Page 150 of Gift from the Nexus

Yeah, o-fucking-kay.

Reaching her room, I gently open the door and quietly make my way in. After the freak-out this morning, the last thing I wantis to startle them, but as my eyes land on them, a laugh bursts free before I seal my mouth shut tight.

Will’s hair is sprawled out everywhere. I can barely see Caspian’s nose poking out underneath the light brown curls and she’s laid out like a starfish with her mouth wide open. How a woman so small can take up that much room on a giant-ass bed beats me, but here she is doing it.

His shadows lie over the two of them like a blanket because the actual comforter is on the floor, along with two of the many pillows. Caspian’s body is Will’s pillow, and his head is barely on the one under him.

I guess this is the type of exhaustion to be expected after the night they had, and only the hour of sleep he said she got before her water element broke free.

Climbing in slowly, I gently tug Will off Caspian’s chest, place her on mine, and that instantly wakes him, but as soon as he sees it’s me, he pulls his shit back in.

“What’re you doing?” he asks, raspy.

“Coming to wake you two up. There’s an hour until dinner and we’re having company.”

I’m not the least bit shocked that he picked up the mind connection as soon as their bond snapped in place. He’s obsessed over any information he could get his hands on about a mind connection since the first time Will brought it up.

“Why?” he groans.

“Because this new and growing family is important to her.”

At that, he rolls on his side and runs his shadows down her back, staring at her softly like she’s the most precious thing he’s ever seen. And she is…to all of us.

I’m curious and very excited to see how this bond is about to change him. It’s changed all of us drastically. We’re still the same men we always were for everyone else, but for her, we’ve beenreborn. She’ll always get the sides of us that the rest of the realm will never have the privilege of witnessing.

Just as I go to ask him if he’s okay and how he feels, tendrils as black as his, slowly start crawling out of Willow’s fingers that are splayed across my chest. They travel down her back and wrap around his like they’re trying to blend the two into one. I whip my head toward Caspian with wide eyes, completely shocked at what I’m seeing.

“Shit. Is her gift emerging?”

“No, it emerged last night before the bond did. It was fucking glorious.”

A huge smile takes over his face as he makes the shadows twirl and dance together on top of her. She softly groans, then a light chuckle falls from her lips as the tendrils begin to tickle her. It doesn’t take much more than that and I’m holding her to me tightly while Caspian continues his attack.

“I give up. I give up, please,” Will begs between her fits of laughter.

“Morning, little warrior,” I say as she pushes herself up and straddles my lap.

“There’s no way it’s still morning.” She chuckles before leaning down and kissing my cheek.

“It’s definitely not. We have an hour until dinner.”

“Damn, you all let us sleep the whole day away.”

“Yeah, but you needed it. Now you need to go get ready. We’re having company for dinner,” I tell her, patting her hip to get her moving.

“Really? Who?” she asks.

“Everyone.”

I groan as she bounces up and down a couple times excitedly, unintentionally grinding herself against me. Caspian chuckles darkly as I grip her hips to make her stop. If she doesn’t, we won’t be making it to dinner on time.

“Sorry. I’m going now.” She laughs, climbing off me and rushing to her bathroom.

One look over at Cas and I smirk as he tracks her with his eyes. When he glances my way, a sly-ass grin crosses his face.

“We’ll see you in a few,” he says before disappearing into the shadows, no fucking doubt joining her in the shower.

“Asshole.”

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