Page 54 of Claimed By Shadows

“Far be it for my wife to overtire herself her first night back,” he rumbles, his lips tilted into a delicious smirk that has fluttersin my core heating my cheeks. “Well, not by walking up the stairs anyway.”

“How gallant.” I giggle and flush at the implication in his words as he starts climbing the stairs, my arms wrapped around his neck and my face nestling against his broad chest.

He gives a small laugh, bending his head so his lips are closer to my ear. “Let’s see if you still think that when my cock is deep in that sweet arse of yours while Roman fucks your cunt and Rowan your smart mouth.”

Fire.

I am made of pure fire as his dirty words set me alight, my breath stuttering out of my lips as he straightens up and carries me to their flat. Our flat, I guess.

Because he’s a fucking show-off, we make it there in half the time it would have taken me to walk myself, and to my surprise, he doesn’t lower me down, but instead moves aside for Roman to open the door.

“Welcome home, Princess,” Roman says, his lips splitting into one of the widest grins I’ve ever seen on him.

Roman steps aside, allowing Hunt to carry me inside, and as soon as I see what they’ve done, my mouth drops open and tears sting my eyes. The space is utterly transformed, gone is the bachelor pad from before, and in its place is my dream interior. Muted rainbow colours are everywhere, so many patterns from the hand-woven Persian rugs to the blankets that cover the leather sofa, which is the same one from before, and I’m glad because it holds some awesome memories. The room is lit by lamps, also with colourful patterned lampshades so that it looks like an exotic paradise, like out of my favourite retellings of Aladdin that my father used to read to me as a child.

“Do you like it?” Rowan asks as Hunt finally sets me on my feet, though he keeps his arms wrapped around me.

“How did you know?” I ask, still gazing around the space, seeing that the walls have even been painted in a stunning deep yellow.

“My sister may have shown us your Pinterest boards,” Hunt confesses in a gruff whisper against my ear, and I shiver. “And we didn’t want you to feel like this wasn’t your home too.”

“It’s…” I swallow hard, the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. “It’s everything I could have wanted and more.”

“Wait until you see the bedroom,” Roman says, his eyes bright with excitement as he takes my hand and tugs me away from Hunt, who growls like the alpha beast he is.

Roman pulls me along, giggles spilling from my lips as I look around at all of the things I would have chosen for my own house. He drags me down the hallway that used to lead to Hunt’s and Willow’s rooms, but instead of two doors facing each other, there is a single door.

“Ready, Princess?” he asks, his lips pulled into that infectious smile that has my own dragged upwards. My muscles twitch, my nerves tingling as I give him a nod, and like a showman, he pushes open the door with a flourish and then pulls me into the massive space.

The walls are painted a stunning teal colour with the biggest four-poster bed I’ve ever seen, draped in jewelled-coloured silk and covered in so many cushions and blankets I’m not sure how we will fit in it too. There’s an incredible rug on the floor, a woven hummingbird flying in its centre, and stained glass mosaic lamps fall from the ceiling, giving a soft light that bounces around the room. There are other smaller rugs piled one on top of the other, large cushions, and carved wooden furniture dotted around the space, and through an arched doorway, I can just spot multicoloured tiles that lead to a bathroom that is more like a Persian spa.

“Oh my god, this is… I have no words for how perfect this is,” I whisper, my voice choked up with the emotion that is threatening to overwhelm me right now. It’s just so perfect, and the fact that they went to all this trouble just for me astounds me.

“I’m glad you like it, Peaches,” Hunter says, bringing in some of my bags and setting them on the floor. “Why don’t you unpack and I’ll go make us some dinner? I’ve been reading up on that Ottolenghi style food you were talking about the other week.”

Before I can respond, he’s pressing a kiss to my temple and sweeping out of the room. I take another look around, Rowan entering the space and bringing the last of my bags.

“Thank you, truly,” I say as I catch his honey amber eyes. He places the bag on the floor, then comes up to me and pulls me into his arms. As I wrap mine around him, warmth at my back and the scent of peppermint, lavender, and lemon tells me Roman is sandwiching me between them.

“You never need to thank us, Princess,” Roman murmurs against my hair, placing a kiss there.

“We would do so much more than redecorate our house for you, Lamb,” Rowan adds, kissing my forehead as I look up at him. “And one day, I swear we can leave the estate if it’s what you want, but for now, we have to stay here.”

His jaw works and I reach a hand up to cup his cheek, my brows furrowed.

“What’s wrong, Roo?” I ask, my eyes looking between his to find pain in their depths.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him that night. From taking you. So fucking sorry, Iris.” His voice is tight and his eyes sparkle like amber jewels as he looks down at me.

“Hey, it wasn’t your fault, my love. You couldn’t have done any more than you did. You were outnumbered, and I wouldn’t have let you put yourself in danger,” I assure him, my voice thickas emotion makes it hard to speak. Then I use my grip to pull him down to my lips. “I couldn’t live in a world where you’re not in it, Rowan Kent.”

His breath stutters over my lips before he closes the distance, his soft lips pressing against mine as the salt of both our tears flavour our gentle kiss.

It’s strange, because although I wouldn’t want to live through what happened after that terrible night ever again, I’ve come to realise that the time I spent in Sergi’s mansion made me stronger. It contributed to the woman I am today, a woman who I am learning to love in spite of all the shit I’ve gone through.

My trauma has shaped me, has given me almost as much as it took away. I know that I can come through the most appalling of situations and not only survive but be stronger for it, and that knowledge is something precious that not everyone gets.

A small flutter in my womb reminds me of the other thing that time has given me. It gave me a life worth protecting, even if its conception is steeped in pain. And as my twin lovers, my soulmates, hold me between them, I just hope that when I finally gather the courage to tell them, they will see the good too.

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