Page 96 of Demise

When he pulls away, he lets out a ragged breath, inflating himself in the next moment, his shoulders back and a look of contentment on his face. Though, I’d wager it’s a load of shit.

“Apologies for the interruption gentlemen, if she was your wife, I’m sure you’d understand.”

Horris laughs at Asher’s joke while Andrew just stares at him, a hint of malice to his gaze. See? Stalker vibes. Just a little bit. I know, in reality, he’s just being kind in my name. Andrew hasonly seen what others have, the horrible things Asher has done to me. Outside of the guys and Maggie, no one knows how good he really is to me. Now, at least.

“It’s more than alright. Congratulations. You are a fantastic addition to our society.” Horris nods to Asher. “Mrs. Putnam, it was such a pleasure. Come along, Andrew. I think I’d like to retire for the evening.”

“Wait. Do you think I could ask you some questions…about what we were discussing?” I say cryptically.

Horris smiles kindly as he leans forward and shakes his head.

“Better that we not. Enjoy the party,” he says as Andrew, on cue, begins pushing his grandfather out the party and to the door.

“What was that about?” Asher asks.

I turn to him, my heart sinking as I speak.

“Have you heard that people think witches bleed black?”

Asher’s brows immediately knit together as he hushes me sharply. He shakes his head as if to say not here before he glances around the room. When his sweep is done, he leans in to press a kiss to the side of my head.

“Not here. We’ll talk at home.”

I nod slowly, more on edge than ever as a couple of people approach us, congratulating Asher on his official membership. He smiles through each congratulation, the façade becoming harder and harder to recognize the longer the night drags on.

After sharing an awkward and tense moment between my father, Christopher, and Asher, we only had to stay for another twentyminutes or so before Asher tells us we’re leaving. We climb into the car, Ronan driving, when I turn to face him.

I open my mouth to ask him about the witch thing when I see his put together façade crack and crumble, giving way to a shaking mess. His arms are quivering as he rests his head in his hands, struggling to breathe as he does.

“Asher? Asher! What’s going on? Talk to me,” I beg.

He reaches for me, grabbing onto me like I’m his lifeline as he falls apart. What on earth happened to my husband?

“Hold him, Sky,” Ronan says from the front seat.

I do as he says, and Asher comes to me easily, snaking his arms around my waist as he buries his head into my neck. He doesn’t cry, but he does let out labored breaths, sucking them back in with as much strength as he can seemingly muster.

“What did they do to you?” I whisper softly, brushing his hair out of his face.

He shakes his head, his pain drenched eyes coming to mine.

“Don’t….I…I can’t. Ever. I can’t talk about it. I can’t—”

“Shh,” I say, forcing his head back against me. “It’s okay. You don’t have to. I’ve got you, okay? I’ve got you, and I love you, and I won’t let anything hurt you.”

He nuzzles into me deeper, a pained look on Ronan’s face as he watches us from the rearview mirror. Thankfully, it doesn’t take us long to get back to the house and when we do, Ronan is there to open all of the doors for us.

Asher is able to get himself out of the car and into the house, but only just. Like a zombie, he marches through our home, heading straight for the staircase. I follow him quickly, trailing after him as he steps into his bedroom. I share a concerned look with Ronan who is also following us before he leaves us at the doorway, shutting it with a soft snick and drowning the room in darkness.

Light isn’t needed right now, though. Not when Asher is already crawled into his bed and I’m slipping in right beside him. He curls into me, much how he did in the car and together, we just lay there in perfect silence.

Chapter Thirty One

Skyla

The next morning, I woke up to Asher still wrapped around me while Liam is wrapped around him from behind. They are both sound asleep, and I don’t want to wake either of them, so I slip out of bed as quietly as I can. When I reach the door, I’m amazed that they are both still passed out as I grab my phone and close the door.

I wait until I’m in the backyard, hopefully far enough away from everyone that I won’t bother them. And they won’t bother me.

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