Page 252 of Shadowblood Souls
“Jake.”
He glances back at me, his forehead starting to furrow.
I find I can manage at least half a smile. “Thank you.”
For talking me down last night. For shielding me through the night.
For helping me work out other tensions just now…
Jacob’s stance relaxes, as much as the guy ever relaxes. “I should be the one thanking you.”
He strides out of the room with the athletic poise I can’t help admiring now that I’m letting myself feel more than angry at him.
In the ensuite bathroom, I scrub myself all over hastily, taking just a moment to enjoy massaging the fancy shampoo that was part of the bath set Andreas got for me into my hair. The citrus tang wakes up my senses even more.
To face the conversations ahead, I need to be alert and honest and bold. But I have my men with me, in more ways than one.
We’re going to get through this too.
I twist my hair into its usual braid even though it’s still damp after the toweling and slip out into the hall. Dominic emergesfrom his room at the exact same moment—which is probably not a coincidence, since he must have known I was on my way out.
It gives me a little thrill I can’t totally explain to see him standing assured with his tentacles out in the open. To stop them from dangling at his feet, they fall to his waist and then loop back around to hook over their bases, swaying a little as he steps to meet me.
He’ll have to cover up again when we venture out into normal society. But he isn’t ashamed for me or any of the shadowkind here to see them anymore.
Even with all the worries still weighing on me, I can’t resist pulling him into a hug. Dom hums happily as he hugs me back and presses a kiss to the corner of my jaw.
“You look like you’re feeling better, Sugar,” he murmurs by my ear.
The new nickname sends a giddier thrill right down the middle of me.
I tip my head against his chest. “I just… needed some time to come to grips with things. Jacob helped.”
Another blush tingles in my cheeks, but if Dominic can guess what some of that “help” entailed, I don’t think he minds. He strokes his hand over my hair before we ease apart to head to the dining room.
“I’m glad you and him are sorting things out. He was awful, and of course you’ve been angry, but I know that’s not who he really is.”
My smile turns crooked. “Maybe we’re all still figuring out who we really are now.”
Dom pauses for a moment in his contemplative way. “That sounds about right.”
The smells of buttery eggs and fried sausages tickle into my nose and set my stomach growling again. My mouth is wateringbefore I even step through the dining room doorway—and then it dries up as I halt in my tracks with a stutter of my pulse.
Pearl has come back. She’s perched on the edge of one of the tables, talking with the hulking green-skinned shadowkind who’s occasionally emerged as part of Rollick’s crew.
As my legs lock, she tosses her glossy blond waves over her shoulder and glances around. When her bright eyes meet mine, the succubus’s friendly expression twitches.
I expect her smile to stiffen into a frown, but instead she hops off the table and ambles over to me, if with a little less energy than her typical pace.
“Have you eaten yet? The croissants are extra good today.”
My mouth opens and closes and opens again. “I— No. I was just going to get breakfast now.”
“Well, come on then. Rollick’s stalking around looking like he’s building so many plans in his head he’ll fall over if he doesn’t get the chance to let them out soon.”
I follow her tentatively over to the buffet spread. Dominic veers over to the other guys, who’ve all gathered around one table.
Zian nods to me, and Andreas shoots me a warm grin, but they seem to recognize that they shouldn’t interrupt.
