Page 53 of The Bonds of Nyx

I bit the inside of my cheek as I gazed at him. Dark stubble lined his sharp jaw. His eyes were shadowed and hooded, and although the way he looked at me almost made me want to drag him to his room, I didn’t feel pressured by him or the bond to do so. Instead, I felt safe as he took my other hand and interlinked our fingers.

I sucked in a breath and released it slowly. “Thank you.”

A gentle smile played on his lips as the door to Kerry’s room opened. Maisie rubbed her eyes as she entered the bedroom, yawning loudly as she came to a stop.

“Good morning,” I murmured, smiling down at her.

Maisie blinked tiredly up at me, then at Elias. “I gotta pee.”

I snorted softly and shook my head. “Then go. And don’t forget to wash your hands.”

She huffed and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. I flinched as Eloise threw the pillow off her head, a tired glare sent my way. “What the hell?”

“It was Maisie. Go back to sleep.”

Instead of settling under the blankets, Eloise sat up and ran a hand through her messy hair. “Ugh. It’s still dark outside.”

“Go back to sleep then,” I replied, shaking my head. Elias chose that moment to stand and stretch; he was wearing his tactical gear, which didn’t tear off his body when he shifted. It also revealed the outlines of his muscular body.

My cheeks burned as his eyes met mine. I’d been blatantly checking him out.Oh fuck.

Maybe later, he replied, winking down at me.

I cleared my throat and shook my head. Maisie threw the bathroom door open, commanding the attention of everyone in the room, as she hurled herself onto the bed. Eloise didn’t even look upset by the interruption or the sudden body now lying next to her.

A month ago, she would have yelled for Kerry to come get Maisie out of her room.

A lump formed in my throat. “You sleep as long as you need to, El.” I looked down at Maisie. “Are you awake, or will you sleep for a little longer?”

The six-year-old crinkled her nose as she looked between me and Eloise. Her little hands curled into fists as she considered what she wanted to do.

As we waited, I spared Elias a look. He’d crossed his arms over his broad chest and seemed unbothered by my sisters and their mannerisms.

Finally, Maisie huffed. “I’m awake. I want pancakes.”

I nodded and pressed my lips into a firm line. “I think we can manage that. El?”

“I’m going back to sleep,” she replied, throwing herself down and bringing the blankets up to her chin. “Wake me when it’s time.”

The mood shifted with that, and all I could do was nod. Taking Maisie’s hand, I guided her to the closet. I quickly helped her change, throwing my hair into a bun and dressing in something other than Elias’s sweats and t-shirt. I found a bag of clothes that almost brought tears to my eyes.

My clothes.

There was a bag for each girl, filled with their own stuff. Maisie’s dolls, Ginny’s old stuffed turtle, and Eloise’s framed photo of her and her dad.

I swallowed thickly and changed into my own clothes, finally feeling a little bit more like me and not this stranger who was living in a fancy safe house being hunted because she was going to become Queen.

Shaking my head, I left the safety of the closet and found Maisie standing with Elias, her hand tucked into his large palm. His smile was soft and a bit stiff, but I didn’t get the feeling it was because of my sister.

Green eyes danced down my body, taking in the worn jeans and old, green-knit sweater I’d found in the bag. His brows furrowed as our eyes met. “Where’d you get those?” he asked.

I frowned. “I found a bag of my stuff in the closet. There’s one for each girl.” I pulled out the three duffels and left the one that belonged to Eloise on the chair beside the bed, dropping Ginny’s on the floor beside it since I doubted she’d be up until later.

I opened Maisie’s and handed her a doll. “Here you go, nugget. And look, someone packed your dresses for you.”

Maisie clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled a dress from the mass of sparkly material. With an excited little squeal, she ran into the closet and threw off the borrowed clothes before strutting out in an Elsa-mock blue and white dress.

“Okay, now I’m ready,” she said, grinning at me. She grabbed her discarded doll and retook Elias’s hand. “Time for pancakes?”

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