Page 103 of Fated

“Hey, I want to talk to you about something,” I began, taking a deep breath, my nerves threatening to overwhelm me.

“Sure,” he replied, but a second later, his head snapped toward the door, his entire demeanor changing.

“What is it?”

“Someone is here,” he said, his tone calm but alert. I honed my hearing in, focusing on the sounds around us—footsteps, multiple sets. I looked at Ash, searching for any hint of alarm, but his face remained steady, almost unconcerned.

“We’ll finish this conversation later,” he said, standing and pulling me to his side. “Areya, meet my brother—”

Before he could finish, the door exploded in front of us, shards of wood flying in every direction. Ash reacted instantly, turning to shield me with his body as tiny splinters sprayed across the room. I clung to him, my heart pounding in my chest, as the dust slowly settled around us.

Standing in the doorway was a tall man, dressed in some type of military uniform with a gun strapped to his side. He looked a little like Ash, but not quite. They shared the same black hair, though his was cut short, cropped close to his head.

His face was fuller, giving him a more solid appearance and he was handsome but lacked Ash’s ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty.

“Shit, Xanth, I already have to replace the two doors downstairs.”

The man—Xanth, apparently—stood frozen, his face pale with shock. He opened and closed his mouth several times as if all his available words had escaped him.

“Sebastian?” Xanth finally managed, disbelief evident in his voice.

“Xanth,” Ash responded, a smile breaking across his face.

In an instant, Xanth holstered his gun and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Ash in a tight hug which Ash returned, clapping his brother on the back. “Good to see you, brother.”

Xanth pulled back, his eyes wide, voice trembling.

“What the hell, Sebastian? How are you even here? We thought you were dead.” His face was wet with tears, which he quickly wiped away.

Ash patted him affectionately on the back.

“Xanth, meet Areya. Areya, my brother, Xanth. Areya saved my life. She broke the curse on me. It’s a long story, but I’ll fill you in at home.”

Home.The word hit unexpectedly, filling me with joy for Ash. He was finally going home.

Before I could process it, Xanth stepped in front of me, hisexpression filled with gratitude. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the ground.

“Thank you for saving my brother, Areya.”

I chuckled, surprised by the sudden embrace.

“Shit, Areya,” Ash teased. “You got Xanth emotional. Not something you see every day.”

Xanth sat me back down and I smiled up at him, still a little flustered.

“Greyson, Shae, I can hear you two breathing out there,” Ash called toward the door with a grin.

There was a brief shuffle of feet, and another man entered, light brown hair tousled and a wide grin on his face. He too wore a military uniform, but his messy hair and relaxed demeanor reminded me more of Ash. He was strikingly handsome, his features strong and masculine.

Right behind him, a woman followed, stunningly beautiful, with flawless glowing skin and perfect chocolate curls. Her high cheekbones, pouty lips, and airbrushed complexion radiated an effortless model-like beauty, making a pang of envy twist in my stomach.

Greyson walked straight up to Ash, clapping him on the shoulder before pulling him into a hug. “Shit, man, I can’t believe you’re really here.”

“Same, Greyson,” Ash replied, grinning.

Greyson turned to me, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you, Areya.”

I took his hand. “Nice to meet you as well, Greyson.”

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