Page 32 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

“Teddy? Who’s Teddy?” he asked, pausing his ministrations. It took me a moment to remember—we came from completely different worlds.

“Never mind. It’s just a human thing,” I deflected. How do you explain a beloved plush bear to someone who could actually shift into one? It sounded absurd in my head.

“I don’t know what or who a teddy bear is, but I’ll be your Luca bear.” As he said it, I felt the telltale tingling of his magic mixing with mine. A soft blue light glowed beneath the blankets as he began to life-bind with me.

“You don’t have to do that, Luca. I’m feeling fine, really.” I tried to shift away, but his strong arms locked me in place.

“I know I don’t have to. But I want to. I know when you’re hurting, and I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Why? Why are you all so determined to help me? Is it because I’m a fated?” The question tumbled out before I could stop it. I couldn’t waste my chance to bring it up.

He tensed. Silence lingered, fragile and loaded. I wanted him to tell me so desperately I half-hoped my will alone could force the answer out of him.

My heart fell as the seconds ticked by. When I’d convinced myself he wouldn’t answer, he broke the silence. “What do you know about fateds, Mic?”

“I know Sawyer referred to me as one after he fought Nico. What does it mean?”

“Sawyer never should’ve said that. It’s a beast thing,” he said simply, and I knew he was trying to brush me off.

I wouldn’t let it go. I steeled myself and turned in the bedroll to face him. His honey-colored eyes looked dull in the dark, shadowed by things that had nothing to do with the lighting. “Don’t do that to me, Luca. Not you.”

“Oh, so it’s fine for you to shut me out—say it’s a ‘human thing’—but I’m supposed to explain every nuance of my world?” he whispered, a sharpness in his tone. “I never thought of you as a hypocrite.”

“That’s not fair,” I said, trying to shove him away and failing miserably. “A teddy bear is just... it’s something trivial. A child’s toy in my realm—a stuffed likeness of a bear that kids cuddle at night or share tea parties with.”

“Really? You snuggled with a likeness of me as a child?” he asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Don’t change the subject. You can’t keep hiding things from me. Do you really think so little of me that you can’t even share your world with me?”

“Honestly, Mic, I’m not sure how to explain it. I don’t even know if the term ‘fated’ applies to a human. You should’ve asked Nico. He’s better with words.”

“I’m asking you,” I pleaded. He tried to turn away, but I cupped his jaw and brought his gaze back to mine. “Please.”

He huffed and placed his hand over mine, holding it there as his eyes closed.

“A fated is... something better shown than explained,” he murmured, and when his eyes reopened, they burned with something I hadn’t seen before. “Have you ever been drawn to something so completely?” he asked, brushing a lock of hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. His fingers left a scalding line along my jaw. His thumb grazed my lip, rubbing over the sensitive skin, setting off a firestorm. “Have you ever felt a bond you couldn’t explain?” His voice wrapped around me, unraveling logic with every syllable. My thoughts scattered under the weight of his stare. “Have you ever wanted something so badly you’d kill for it?”

He leaned in, and I swore I might die if I didn’t have more. When his lips finally touched mine, it was electric. My soul felt radiant. I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

His kiss was soft, a question lingering on his lips. I leaned into it, giving him my unspoken answer. He responded in kind, deepening the kiss. His tongue found mine, both of us exploringwith equal hunger. One hand tangled in my hair, the other roamed across my body, worshiping my curves and palming my breast. His thumb grazed my nipple and I felt it in my core. I’d never been touched like that before—my body bloomed to life, hungry for more.

“No! Mic!” Lucius called into the darkness, voice thick with emotion. We froze. Panic overtook me, smothering every ounce of pleasure from my body. I braced for Lucius to call me a whore, to say I disgusted him. But instead, only a stream of incomprehensible mumbles followed as he rolled over in his sleep.

“He’s only dreaming,” Luca whispered. I let out a shaky breath. The moment was gone. The passion snuffed out. Darkness returned to Luca’s gaze. “You should try to get some rest, Mic. You need to keep your strength.”

Neither of us were ready to face Lucius’s reaction. Still, a hot wave of guilt settled in my chest. What had I done? Had I manipulated Luca into making some egregious mistake?

My sister had five husbands—but that wasn’t the norm. And how could something like that ever work between brothers?

“Luca, I?—”

“You don’t have to say anything. Nothing’s changed. I’ll still stay and keep you warm.” He kissed my forehead gently, and rolled onto his back, resting a tattooed arm over his eyes.

That was it. The conversation was over. And now I was more confused than ever.

I’d expected my wounded pride to banish any hope of rest—the sting of it sharp enough to keep me awake for the rest of the night. But as I lay beside Luca, his steady presence and the warmth radiating between us lulled me into a fitful sleep.

Hunter tore into my dreams again. But this time, it was different. Images cycled through my mind like flashes of lightning: a dark cell, his beaten and battered body, the glint of light off bloodied steel. His green eyes, shrouded in pain, met mine a moment before his screams reverberated in my head, trapped there within the dream.

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