Page 71 of Reborn in Flames (Reborn 1)
Chapter 22
Maya
He hadn’t even said anything mean.
He really hadn’t.Friendwas a good term, but the thing inside me had hated that. Hated that he hadn’t said ‘mate’ because it felt like it would have forced the women back and made it clear that they weren’t allowed to touch them. God, were they beautiful though. It was so frustrating. I was so tiny compared to them and they were dressed in these snake skin like dresses that I didn’t even like, but they just seemed older.
Was that what the twins liked?
I wasn’t positive I would feel comfortable wearing that.
My eyes blinked with tears as I sat on the bed in my room and Croy appeared looking concerned. Immediately, he was crouched down in front of me and I didn’t hide the tears on my face. I didn’t understand an article I’d read about hiding your emotions. How did you hide them? They existed so you had to show them. Right?
I may have felt silly being upset, but I was still very much that. Upset.
“Sugar.” His accent thick and making me all warm and nervous. “I know you’re upset, I don’t think they meant it…”
“I know,” I whispered cupping his jaw, “I know they didn’t. I’d heard Marco talking to all of you about keeping it away from the council because they could act weird about what I am. I just really didn’t like those girls.”
“That’s because they are bitches,” Croy muttered.
“Croy,” I laughed softly. “I didn’t go that far.”
“Of course you didn’t sugar, because you’re sweet.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing, is it?” I asked curiously, loving the way his eyes lit up.
“No, I think it’s perfect,” Croy flashed a smile. Have you ever met someone and despite not knowing them that well, felt a connection? Not even supernatural completely. I just felt good around Croy. He settled something in me. It was like, now that I had the seven of them, I felt complete.
A knock on the door had both of us looking up as a dangerous sound left his chest. You know, I was starting to think the men I was around were a tad dangerous. It probably didn’t make a lot of sense to be comfortable around Croy, but he was mine. He was my wolf.
“Just call me if you need anything,” Croy mumbled, kissing my forehead and leaving me with the twins.
“Firefly,” Ledger whispered.
“Hey,” I mumbled softly.
I wish I’d felt as confident as I had with Becky Ash. But there was a difference. Henry had told me he didn’t feel anything towards her. The twins hadn’t.
“Peanut.” Anani crouched down so they were eye level with my position at the end of the bed.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, “I shouldn’t have run away like that.”
“No, Maya,” Anani moved to the bed so I was now between the twins in the center of the cushioned pillow. “That was on us, we could have found a different way to handle it.”
“Or just told them the truth,” Ledger grunted. “Marco be damned.”
My lip twitched at that because Marco would totally hate it. I sighed and I spoke the honest truth. “I didn’t want to assume how you felt about all this. Croy, Marco, Atlas, and Sai have made it,” I blushed, “pretty freakin’ clear they like me. I think Henry did as well, but I never really talked to you two about it, so I didn’t know if maybe you did like them.”
Anani got a pained look on his face, “first of all, Maya, of course we fucking like you.”
“Probably more than that,” Ledger muttered, looking stressed, “and we aren’t going to lie to you, firefly, we did date them for like less than a month.”
“About six months ago,” Anani finished, “but they only wanted to be with us because of our band. It was one of the final straws on why we took a step back.”
I swallowed and nodded, “that makes sense.”
“Why do you think we don’t like you like that?” Ledger frowned.
