Page 40 of Crowned

“Morning,” she mumbles, her voice thick with sleep. She looks to either side of her, noticing Cove and Bhodi, and a faint blush creeps up her cheeks. “Um...”

“They snuck in after you fell asleep,” I say, trying to suppress my grin. “Guess they didn’t want to be left out.”

Malia’s lips curve into a sleepy smile, and she glances at Vance. “And you?”

He chuckles, ruffling his damp hair. “I was here too. Just took a shower to wake up. Figured you might all want to sleep a little longer.”

She sits up, careful not to disturb Cove and Bhodi, who are still sound asleep. “Thank you,” she says softly, her eyes lingering on each of us in turn. “For staying with me.”

“Always,” Vance replies, his voice filled with quiet sincerity.

I can see the gratitude in her eyes, and it warms something deep inside me. We may be facing impossible odds, but in this moment, I know we’re stronger together. Whatever challenges lie ahead, we’ll face them as a unit – each of us bound by a shared purpose and a deep, unspoken bond.

Malia glances toward the en-suite, then back at us. “I’m going to freshen up,” she says, slipping out of bed carefully to avoid waking the others. Bhodi murmurs in his sleep and snuggles closer, pulling Cove into a hug. Malia snorts and shakes her head, and I suppress my laugh so as not to wake them but the moment is picture perfect.

As she heads to the bathroom, Vance and I exchange a knowing look. We’re thinking the same thing: this day will be pivotal. The calm before the storm has passed, and now it’s time to face the reality of what’s to come.

Once the door closes behind her, I sit down on the edge of the bed, staring at the closed door of the en-suite. “We need a plan,” I say quietly. “We can’t afford to waste any time.”

Vance nods, his expression serious. “Agreed. Let’s wake the others. The sooner we get started, the better.”

I reach over and gently shake Cove’s shoulder, while Vance does the same with Bhodi. They both wake groggily, blinking up at us with confused expressions that quickly turn to understanding as they remember where they are, then disgust as they realise they’re snuggling with each other and Malia is nowhere to be seen.

“We’ve got a lot to do today,” I say as they sit up, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. “But first, we need to make sure Malia’s ready for what’s coming.”

Bhodi nods, his gaze sharpening as he shakes off the last remnants of sleep. “We’ll be ready.”

Cove gives a short, determined nod as well. “We’ll protect her, no matter what. Where is she?”

“Shower,” I reply. “I’ll go fix us some breakfast.”

“Have we got time to freshen up too?” Bhodi asks, a mischievous gleam in his eye. I give him a knowing smile in return and nod.

“Make it quick.”

“Trust me. It won’t take long.”

I snort. “Wouldn’t brag about that if I were you, big guy.”

Laughing, I leave the bedroom and head to my old room to get ready to face the day. I just hope that the meal we’re about to share doesn’t turn into our last supper.

I can’t decide what’s better: being back with my guys, sleeping in an actual bed, or the scorching hot shower currently pummeling the stress from my body.

Tilting my head back under the spray, I close my eyes and groan. It’s all amazing. And that was the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had. In the…well, the other world as I’ve taken to calling it, I felt like Vance and I always slept with one eye open. Always alert for danger. Last night, I felt safer than I have in months and I’m sure that has everything to do with being reunited with the guys.

I’ve missed them so much, but there wasn’t really time to tell them that last night. Whatever chaos we’re facing today, I want to snatch a few minutes to reconnect with them and tell them what they mean to me.

“Room for a little one?” Bhodi’s deep timbre cuts through my musings, making me jump.

Opening my eyes I discover him standing in the centre of the most lavish bathroom I could ever imagine, completely naked and grinning at me.

“Sure,” I reply with a smile. “Go tell Cove he can join me.”

He grabs his chest dramatically and pouts. “Ouch, little dot, you wound me.”

I laugh. “You said room for a little one, so I figured you didn’t mean you. You’re huge.”

“I’m both incredibly pleased that you think I’m well endowed, and smug that you just confirmed that Cove has a small dick.”

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