Page 58 of Demise

“What?”

“We’re going snowboarding, not backpacking through Europe for a week. Why do you need so much food?”

Wesley shrugs as he zips up the bag.

“When you’ve gone six days without a scrap of food in the middle of the ocean, tell me you won’t always be prepared in the future. A hunger like that…makes a man do some crazy fucking things.”

Why the fuck would he be in the middle of the ocean with no food? He’s a Navy Seal. Shouldn’t he have a team, be on a ship or some shit? Shaking my head, I leave him to his over-the-top prepping as Liam, Asher, and Skyla come downstairs. Skyla is wearing a pair of black ripped leggings, a sweatshirt, and a pair of snow boots. I frown as I look at her.

“Where is your snow coat, siren?”

She shrugs. “I guess I didn’t pack it. No big deal, I can get one from the ski lodge, right?”

Shaking my head, I shrug off my coat, slipping it through her arms before zipping it up to her neck. It’s four sizes too big for her, and you can hardly even see her hands out the bottom of the cuffs, but she looks fucking adorable, and most importantly, she’s warm.

“What about you?” she asks.

“What about me?”

“You need it,” Skyla counters.

“Not as much as you do. Wear it until we get to the lodge, I’m fine.”

She opens her mouth to argue before nodding her head, lifting up onto her toes, and pressing a kiss to my lips that I take the opportunity to deepen.

“Aw, no fair. You can have my coat if you kiss me like that,” I hear Liam complain. followed by a thud and an ‘Ow.’

We leave a few minutes later, and the drive takes less than thirty minutes to get to the ski resort. It’s absolutely packed, and my eyes scan our surroundings a thousand times over, always watching, always waiting. I notice Wesley doing the same, along with Ronan. All of us on high alert while the two stooges and my siren laugh and push their way inside the lodge.

We are all able to get snow gear and rent boards. Skyla looked hesitant and honestly, I wish she would have gone with the skis; they are safer, especially when learning, but she insisted on getting a board. She also insisted on giving me my coat back, which I was less than thrilled about. Then again, it smells like her now, her scent practically encapsulating me, so I suppose I can live with it.

By the time we are all checked out, it’s well into the late afternoon. We’ll probably only be able to hit a few runs before the sun goes down, but it’s what Skyla wants to do, so here we are. We grab our boards and find a more secluded area that we can give Skyla lessons. That turns to shit real quick when Ronan,Wesley, and Asher are all trying to teach her different things at once. She looks overwhelmed and frazzled as hell. I wait for her to need me, to ask for my help. When Ronan and Asher start arguing, Wesley playing peacekeeper, she looks over to me.

Request received.

“That’s enough,” I boom. “She’s got the hang of it. We’ll keep her safe, let’s go.”

I push past them, wrapping my arm around her as I lead her towards the ski lift. When we come up to the bench, she scoots to the very left, I take the middle, and Liam attempts to take the right. I say attempt because as soon as he takes a seat beside me, I shove him off. He face plants into the snow as the chair begins moving up the hill.

“Ow! Hey! Griggs! What the fuck!” he shouts from behind us.

A short chuckle shakes my chest, and Skyla smacks my arm.

“Why did you do that?”

I turn to face her, only her pouty mouth visible behind her new snow goggles.

“Because I don’t get nearly enough siren time, so I’m making it.”

Her pinched expression softens as her arm pushes into mine.

“You’re so needy, God,” she drawls sarcastically, a smirk spreading across her face.

Leaning forward, I press my lips to hers, our tongues tangling together as we are carried up the mountain. We don’t stop until we hear the chair attendant shout at us. Tearing myself from her mouth is literally painful, but somehow, I manage, getting off the chair first as I help her.

We move to the top of the mountain and wait for the rest of them. Asher, Ronan and Wesley are on the chair right behind us, and three chairs behind them is Liam by himself. Before he can even get to us, I can hear him cuss me out, and it’s actually quite amusing.

“Motherfucker! Why didn’t you let me ride with you guys,” Liam snaps.

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