Page 139 of Devoted

“Hello, Sam. It’s lovely to meet you.”

Before I could ask who on earth he was or why I felt like I’d been run over by a bus, he was shoved out of view.

Zeke’s panicked face appeared. “Sam, baby. Oh my god.”

“M’okay.” I reached up a wobbly hand to stroke his face. “Don’t worry.”

“Don’t worry, he says,” Zeke half sobbed, turning to press a kiss against my palm. “Sam, you almostdied.”

Both my OCD and anxiety were quiet, which was strange, as that kind of information would normally keep it fed for days. I was tired though, exhausted really. Maybe my body was too tired to produce the needed adrenaline. “Technically youdiddie…so I guess that makes us even.”

“Thank you, Ferry,” Zeke said hoarsely to the stranger who was hovering at my side. “I have no idea why you’re even here, but thank you.”

“I was meeting with Micah and Nox when they got the notification about something being wrong here.” Ferry inclined his head towards me. “My instincts told me I might be needed.”

Zeke held out his hand for Ferry to shake. “Thank you. I owe you a great debt.”

Ferry’s mouth twitched, like there was something amusing about Zeke’s manner. But he took his hand and shook it regardless. “I’m glad I could help your mate.”

Your mate.Had Zeke sent out an announcement or something? How did everyone seem to know?

Feeling a bit daft lying on the table, I tried to sit up. I made it about an inch before my muscles screamed in protest. “Fuck.”

“Baby, be careful,” Zeke chided, lifting me into his arms bridal style. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

It was then I realised two things. One, I was in the kitchen. Two, Ferry wasn’t the only person watching me with concern. “Oh, we have company.”

Micah, Noah, Nox, Benji, and Rami were all there. Thankfully, the twins were not. Even knowing Ezekiel was immortal, I wasn’t sure how I felt about seeing them so soon after what had happened earlier. I couldn’t forget how one of them had snapped my Zeke’s neck. Snapped it as though it was nothing more than a twig.

The crack would haunt my nightmares for years to come.

“They came running because of how long the alarm lasted,” Zeke explained. “I imagine Breann and Grace are on their way back too.”

I shifted in his arms, wincing as a shot of pain raced up my spine. “Ouch, shit.”

Several people stepped forwards in alarm, making me retreat instinctively against Zeke’s chest. “I’m okay.”

Zeke cleared his throat. “Can everyone go to the main living room please? Sam and I need a minute.”

The room cleared before I could blink. “Is the speed an angelic thing, or is there something wrong with me?”

“It’s an angel thing,” Zeke said. “Actually, it’s more of a supernatural thing, but you’re not imagining it.”

A supernatural thing?

“Just how many different—” I cut myself off as a headache started to pulse at my temple. “No, let’s not do that now. I’ll ask again later. What happened to me?”

“I think you had a reaction to being compelled,” Zeke said. “Your brain couldn’t cope with it.”

“I’m guessing by ‘compel’ you don’t mean the compulsions I usually deal with.” He’d used that word earlier with Benji, but I hadn’t focused on it.

“No. Supernaturals, or supes as we call them, are able to compel humans using our powers. We can make them forget something they’ve seen, act a certain way, or even freeze in place. It’s necessary for what we do.”

“Benji compelled me to believe what he was saying is true,” I said slowly. “He planted something in my brain to convince me.”

“He shouldn’t have done it.” Zeke’s nostrils flared. “Believe me, we’ll be having further words about it. I don’t know what he was thinking.”

I thought about it for a moment, remembering how anxious I’d been. The hold my OCD had had on me. “Honestly? I understand why you’re bothered, but it makes sense to me. Benji saw I was struggling and went with the most logical solution.”

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