Page 25 of Stream Heat
"It'll take more than a suppressant crash to kill my sparkling wit."
"Clearly." He gestured toward the kitchen. "Hungry? Malik made soup."
My stomach growled loudly in response, making a liar of me before I could deny it. "Maybe a little."
I followed him into a kitchen that was a chef’s wet dream, every surface was immaculate, knives all lined up like soldiers, industrial grade appliances gleaming, and enough space to feed an army. The scents were even stronger here, particularly Reid's, as if he spent the most time in this room.
"Look who's vertical!" Theo's excited voice preceded him as he bounded into the kitchen, all chaotic energy and bright eyes. "The Queen lives!"
His scent slammed into me, bright and wild, green tea, electricity, anticipation. I flinched, almost taking a step back.
"Easy, Theo," Reid warned, noticing my reaction. "She's still adjusting."
"Right, sorry." Theo dialed his energy back about two notches, the most restraint I'd ever seen from him.
“Just glad you’re not, y’know, dead. That would’ve been a bitch to explain to our followers.”
Despite myself, I laughed. “Nice to know my death would be a scheduling inconvenience.”
"That's not–" he started, then caught my expression. "Oh, you're joking. See, this is why we need you around. Someone has to match my chaos energy."
Malik appeared next, calm and collected as always, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. His scent, sandalwood and sage, was somehow both soothing and stimulating, making my skin prickle pleasantly.
"Perfect timing," he said, his deep voice vibrating through me in a way it never had before. "The soup just finished. Nothing too heavy, just chicken broth with rice and vegetables."
“You cook?” I blurted, more shocked than I should have been.
"Don't sound so shocked. Some of us have skills beyond trash-talking twelve-year-olds in game chat."
"Speaking of which," Theo interjected, "you should see what your fans have been saying. The support is insane."
"Later," Reid cut in, shooting Theo a warning look. "Let's not overwhelm her with internet drama right now. She just got out of bed."
I bristled at being discussed like I wasn't standing right there. "I can handle it. It's my career on the line, remember?"
"And it will still be there after you eat something," Malik said firmly, placing a steaming bowl in front of me. "Doctor's orders."
The aroma hit me. It was simple, nourishing, and unexpectedly appealing. My stomach growled again, louder this time, and I surrendered to the inevitable, sliding onto a barstool.
The first spoonful nearly made me moan. After days of nothing but IV fluids and occasional water, real food tasted like heaven.
"Good?" Malik asked, watching me eat like it was a personal victory.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak without revealing how pathetically grateful I felt for something as simple as soup.
Footsteps announced another arrival. Jace drifted into the kitchen next, silent, hands shoved into the pockets of a black hoodie, eyes behind smudged glasses tracking every movement. His scent was like a summer storm you watched from the safety of your window: ink, rain, cool and distant.
"Your equipment's set up," he said, his voice low. "Whenever you're ready."
"You set up my streaming rig?" I asked between spoonfuls.
"Ash did most of it. I just handled the cable management."
As if summoned by his name, Ash appeared in the doorway, tall and imposing, his grey eyes taking me in with one sweeping glance. He was taller than the others, shoulders filling the whole frame. Everything about him screamed ‘don’t even try,’ from the way he watched me down to the way he kept just a little further back than the rest. He kept his distance, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"It's functional," he said, his deep voice rumbling through the room. "Not optimal yet. Need to adjust for the room acoustics."
His scent, charcoal and vanilla, hit me last, and perhaps hardest. There was something raw and elemental about it that made my inner Omega sit up and take notice in a way that was deeply annoying.
