Page 25 of Seer

“Your eyes,” she murmurs, her tone caught somewhere in between fascination and distraction as she gazes boldly into my eyes. “They are beautiful.”

My heart skips unexpectedly. “Thank you?” I mutter, unsure how to react to the compliment of a woman whose presence I still haven’t fully comprehended. I sit up in bed, slowly looking around to confirm if I am indeed in my room or in a dream, co-starring with a gorgeous woman conjured up by my imagination. “Who are you?”

“Victoria Cromwell,” she replies with a pleasant smile. “Everyone calls me Tory.”

Victoria… The name suits her.

She looked like an esteemed lady of class from the early nineties with her conservative clothing and smooth caramel skin. She’d packed her frizzy red hair into a tight bun, but the few unruly strands that’d escaped the bond fell down her face in teasing tendrils. I could look at her face for hours, and somehow I felt like I’d never get bored.

Still, nothing makes sense.

“How long have I been asleep?” I ask quietly, and Tory’s lips curve up into a soft smile that illuminates her deep brown eyes. My heart does that funny skip once more, and I can barely prevent myself from wincing.

Why am I reacting this way to a total stranger?

“You’ve been asleep for too long, Seer. It’s about time you opened your eyes.”

The soothing timbre of her voice teases my subconscious, causing a nagging sensation that keeps poking at my mind.Why does everything about this woman seem strangely familiar when she’s a total stranger?I’m about to demand a simple explanation when the door is pushed open.

Hex walks into the room, holding a large tray and looking ridiculous in one of Abby’s fancy aprons. “I thought I’d bring you some of….”

Hex suddenly freezes up with a sharp gasp. “What?” he breathes unbelievably, gaping at me like he’s just seen a ghost. “Seer, Brother! You’re awake!”

One would think that was news. But I wondered why Hex appeared so excited about the fact that I’d woken up from sleep. Last I remember, he was mad at me about the incident at Rugal’s hideout. Just as I was about to ask again why everyone was being weird, Hex ran out of the room laughing and screaming indecipherable words at the top of his lungs. I had about one second to process and threw a confused glance at Tory before the door suddenly burst open and the room fills with every damn member of the clubhouse. They all rushed at me at once, barely giving me any time to react. Before I knew what was happening, they buried me in the embrace of twenty-something sweaty men, even more confused than ever and at the risk of being accidentally choked to death.

CHAPTERELEVEN

“Pocus!” Abigail screams and springs down the stairs at a break-neck pace.

I break into a run to meet my wife halfway. I wrap my arms around her waist, burying my face in the crook of her neck.

Home sweet home.

It feels like I’ve been away from home for an eternity, but it’s only been a week. The only thing that kept me from losing my mind in England was the thought of this moment, the feel of her in my arms, our baby bump between us, and her sweet flowery scent.Damn, I fucking missed it all.

It takes me a while to realize that Abby is weeping into my chest. I move back a little, my arms looped loosely around her waist. “What’s wrong, mon amour?”

Abby sniffs loudly. “It’s… I missed you so much and….”

I lean forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead. And then her eyelid. The tip of her nose. And finally, I seize her lips in a sizzling kiss that threatens to break my self-control. I pull away before I give in to the animalistic urge to ravage her right there and then.

“I’m so sorry, mon Coeur,” I murmur against her lips. “I should have been back earlier, but we had to deal with some unforeseen circumstances.”

Abigail nods, smiling brightly through her tears. “I’m just so glad you’re back. And at the perfect time, too.”

I frown slightly down at her. “What do you mean?”

Abby’s smile grows wider. She takes my hands, moves forward, and stands on tiptoes to whisper in my ear. “Seer is awake.”

“What?”

* * *

Iturn away from the window just as the door to my room opens. Seeing Pocus walk into my room invokes a rush of emotions — relief, reassurance, and a tinge of melancholy. The past twenty-four hours have been overwhelming. I’ve had to process the fact that I was in a crash, and I’ve been in a sorcery-induced coma for over two weeks. Seeing Pocus now gives me a sense of stability, and he’s a much-needed reminder that we’ve been through worse and survived together.

“Brother,” Pocus whispers hoarsely, his voice choked with powerful emotions that convey everything he can’t seem to put into words. He rushes over and wraps his arms around my shoulders in a hard embrace. “You fucking scared me.”

I pull back with a teasing smile. “I’m so sorry, mon ami. You must have been worried about what to say at my funeral.”

---