Page 53 of A Spark Of Revenge

“My Beast is not in love with her. Love is nothing but a false sense of security and a weakness you voluntarily give your enemies to use against you. And it still wants to kill her… just not as much as others.”

“Damn, you need a hug more than I thought, Razzy baby. Come here,” Creed mutters, standing from the side of the bed to walk over to Razar. “Maybe a little sugar will sweeten you up,” he teases, and I sigh in frustration, looking to Valen for help since my hands are currently occupied.

“Stop him, or we will be planning his funeral,” I whisper, making Valen's lips quirk as he hurries over to grab Creed before Razar can hurt him too much. By the time he rounds the bed, Razar has Creed in a chokehold, and Valen rushes to intervene, whispering threats in their ears before Creed and Razar frown and look at him with matching angry expressions.

Shit.

Valen shouts in surprise as our brothers pounce on him, taking him to the ground, and they roll around, wrestling like they used to years ago. In a matter of seconds, Valen has a sharp blade pressed to each of their necks, demanding their surrender, and I laugh despite myself. I startle when the small orange ball of fur jumps up on the bed and then crawls up my side, looking down at me before kneading its tiny paws on my skin, spinning in circles and curling up with an oddly loud purr of contentment.

“Really?” I mutter at the annoying thing, then sigh and lower my head back to the pillow, monitoring Meyer’s heartbeat as my brothers continue to argue on the floor. Meyer sighs, her sweet citrus scent so similar to Valen’s helps me relax some of the tense muscles in my shoulders as she shifts the slightest amount in my arms, nuzzling closer to my warmth. She’s so small and soft, the complete opposite of the women in my world, and it only serves to make my protective instincts flare to life. I’m going to have to look into some protective spells to help keep her safe. I’m still unsure what to do with this attraction I have for her or the half-formed mating bond she started a couple of weeks ago. But I do know the thought of her dying and getting hurt makes me practically feral.

My eyelids droop, and I lower my nose to the crown of Meyer's head, allowing myself to hold her close without the worry of losing my balls. I know the moment she wakes, I will be back to her biggest nemesis, and honestly, I wouldn't change that. Her anger and stubbornness intrigue me, and I crave it all.

The amount of magic I’m using to heal Meyer this quickly is draining my energy levels. So I close my eyes and listen to the steady rhythm of her breathing, letting it lull me into a comfortable sleep.

TWENTY-SIX

Meyer

My head throbs as I slowly open my eyes, squinting to peer around the dimly lit room as I snuggle into the warm arms holding me. Wait… Gasping, I look up into Valen’s soft, pale green eyes as his arms tighten around me, keeping me pressed tightly to his side as his hand moves up and down my spine with soft, soothing strokes.

“Valen?” I whisper, but it comes out a croak, and I cough a little, trying to clear my sore throat. I grimace at the weird sensation, my brows pulling down as I take note of all the aches and pains in my body.

Holy crap, I feel like shit!

Looking back up, I find Valen still looking at me, his eyes locked on my face, and I blush, brushing my hand over my face, hoping I don't have crazy bed hair or something. “Are you okay?” I ask when Valen stays silent, as a thread of worry worms its way into my foggy mind.

Geez, did I drink or something last night? Why do I feel hungover? Valen shifts then, moving the arm that's not under me up to my neck, pressing his fingers at my pulse point and breathing in a shattered breath before he sighs and closes his eyes, leaning down to press his forehead to mine.

“Meyer,” he whispers, voice shaking a little and scaring me when he growls under his breath and crushes me to him. I ignore my screaming muscles as Valen holds me, and I wrap my arms around him in return, confused as hell but hating how upset he is right now. The need to help him, to make sure he’s okay, burns through me as I hug him back with everything I can.

“What’s happened?” I whisper, my voice finally coming out somewhat normal as I run my hands up and over Valen's broad shoulders, letting myself touch him the way I’ve wanted to since that night at the Hunter shack. My body is suddenly very, very awake, and I gasp as my nipples pebble in my bra.

Valen pulls back just enough to look at me, our noses brushing, his eyes seeking mine. There’s an odd mixture of fear and something else I can't quite pinpoint lighting his beautiful gaze before he leans forward, tilting his head to the side and brushes his soft lips against mine in the sweetest kiss I have ever had. His hands hold me to him, the soft pressure of his lips making my toes curl as fireworks go off in my mind. I gasp, then moan into his mouth, leaning forward just enough to add a little more to our kiss, our lips moving in a slow, sensual dance that I never want to end.

Valen's strong hands cup my jaw, using his fingertips to tilt my face up enough for him to deepen our kiss as he groans into my mouth, his tongue gently swiping across my lips as he kisses me breathless. My mind briefly flicks to worry over morning breath, but Valen is quick to erase all thoughts as he shifts us, leaning into me and pressing my back into the mattress. He continues to kiss me, his hands holding me to him like his life depends on it, and I melt, loving how cherished I feel in his arms. After a few more breathless kisses, Valen draws back, hovering over me with a faint blush staining his cheeks. I can feel his hard erection digging into my hip and giggle when his eyes widen in realization, and he pulls back enough to not poke me with his morning wood.

“Good morning,” I whisper, grinning when Valen clears his throat and smiles in embarrassment.

“Good afternoon, Mi Sol,” he corrects in a raspy voice, his eyes warm as he brushes some hair away from my temple.

“Afternoon?” I question, my smile fading as I look around Creed's room. The drapes are pulled, but I can see slivers of bright sunlight streaming through the cracks. “Holy shit! I slept all day?” I ask, pressing at Valen's chest, needing to sit up, then tilt my head in confusion when I see Creed slouched in a chair at the end of the bed, sound asleep. His curly hair is sticking out at odd angles, and his neck is kinked off to one side, making me grimace in sympathy. That's not going to feel good when he wakes up. Valen pulls back, moving onto his knees on the bed next to me as I press my palms to the mattress and sit up, frowning even more when the mattress crinkles under my hand and something pulls on my hair.

“What was… Oh, my god!” I shout, looking down at the dark bloodstain on the mattress.

“Mi Sol,” Valen tries to calm me, but I’m not listening. Instead, I’m already half off the bed as I shriek in fright, making Creed snort and then jump to his feet in a panic, my name on his lips as his hand falls to the kalis strapped to his hip.

“Why is the bed covered in blood?” I gasp, looking at Creed's pillows and bedding, gaping at all the blood there. There’s so much of it!

“Lemon Drop,” Creed says, rushing over and wrapping his arms around my waist as Valen crawls off the bed and walks over to me, his hands cupping my face as I stare at Creed's bed in horror.

“What do you remember about last night?” Valen asks, turning my face to look at him as Creed keeps me safe in his arms.

“Ugh… Creed and I…” I stop when I realize what I am about to say, and Valen purses his lips and nods—making me roll my lips together as nerves flutter in my belly. It doesn’t help that Creed chuckles darkly behind me and leans down, pressing a soft kiss on my neck.

“After that,” Valen mutters, not sounding at all amused as Creed winks at him.

“He walked me back here and said you wanted to stop by before you went to sleep and…” I trail off, my head throbbing as I try to remember what happened next. “Was Nox here last night?” I ask in confusion as weird, pieced together memories slowly start to drift through my mind.

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