Page 18 of Saving Destiny

Garrett gapes at me as if I’d just admitted I only ate rats. Truthfully, I don’t know what kind of meat we ate at the orphanage, but I push away the thought before it ruins my appetite.

Releasing the shifter’s hand, I take a small bite of the spinach before I can wimp out of trying it. The creamy sauce combined with fresh spices offers my tongue a blast of flavor. I can’t help but release a quiet murmur of appreciation. My smile is probably surprised and delightful. “Is this actually spinach? I’ve never eaten cooked vegetables that taste so amazing.” I might sound like I’m overdoing it, but I’m genuinely appreciative.

Garrett’s dark eyes sparkle as I take another bite. “Freshness is the key to flavor,” he murmurs with his gaze focused on my mouth. “It’s a pleasure to please you,” he adds.

The innuendo, intended or not, nearly causes me to choke on my food.These damn men.Maybe I should start wearing bright red blush around them so they can’t see my skin flush red. I never blushed before I met them. Bren and Avery both wear lighter expressions now, and I’m pleased that my embarrassment has lightened the mood.

The vampire’s plate is almost empty, but he’s still joining us for the meal. I’d worried that he relied solely upon blood until he’d disabused me of the notion. He doesn’t derive the same pleasure from food, but he seems to enjoy our company. I wish Kodi could … I push the thought away before sadness overwhelms me again.

“It’s so good,” I moan after tasting the tender, marinated roast and the perfectly seasoned potatoes. “I’m going to get fat and happy on your cooking, Garrett.” The shifter ducks his head. Is he blushing now? The possibility fascinates me. He doesn’t reply, and it’s obvious that my praise has rattled his composure. Bren chuckles, probably finding his brother's reaction more amusing than the conversation.

Several beats of companionable silence follows that’s broken only by the sounds of our meal. Through it all, I wish Kodi could join us. His absence affects me far more than I wish to admit.

Chapter 11

Zosia

“Zosia, you mentioned that you were gathering information. Did you succeed in your attempts to access the library’s repository?” Avery's question rouses me from my thoughts.

The vampire has replaced his torn dress shirt with an almost identical one, but the suit jacket is still absent. The play of muscle under the fine linen shirt temporarily distracts me. Both he and Bren are incredibly lean compared to Garrett’s bulky size, but neither lacks definition. I’ve always appreciated the view of Kodi’s muscular biceps, even if I couldn’t touch them. He’d retained the firm tone after death, and he was the first to make me realize that I liked muscles on men – especially their arms.

Thinking of Kodi nearly causes me to falter again. The library’s senses tell me he’s in his room, but he doesn’t seem keen to join us. If he’s still moping when I wake in the morning, I’ll have to flush him out. He’s no use to the library or me if he’s constantly in hiding, but that isn’t the only reason. I miss him.

“I figured it out and almost got lost in the process,” I admit as I force my attention back to the men currently at the table. I smile as I recall my dorky behavior from earlier. “It was remarkably easy once I pretended like my brain was a search engine.”

Bren snorts with amusement. “I was just comparing the goblins to Siri and Alexa earlier today. All we have to do is ask a question and they pop up like ads on a computer.” When he says the word pop, he bounces in his chair. It’s cute, but I doubt he realizes what he’s doing. One of the greatest things about Bren is that he doesn’t force himself to act in any particular way; he’s not embarrassed to be goofy. I wish I felt comfortable enough to do the same.

“They’re more pleasant than automated voices, but it’s a good comparison.” My smile turns into a frown. “I haven’t seen much of them since I shifted.” The library hasn’t warned me of danger or urgent matters, but they usually pop in and out all day long. Their absence is more noticeable because of their frequent visits.

“The library delivered a couple books after you left us earlier. I found it strange that the goblins didn’t bring them to us,” Garrett says.

“Books on what?” My insatiable curiosity suppresses the motivation to offer information. When both brothers avoid my gaze, I amend my request. “You don’t have to tell me.”

Bren’s arm extends past his brother as if he wants to touch me, but he can’t reach me. They all take turns sitting next to me, I’ve noticed, and the other two are closer tonight.

Garrett sits back with his arms crossed over his broad chest, and I take this as a hint to sit forward and take his brother's hand. Bren's need is impossible to ignore. The warmth of his skin is comforting, and the touch recalls how close we were earlier today. We’d practically cuddled while I accessed the gargoyle’s sight.

“It’s not that we don’t want to tell you,” Bren says after glancing at his brother. “It’s just a little strange. We were reading lists of names.”

“Names?” My tone reveals my confusion.

“We decided to change our last name but didn’t have an idea for a replacement. Avery suggested we research the meanings behind the surnames, and the library provided,” Garrett explains. I decide that the shifter’s tone is stiff but not forthcoming as I unravel the emotions behind his words.

My mind whirls with too many thoughts as I consider the implications of their explanation. Their last name connects them to their family, the man who raised them, and the most powerful shifter in Western society. However … it also ties them to a man who tortured numerous supernaturals, sanctioned the horrors I endured, and killed their fellow guardian. Worry overcomes me. Did they feel pressured to erase their connection to their father?

“I hope you didn’t feel like you had to do that … for me.” I swallow hard. It’s difficult to fathom anyone doing something that monumental just because of me.

“We know you wouldn’t ask it of us, but we wanted to.” Garrett’s gaze meets mine and Bren nods in agreement. Although they share a father, the brothers are vastly different in appearance. Garrett’s skin is several shades darker than Bren’s, and his eyes are a deep russet brown. Addington is pale like Bren, so I think Garrett takes after his mother. However, Garrett’s rough-hewn features are more like Addington’s than Bren’s prettier looks.

“There’s a lot more to it than what he did to you,” the shifter continues in a low tone. “He was never what I’d consider a father to be. He treated us as if we were tools – not children or even individuals. I think I’ve always wanted to sever the obvious connection to him, but I didn’t give it much thought until it became a possibility. Now that we’re free of him, we can cut our last obvious tie to him. Right, Bren?”

Bren nods again. He’s accustomed to Garrett speaking for him, but the shifter’s love and respect emerges when he checks in with Bren. He doesn't want to speak falsely.

“Exactly," Bren confirms. "We didn’t want either of our mother’s last names because both of them are … were … tools like us.”

I shift restlessly in my chair and release Bren’s hand with a final squeeze. It’s uncomfortable to lean so far forward. Their reasoning partly soothes my conscience. I can tell they’re not lying, but part of me still worries. Kodi would tell me I'm being ridiculous, so I push the lingering concern away. “Did you find a name?”

“We have one in mind, but we’re letting it simmer to see how it feels. We’ll decide soon.” As if eager to change the subject, Garrett immediately reminds me that I didn’t answer Avery’s question. “What did you learn today?”

---