I flinched at the sound of the heavy door clicking shut. It had sounded like a gunshot in the tense silence that clung to the air.
Turning around, I slowly breathed out through my nose, trying to calm my heart. My fists tightened in the fabric of my dress, pulling it down. I had zoned out listening to the rhythmic sounds of their footsteps while walking down the hall with my eye lowered to the ground. Coupled with the warmth their bonds tried to send my way, I hadn't noticed that the two had fallen back just behind me, together in step. Not until the sound of the door had snapped me free of the light manipulation.
Looking around the familiar living quaternary that was supposed to become home, I was surprised that I remembered the way without guidance. It came easy once we reached familiar hallways. I recognized the views I could see out the windows.
The two broke their eyes contact, the clash of gold and silver holding a heated yet silent conversation, to land on me. I took a step back under the combined weight of their attention.
Zev gave Ares another pointed look before pointing his icy gaze towards me. It had a shiver of unease pulling my shoulders together, breaking through the comfort the numbness had created in response to the incubus's invading bond. Zev's was preexisting in my blood, there was nothing I could do to stop the cooling sensation that washed over me as he opened his bond up further, my half craving the attention he hadn't given it since it was formed.
More manipulation.
I couldn't help but take another step back, swallowing thickly as the white-haired Fae drew near.
He may have had a past that was as dark and heavy as mine, but that didn't mean I could trust him. Not when everything else was so different. If anyone could understand why I was incapable of doing so, it would be him.
But that wouldn't matter if he didn't care. He was Zev's brother, it wouldn't be shocking if he also shared the trait of having no regard for what I wanted. The only difference was, that his brother had proven he would go against my wishes for my wellbeing, I had no reason to believe the icy man before me would do anything for my benefit unless it also served him a purpose.
Saving me on a few occasions didn't erase the rest of my memory.
He stopped only a few inches away from me. I had to bend my head back to keep my eyes on his, the island behind me giving no room to take another step to ease the discomfort in my neck.
The sound of Ares tapping his knuckles on the hard surface of the counter had me jumping forward, erasing the small distance Zev had been kind enough to leave between us.
Pain bloomed at my side as the edge of the counter dug into my side when I tried to rectify my mistake and jumped away from the stony man before me. When I reached for the bruised area with a hiss, the pain chasing away more of the numbness dulling my senses, it earned an unamused rise of a brow from Zev.
I watched Ares out of the corner of my eyes as he placed his palms on the island behind on behind us. His fingers grew taunt as he eased his weight onto his hands while watching the two of us with narrowed eyes, a vein throbbing at his temple. It was a bit disappointing when that was all he did, not interfering as my discomfort at his brother's nearness grew.
I tried to cover my disappointment as I returned my attention to Zev when he took a step back.
The space gave me room to breathe and think.
I was overreacting. Zev was right, I couldn't let one moment ruin everything. I couldn't let something like this let me fall apart, I was past that. I had survived through worse without reacting, what Axel did was nothing.
