if he needs it, but I can’t deny the fact that I’ve craved this, his touch, his affection. His actions today have made those needs ten times worse.

“We’re going to head to the gym in a few minutes, then after the debrief we’ll head home,” Corentin states, handing me a cup of coffee, and I sigh around the rim of my mug as the sweet scent fills my nose.

“And then go for a flight,” I declare.

I hide the smirk trying to take over my face as I watch Corentin and Tillman shift nervously from foot to foot. I know they’ve all ridden on Draken before, but it’s obviously not their favorite thing to do.

“Yes…then go flying,” Corentin answers not so confidently.

Caspian’s chest shakes slightly behind me, and I peek over my shoulder, my mouth gaping open as I see the beautiful smile taking over his features. Even though he’s getting satisfaction from his brother’s evident objections, his smile is breathtaking and lights my heart aflame.

“Fuck yes. This is so fucking exciting. You know how much I’ve had to beg to get them to ride me, little wanderer, and they always tell me no,” Draken says excitedly. And I die laughing. For once, I know he didn’t mean for that to sound so sexual, but yet, it did.

My laugh is still echoing through the office as Draken swoops me off Caspian’s lap and starts heading for the door, shouting for the guys to move their asses so we can get home.

I let him carry me down the steps, but as we open the door and the sun hits my face, I pat his chest and give him a kiss to the cheek, telling him to put me down so I can stretch my legs.

My head tilts back as the warm rays coat my skin. Tillman’s outfit he put me in is a replica of the dress I was wearing this morning, and I can’t help but wonder where the clothes I had on disappeared to since they weren’t actually disintegrated.

“Did the nap help, princess?” Corentin asks, standing in front of me, blocking out the sun.

“Everything about today helped. Thank you,” I say sincerely, wrapping my arms around his waist. I love the way that anytime I touch him, I can feel tension leave his body. I love the fact it’s me that brings him peace.

Walking into the gym, all of Rhett’s, Lucas’s, and Ry’s Nexuses are here waiting, including Oakly, and I smile as she looks me over, eyes calculating before she winks and goes back to hanging onto Nikoli and San. How she knows, I don’t know, but no words have to be exchanged for us both to know we got a little piece of our Nexuses today.

I stay plastered between Corentin and Draken as Tillman calls everyone’s attention and gets Lyker on the phone. He instructs Lucas to start his debrief and we all sit silently, listening to the things he learned from the shifters he interrogated, followed by Rhett, then Ry.

We had assumed Terravile was being used as a training ground from the things we learned from Jarod before he died, and all three Nexuses pretty much learned the same things, verifying that assumption. That’s where the shifters recruited went to learn how to fight and control their dominance. It very much sounds like an E.F. training center, like here, or like they apparently have at the palace.

“Are you thinking there’s someone on the inside working with the Mastery?” Ry asks incredulously after listening to Tillman’s theory.

“It’s possible. Their structure is so similar to ours. Some of the training simulations and exercises that were explained to me today, is training that I began enforcing when I took this position. It’s not outlandish to assume there’s someone working for the E.F. that’s crossing us,” Tillman states.

That’s so fucked up if it’s true.

“What about the boy?” Lucas asks.

“Lyker, can you all come the day after tomorrow?” Corentin asks.

“Yes. I’ll use the rest of today and tomorrow to get a plan in place for Rylan,” Lyker answers.

“Then my Nexus will leave that morning to go find the boy’s parents. If we’re successful in finding them, we’ll meet at Rebel Castle. Depending on what we get from him, Tillman will assign a team to him, and we’ll move him out of the cells and enroll him into the academy. Tomorrow, everyone meets here at midmorning, including you, Oakly,” Corentin declares, standing from his seat, pulling me up with him.

“Why me?” Oakly asks Ry, horrified.

“You get to see Rebel Castle and keep the other trouble company,” he picks.

“That’s all for now. See everyone in the morning. Lyker, we’ll see you soon,” Tillman finishes, ending the call and dismissing everyone.

I’m practically jittery with excitement as the guys surround me to transport back home. Literally my heart is racing like I’ve chugged a whole kettle of coffee. I don’t even ask questions or speak, afraid I may say something that changes one of their minds.

The moment we step out of the transport, I race to the back lawn, stripping my dress over my head, and jump up and down, ready to shift. When I turn to them to see if Draken’s ready, my words freeze in my throat as I take in their gazes.

“Need to be in just your bra and underwear to shift all of a sudden, sweetness?” Draken asks, prowling toward me.

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