Page 15 of Laid Bare

The hangers clack together as my fingers dance over the few options I have to wear for the day. But oh… what’s this?

Tucked away in the back, a black as night hoodie hangs, one that seems far larger than the ones I normally wear. It slides off the hanger with ease, and pulling it to my nose, the heavenly scent of fresh rain invades my senses. Luka. Thismustbe his. But when the heck did he slip it into my belongings? Not that I’m going to complain.

A laugh bursts from my lips when I catch sight of what’s written on the front.Look, I didn’t want to be a halfbloodis written across the chest in big white block letters. If his smell didn’t give it away, the phrase definitely would have. It just screams demi-god.

I’m still chuckling as I grab a pair of black joggers, a gray sports bra, and matching gray boyshort panties. It all goes right back to being comfortable or at least giving the illusion of comfort when I’m anything but.

Once my underthings and joggers are on, I slip the hoodie over my head, releasing a dreamy sigh at being surrounded by my demi-god mate. Being wrapped in his clothes is a million times better than any random large hoodie I’ve bought in the past.

My thoughts briefly flit to wondering if Axel has any he can supplement my wardrobe with, but I flick the idea away. For now. Can’t be too demanding, right? Plus, I love how this one being in my closet was a surprise. It definitely raised my mood for the day.

Fresh roasted coffee assaults my nose, making me practically float out of my bedroom toward the cup I know is waiting for me. My pink painted toes—thanks Marion—are soundless on the floor as I drift into the living area.

Three steaming coffee cups rest upon the coffee table in front of my couch, surrounded by overflowing plates of breakfast food. Bacon. Eggs. Sausage. Hash browns. All the good shit. And oh… I grimace as I spy Faeberry muffins also in the mix. It wasn’t that long ago that Thaddeus introduced me to those. Now they just remind me of how badly I fucked up his relationship with Miss Izzicle.

I shake my head. That’s also something to deal with at a later date. Plus, I need to have a conversation with the headmaster, no matter how badly I’d love to punch him in his stone face instead.

My guys are already sitting on the couch waiting for me, looking just as comfortable as me in almost identical clothes to what I picked out for the day. Luka’s blue orbs light up and lust flashes in his eyes while he takes me in from head to toe, lingering on the hoodie I’m wearing. He bites his bottom lip, but the clearing of a throat knocks him from his perusal.

His cheeks pinken, but he smirks unapologetically in Axel’s direction.

My vampire, though? I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him truly in relaxation mode. Normally suits encase his lithe body, but the gray sweatpants he’s sporting at the moment really do something for me.

A matching gray hoodie hides the rest of his glorious body from me, but my thoughts are purely on the hoodie. Poor vampire has no clue that he’ll be leaving without it when he goes home.

That stops me in my tracks. Home. The guys are going to leave at some point, getting back to their day-to-day lives while I go to classes. I hate the idea of being apart from them, more so now than before. I’m now an enemy and I’ll only have strangers at my back to protect me.

Fuck. I tug at my braids, shifting from foot to foot, while the okayish emotions I had earlier take a freaking nosedive.

I can’t even ask the guys if we can all get a place together since it’s now mandated that I stay here while I learn and wait for my fate at the end of my schooling. And I doubt Headmaster Stonewell will be very accommodating in allowing the guys to stay here full time. If they want to, that is.

“Put those thoughts away for now, goddess.” My eyes find Luka’s understanding ones, and I blow out a breath, knowing he’s right. There’s no use dwelling on something that hasn’t happened yet. But it’s going to take a bit to work my way back into my okayish mindset. Something that breakfast and coffee can totally help with.

Axel shoots a sympathetic smile in my direction while patting the empty spot between him and Luka. The second my butt hits the cushion, my sweet vampire places a steaming mug of coffee in my hands, made just the way I like it.

Swoon.

A little hum of satisfaction slips free as I sip the concocted brew, relishing in the little zip of happiness the drink alone can infuse in my veins.

Without a word needed, the guys start to pile a plate for me with a little bit of everything laid out before us. Luka makes a grab for a Faeberry muffin, but the noise of distress that breaks out unbidden halts him before his fingers can brush the delicious pastry. He raises a brow, but I shake my head, averting my eyes from that one Faerie delicacy Thaddeus introduced me to.

Once the guys are content that there’s enough food on my plate—more like enough to feed an army—Luka sets it on my lap, and they proceed to fill up their own. Then no words are spoken as the three of us dig in.

* * *

The dishes have long since been cleared, and now, tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, rests in the air. Axel, Luka, and I are still in the same places as when we ate, but instead of a plate on my lap, my hands wring in nervousness.

Many questions rest on the tip of my tongue, but there’s one that needs to be answered before I ask anything else.

“What happened twenty years ago?”

Axel sucks in a sharp breath as I basically go for the jugular of the biggest issue. The comments made by the head councilman allude to something happening between curiomancers and his son, but not once did anyone elaborate.

“Do you want the short version or the entire story?” Axel asks, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees. His hands scrub across his face and up into his hair, leaving his blond strands in disarray.

While the entire story would be nice, the short version will have to do for now since there are many other points we need to hit before our uninvited guests show up. Whenever that may be.

“Short.”

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