Page 12 of A Blackened Bond

It wasn’t just a muffin, a dress, a beautiful necklace, or the very shoes from their feet…they were tokens of their thoughts and affection for me. They were slowly giving me pieces of themselves.

And I needed to do the same.

Nobody but Zrael ever showed me even a speck of affection in my last life. Now I had Annex and Ezra, and they’ve given me more warmth and care since I’ve been with them in this short time than anyone else ever has.

‘Mine’swirls in my head.

A lock of his hair flops forward as he laces up the shoes. I reach forward, unable to stop the itch in my fingers wanting to brush them through his hair.

His head tilts up toward me, his smile growing wider as he leans into my touch, an expression telling me he’s enjoying it as much as I am.

His hands slide back along my feet, his fingers rubbing small circles along my ankles.

A small giggle falls from my mouth with the ticklish touch.

Ezra’s grin grows playful as he wriggles his brows. “I think I found a weak spot.” He flicks his hand out, catching my right foot and gliding his hands back over the spot. “Right beside your sexy tattoos.”

Tattoos? My brows pull together at his words, my eyes flickering to the spot he’s touching.

My marks.

A slight panic creeps in for a brief moment until I meet his gaze again.

I shake my head and look toward Annex.

I can't hold back anymore with them.

Maybe I'm not ready to tell them about my magical time travelling, but I can show them what I can do bit by bit.

And I could give them a piece of the me that's here now.

“They’re not—”

“Why are you just brushing past the part where she’s just healed those cuts?” Creed waltzes over, cutting me off and glaring down at my feet and Ezra. “I think that’s more pressing than some stupid tattoo on her feet.” He turns his glare back toward me.

“How the hell can someone with no magic or power of their own heal themselves?” He takes a step closer, “Unless that was all a lie—”

“Back up, Creed.” Ezra stands in front of Creed, blocking his view of me. “Don’t take your anger or frustrations out on Micai. She’s been through enough tonight and doesn’t need this bullshit.”

“When is a good time? She takes on a magical beast with Grey like it’s nothing, runs through the forest alongside Mallyn’s beast with ease, even keeping up with him, and now she can heal herself?” He scoffs. “Someone who apparently didn’t have a drop of magic running through her veins can now doallthat, and you think I’m not gonna say shit? I told you she was an unknown and a liability from day one. She’s holding secrets. Clearly, you and Annex don’t mean much to her if she—”

“Shut the hell up, Creed.” Ezra narrows his gaze, his voice cold and cutting as a dark atmosphere rolls off the two of them.

I stand up, taking a step between them and separating them slightly. They both glance down at me, Creed’s expression darkening further.

“I’m sure we all have things that are difficult to say.” I glance between Creed and Ezra, flickering my gaze to Mallyn, who’s also moved closer. “Not everyone blurts shit out. I’m sure you have your own demons you wanna keep hidden, Creed. I’m not an easy or open person; I have my walls.”

The asshole scoffs, and a growl sounds out from beside us as I carry on.

“So you would open up and tell me everything about yourself, Creed?” He raises a brow in mock amusement. “Cause this is a two-way street. You don’t get to rip open all my wounds and watch me bleed without paying a price.” I take a step closer, bumping Ezra’s shoes off his. “Or what, because it’s the almightyCreed,you should get whatever you want and not have to give anything in return?” A dark chuckle leaves my lips as I shake my head. “You know better than that.Nothingis for free in this world…and my past and pain isn’t cheap. The only way this works is if we’re equal…I’ll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.”

A dark grin forms on Creed’s lips as his mouth opens, his eyes glaring down at me as I hear a noise from behind me. Ezra’s chest sits flush with my back as he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me back into him.

“Creed. Don’t.” Just those two words carry a dark warning as Creed bites back his words. Only he never looks away from me, his stare piercing through me and trying to see into the depths of me with his golden amber eyes.

And I canfeelit.

In the dark glares and warnings, a worry is hidden at their centre, and a strong will to protect his brothers surrounding me. He wants to protect his family from any threat, and right now, that's how he seesme.

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