King Cave (22 page)

Thank God for the fucking water.

A tiny squeak made its way past my lips as I cringed and quickly back-pedaled, only to slam against Pearl who was squinting into the room, trying to see past the steam to who was inside.

Ezra muttered, “Oh, damn.” He also started quickly retreating, but my biological dad’s head snapped around to us. Pearl gasped, apparently seeing who it was, while Jack snickered quietly, but he quickly cleared his throat when Ezra elbowed him in the stomach. My hand was over my mouth, embarrassment flooding my system, but I was also grossed the hell out, the alcohol not sitting so well anymore in my stomach.

My biological dad leaned, covering the woman’s upper
attributes
, shouting, “Out!”

I squeaked again, turning and shoving everyone — yes, with some Shifter strength — the hell out of the room. I kept pushing them clear down the hallway to the farthest room with a hot tub. It was blessedly empty. Pointing a slightly shaking finger at their carefully blank faces, I muttered, “Not a goddamn word about that,” my shoulders hunched, “
scene
. Understand?” Kids weren’t supposed to see that shit.

Dutifully, they nodded.

Turning my back to them, I started stripping down, and immediately felt heat at my back. Ezra’s palms landed on my hips, his grip tight. My hands stalled behind my back at my bra’s clasp, trapped between our bodies.

Quietly, he asked against my ear, “What happened to being modest?”

I shrugged. “It’s just you three. You’ve all seen me naked before.”

A pause, then he grunted, releasing my hips. But he didn’t exactly move away, feeling him undress behind me. I withheld the snicker as he blocked me from their view, even though they were both turned away, giving each of us a semblance of privacy. I was most definitely still modest, but Vampires were even more so.

Moving to slip into the water, I kept my head down, not glancing in Jack’s and Pearl’s direction. Not that I really could with the huge Vampire directly next to me the whole way. I sighed as the heated water glided over my bare skin.

And was instantly dunked.

Ezra’s lips were on mine as he took us under the water, his tongue thrusting inside my mouth. He pulled me flush against him, his arm tight around my waist with his other hand on the back of my head. Surprised or not, I held my breath, giving him as good as he gave by grabbing his hair and rubbing my tongue against his. Even under the water I heard his predator growl, the noise muffled as his chest vibrated against mine. I was wrapped around him tight, legs around his waist, when my lungs started to seize for air.

Nipping his lip, I tapped his shoulder. He quickly brought our heads above the water, mouths separated. Gulping air, I wiped the water from my eyes, seeing Jack and Pearl already in, water up to their shoulders.

Jack grumbled, “Seriously? After everything we just walked in on?”

Ezra grinned, showing a little fang. “You can’t see shit under the water.”

Pearl flicked her finger at us. “Not with us in here.” She shuddered.

“Thank God the water was dark,” I murmured, hardly hearing her as a quick visual of my biological dad…
ugh
…nope, not going there. Ezra gently pulled me to the side, placing me directly next to him on the rock bench and pulling my legs over his thigh, one of his arms around my waist. “Next time, we need to tell
him
to keep it behind closed doors.”

His fingers trailed up and down my leg. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it?”

I held my hands up out of the water in a stopping gesture. “You’re right. Never mind.”

Jack said lazily, “If I see this water rippling more than it should be right now, I’ll freeze your half.” His lips lifted in the barest smile as his head fell back in relaxation.

Ezra and I both chuckled, even as I grabbed his hand, which was beginning to wander up to my breast. I tugged it back down to my leg, hearing him sigh softly, his head also falling back, but more in defeat. I agreed with Pearl and Jack. No funny business while they were in here.

Pearl went under and resurfaced to brush hair out of her face, saying abruptly, “I miss him.”

Instantly, I whispered, “I know.”

“How do you two do it?” Jack asked, his eyes blinking open to stare at the ceiling. “How did you get past it?”

Ezra cleared his throat, speaking slowly. “It’s not that you get past it…” He sighed. “I’m not really the best person to ask this, because I went crazy for a little while when Felicia died, but for me…time and the friendship of you three have helped immensely. The pain isn’t so agonizing anymore. I loved Felicia, but she’s not coming back. I choose to live in the now, with hopes of a possible future — when I’m ready — rather than in the past.”

Pearl dunked herself again, which I realized was her washing away her silent tears.

“He explained it perfectly,” I murmured quietly, my own head resting against the rock floor, arching my neck over the tub’s edge. “That’s what helped me. Time and friendship.” I shook my head against the floor, stating bluntly, “There’s no easy fix to the pain of losing a mate.”

“Sometimes I wonder why we even have them,” Pearl whispered, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat. “I mean, why do that to someone when it hurts so badly when they’re gone?”

“The magic,” Jack murmured, grabbing Pearl’s hand as she brushed her hair back, both their entwined hands falling under the water. “We live so long, it’s supposed to be a gift to us, finding the one perfect person to live our life with.”

“I’ve never heard it put that way before.” Ezra tilted his head, eyeing Jack. “It makes sense, though.”

I blinked up at the ceiling. “I see the world through a crack.”

Pearl asked slowly, “Meaning?”

“I mean, I see the possibilities of a future after losing a mate. A truly happy one with another partner. Full of love and kindness and normal fights. At first, after Dominic died, I didn’t see that. All I saw was gray, a life I
had
to walk through. But now, through the crack, I see a world full of colors, a life I would
love
to walk through, not one I
have
to.”

“What’s stopping you?” Jack’s eyes were avid on me.

Ezra grunted. “The rest of the wall.”

I nodded, my head bumping his shoulder. “Exactly.”

Ezra stared at Jack and Pearl. “Once you get to where she’s talking about, which is exactly where I am too, you’ll see that fucking crack is so damn tiny compared to the rest of the damn wall.”

Pearl’s head cocked. “The wall is fear?”

Ezra nodded, but said, “Yes, but that’s not what you feel at first.”

“Disbelief,” I stated, not agreeing with Ezra completely on this one because I felt no fear.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Then shock.”

I nodded this time. “Then a sort of void.”

He murmured, “A big dose of wariness comes next.”

Ezra glanced at me when I stayed mute.

I shook my head. “I don’t know what comes after that.” Wariness was where I was currently at, the feeling fairly new to my system.

Ezra blinked, staring. “Ah.” He turned his attention to Jack and Pearl. “Hope and fear come next, hard enough to cripple you.” We stared at him, waiting for more. He had been longer without his mate than any of us. Farther along in the grieving process. He shrugged lightly, stating, “I don’t know what comes afterward. I haven’t gotten there yet.”

Pearl’s eyebrows puckered. “If you don’t know, then how do you know for a fact you can cross over to this mysterious colorful life?”

I gauged Pearl and Jack, remembering how I had felt in their shoes, and answered for Ezra. “Because it’s not just a possibility, it’s reality.” When they only stared, I continued explaining the best way I knew how. “The Coms don’t have mates, and although their marriages end in divorce too many times to count, plenty don’t. Instead, their marriages are long and full of love and children, and yes, full of normal everyday problems. It’s not perfect, but life isn’t.” I shrugged. “Really, the two imperfections — their normal marriages and life — only make them stronger.”

Still, Pearl and Jack stared.

Ezra sighed, tilting his head to murmur against my wet hair, “The Com reference only confused them, since they have never lived among the Commoners, even if it was fairly apt.” He pressed a kiss to my head, and then turned his attention to Jack and Pearl. “Do you think all of those families we passed by to get back here — including those with children – are mated pairs?”

The eyebrows of each came together.

“They’re not,” Ezra clarified gently. “And they are still happily married and were living wonderful, full lives before the attacks.”

“Huh.” Jack’s head tilted, his eyes staring off at nothing. “But, there’s a wall.”

It wasn’t a question, but Ezra and I nodded.

“I can’t see it yet.” Pearl’s head dropped back, staring at the ceiling.

“Me, either.” Jack cleared his throat. “They said time and friendship first.”

Again, Ezra and I nodded.

“And beer,” Jack stated, his head dropping back. “Lots of beer.”

“That too,” Ezra rumbled. “And once you’re ready…sex.” Smiling slowly, his hand cupped one of my breasts under the water, holding firmly even when I grabbed his wrist. “Lots of hot sex.”

“Ezra,” I whispered in reprimand, my body jolting when he pinched my nipple.

His grin only increased. “Hold your breath, sweetheart.”

“No, Ezra.” My eyes narrowed, placing stopping hands on his shoulders. Still didn’t help. I barely got in enough breath before he took me under the water, his mouth and hands in places they most definitely shouldn’t be with Pearl and Jack in the tub with us.

My God, did it feel wonderful.

While Ezra’s and my sexual experience only ramped up during the next two weeks — both of us thoroughly enjoying each other so much we didn’t even spare a glance for another partner — still going strong for a total of three weeks straight, today Jack and Pearl finally seemed caged in, noticing their surroundings more, so Ezra and I decided they could both use some time sparring to exert their pent-up energy.

Strolling down to the lower levels, we merely had to follow the sounds of fighting to know the fighting/training arena was going to be packed. Moving quietly through the large, wooden gold doors, we studied the massive expanse for free space. How we hadn’t originally known it was here was a bit ridiculous, as if we’d had blinders on. The multi-leveled black floor was covered in enormous blue mats where different Mys factions practiced. To the left and right there were metal bleachers extending up to the point where the black ceiling began to curve. Golden sparks lit the entire place, floating far above in midair.

“Whoa,” Jack murmured, taking another step into the room. “This is amazing.”

Yeah, it was, especially the Elemental section where they commonly used their element during their sparring.

Pearl appeared nervous. “I’m not sure about this.” She was staring with wide eyes.

Jack glanced her way, nodding at an area where Mysticals of different factions were boxing. “Want to practice with me first? Work the kinks out?”

She nodded instantly, beginning to stretch her arms. “Yeah, I’m afraid I’m bloody rusty after a month of doing nothing.”

Jack jerked his head to the mats, actually gracing us with one of his, as of late, rare smiles. “Let’s do it then.”

Ezra and I watched them wander over to the intermingled Mystical mat, Pearl looking very timid and Jack acting almost as a protector the way he angled his body between her and the others. Ezra chuckled quietly, murmuring, “This could be good for both of them.” When I nodded in agreement, he asked, “Still not feeling well?”

I rubbed at the small of my back, groaning. “Yeah, I have…” I cleared my throat. “Well, it’s a girl issue.”

A slow grin began etching his features, his stance almost as if he were going to pounce.

I knew what he was thinking. Vampires didn’t have to wait while their women were on their period. In fact, they enjoyed it when they were. Rolling my eyes, I waved my hand toward the Vampire area. “Go beat someone up.”

His chuckle rumbled, sounding intimate and full of possibilities. “If I have to.”

“You do,” I whispered, seeing King Kincaid talking with Elder Merrick and waving me down. “The King’s beckoning me.”

“I’ll take kicking someone’s ass over that any day.” Ezra smiled, walking behind me, his fingers trailing softly against my skin between my sports bra and my shorts. “Plus, I’m sure Elder Merrick wants another crack at you.” He raised an eyebrow before strolling away in his black mesh pants, his bare upper half showing all his beautiful muscles under the golden lighting.

Quickly, I jerked my head away, not wanting to be caught ogling, and began making my way to King Kincaid and Elder Merrick. Ezra was probably right. Elder Merrick had been instructing me every other day while hitting on me. Figuratively and nonfiguratively. He had figured out I had the knack for swords and guns, so he had sidestepped those and focused mainly on hand-to-hand combat — my weakness — and the crossbow, which I was only decent with. All the while making subtle innuendos at the end of our sessions, mainly every day that Ezra would come to meet me, our sparring and babysitting ending right around the same time.