Page 19 (2/2)

“You have helped” He lets h he runs his hands down h ht”

“So have you” A deflection, and not even a good one at that

He frowns harder “Mina”

Wolf and Rylan stalk back through the door They’re h to convince h I step away from Malachi and sink onto the couch There’s not so much as a blood stain on the floor Waste not, want not I sn a hysterical feeling giggle Shock It’s just shock

“Don’t feel guilty, love” Wolf drops down next to me and throws his arm across the couch at my back “Humans live so few years We cut their lives a bit short, but they were always going to be short”

“I don’t feel guilty” Not for their deaths I would wager a small fortune that those three have harmed more people than I care to think about Now they won’t harain That said, I’ht live one of those short et it over with?”

“You won’t” Rylan perches on the coffee table across froainst mine

Malachi takes the spot on my other side For the first tiain My chest voice goes wobbly “I was so worried about you”

“You got us out,” Rylan says, gray eyes direct “Now tell us exactly how and everything that happened in the meantime”

It takes longer than it should My ridiculous urge to cry only gets stronger with each point I relay, but their presence gets h it By the ti quietly under his breath, and Wolf’s eyes are flickering crimson

I clear my throat “Stop it All of you You look like you want to comfort me and I’m not the one who spent the last week starved and tortured” The starved point is blatant, but I know h to know the latter is true as well With three new toys to play with and break, he wouldn’t have been able to resist

“Sound like you’ve been plenty starved,” Malachi rumbles “We fucked up, Mina I’m sorry You never should have been left alone”

Rylan looks away, so over his handsome features “I shouldn’t have left My overconfidence meant you weren’t protected I—”