Page 48 of Prey

Ethan sits up and gathers me onto his lap. I lay my head on his shoulder and just rest for a minute. It feels nice to just be held by someone. I didn’t realize how truly lonely I had been getting until these two lunatics showed up in my shop the other day.

Goddess, has it only been three days? It feels like an eternity already.

Ethan chuckles. “Fate is funny sometimes isn’t she? Who knew things would be like this? If you had told me last week I’d be here right now, I’d have said you were insane, but yet here we are. I’mnot mad about it either. I know we have a lot going on, but I feel peace in my heart for the first time in a very long time.”

Kadi comes over and tugs on a piece of Ethan’s hair and he leans his head back on the couch to smile up at him. I love the friendship they have. Almost like brothers. You can just tell by the way they act that they would, and have, done anything they can to protect each other. I get to be a part of that now. I tug Kadi over to me and lean up to kiss him.

He bites my bottom lip after the kiss, boops me on the nose, laughs, and then heads back over to the stove. Ethan leans his forehead on mine. “I’m afraid for you. I know that you have all these new powers, but the thought of them getting their hands on you is making me feral, Shasta.”

“You’re not going to talk me out of going with you, if that’s what you think you’re doing.”

“No,” he sighs. “I know I can’t talk you out of going, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Four days ago I didn’t even know you existed, and now you’re my entire universe and the thought of losing you terrifies me.”

I melt.

This man couldn’t even stand the sight of me and now, he’s one of the most important people in my life.

“You know, I don’t want to lose you either. Watching my mother go through what she has all these years…it was terrible. Now I have not one, but two mates. Losing either of you would be the end of me, I fear. Seeing my parents together again today brought up so many childhood memories. The love they have for each other has lasted for twenty-five years of being separated, tortured, and so many other worse things. But they just came right back together today like nothing had ever kept them apart. I want that, without all the kidnapping and torture of course. But to love you both and be loved like that in return…”

I trail off. What am I even saying? None of us are there yet, but we can be some day. Logan messed me up when he cheated and treated me the way he did. I never thought I would get a happy ending or have a love like my parents did…well, do, now that Dad is back again. I’ve watched Emmett and other people live their best lives with people they love, that respect and cherish them. The happiness I have felt for my friend has always been pure, but wanting something for yourself isn’t a bad thing.

I watch Kadi cooking in the kitchen and I know he’s listening to every word by the posture he has. Ethan is watching me closely too. “Little Witch, I know none of us arethereyet. I’m not ever going to say that a mate bond is insta love, because it clearly isn’t. But the need to keep you and love you and cherish you forever is sitting there in my heart waiting to be explored. I won’t ever ignore that again. I promise you.”

Laying my head on his chest, I can only nod. I have a lump the size of Texas in my throat. How can your life change so much in three days? It’s a lot to take in. All these feelings, mates, my father, the threat against me.

I can feel Ethan’s heartbeat. It’s strong and steady. He strokes my hair and we just sit for a while listening to the sounds of Kadi cooking in the kitchen next to us.

“Little Lioness, your meal is ready.”

Ethan lifts me off his lap and I stand. Looking at the island I see he has everything laid out. I love that he moved a stool and all of them are lined up for us, with me in the middle. Everything looks so good.

“Well, I guess you were right about not being able to live off BLT’s because I amfamished,” I say, my stomach growling loudly as if to emphasize my point.

The guys chuckle and we dig in.

“Everyone is meeting us at Winnie’s at eight. I wanted to give you a little bit of time to get Amir settled before we have themeeting, but, I was thinking, depending on how he feels I’d like to ask if he wants in on the planning,” Kadi looks at me intently as he reveals his idea.

I think about it for a moment. Would he want to? He does know a lot more about them than we do. We still don’t know his whole story. Has he been with Michael and Vivian all this time? Has he been to other places? He might know things about their movements that would otherwise take us years to figure out.

Not to mention, he may want to help just to be able to take some power back from the bastards. What they did to him…I can’t even go there in my head or I will lose my shit. The fact that Kadi thought of this makes me more happy than I can say.

“I think giving him the option is the best way we can help him right now. Thank you, for thinking of him and what this could do for him, and us,” I say seriously.

Kadi just smiles and tucks back into his food. Both of them are eating like they’re starving. Shifters need massive amounts of calories. They burn through everything. You won’t ever see an out of shape shifter. It’s not physiologically possible for them.

“This tastes amazing by the way. I may just have to give up cooking and make house- husbands of the both of you.” I laugh maniacally and wave my fork at them.

Ethan bumps my shoulder with his. “Listen, just because you got us as your mates doesn’t mean we are tame, Little Witch.”

I snort. “Well you certainly were purring like a tame little kitty cat just a few minutes ago.” I smile sweetly at him and flick a noodle in his direction. It sticks to his forehead. Kadi chokes on his mouthful of food as Ethan growls and narrows his eyes at me. He pulls the noodle away and drops it on his plate.

I could definitely get used to teasing Ethan for the rest of my life. Hearing Kadi laugh at him might also become one of my favorite pastimes.

“You do realize that I’m the President of a criminal organization, right?” Ethan growls.

“Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed. I mean, I did have to zap you a few times to get you to act right. That wasn’t very scary MC Club President of you,” I say primly, batting my eyelashes at him.

Kadi is roaring with laughter. Ethan looks like he might pop a blood vessel. I stand and take my plate to the sink and rinse it off before laying it aside to load into the dishwasher later. Turning around, I lean against the counter and cross my arms over my chest.

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