A Crown Of Smoke And Ash - Sloane Murphy Page 0,33

of how he feeds. I know he fed from me that once, but the thought of him like that with another sends a bolt of white heat through me. I've never really been the jealous type before, but I can practically feel myself turning green.

"You can feed from me," I tell him, trying not to let my jealousy show, and he laughs.

"Do not fear, mon amour, I do not feed from others. I have a store of blood, your Angel graciously let me keep some here. The fight we had about it centuries ago has never left me." He laughs shaking his head. "Even though I never drank from anyone who was not willing, since then, I have never drunk from a human directly other than you."

"Oh." Is all I can think to say, and he laughs again, as does Creek from behind us, still sat on the floor.

"I don't even want to think about how much fun that would have been for you," he says to Kain, and I flip him the finger.

"Screw you." But I laugh with them, because my temper is apparently as legendary as my fighting once was. Maybe I should have Levi unlock my memories just so I can get that back, even if I was warned off becoming that part of myself.

"Now, I will go eat, and you will both stay here and master the art of stillness until I return. Then we shall see what you might have learnt from each other, from that place deep inside yourselves. You've both been mighty warriors before, you just need to tap into that."

"Would be easier if we remembered everything," Creek huffs, but not in a despondent way, just frustrated.

It’s then I make my decision to ask Levi to grant Creek his memories if he really wants them all back.

Chapter Eight

After a day of training, I ease myself down into the bathtub, having found rooms for Creek and Kain along the same hall mine is on. Apparently when Levi and I built this place, we built it with plenty of guests in mind. There’s another room on the hall still empty, for Roman should he want it. Since we seem to be using this place as ground zero, it makes sense.

I hiss as the hot water practically scolds my skin as I sink into it, the sting giving way to a bliss as my muscles slowly start to relax at the heat. I lay my head back and just enjoy the quiet, the relaxation of it all. My mind wanders, and I can't help but think of my family. How my dad is coping with everything, if Mom were still here, I know that she'd smooth out his rough edges, but without her to calm him...

God knows my brothers are likely not much help. Bauer is as hot headed as my dad, and having seen him the other day, I know that his rage has not ebbed. Colt, well, he's another beast entirely. The best of both my parents. The lightheartedness of my mom, with the fierceness of my dad. But his heart has always been so big, and I know that I broke a bit of that.

Despite everything, I hate that I hurt them. Even though their ways and beliefs are wrong, the guys around me, here, prove that every single day, hell, even Creek is coming around. Realizing what I have known all along. There is good here. A faction is not just one thing, just as it is with the Hunters. There is good and bad inside all of us.

I also hope that he and Fallon can get past whatever it is that took them from flirty friends, to barely talking acquaintances, and while I think I know part of it, neither of them will discuss it, and that frustrates the crap out of me.

"Enjoying yourself, Princess?" I startle at the words, water sloshing over the edge of the tub, and look up to find Roman standing in my doorway, looking down at me, lust in his heated stare, roaming the bubbles that cover me.

"How are you so damn quiet?" I ask him, the hulking brute of a man should not be that silent.

"I'm not, you were just lost in your thoughts."

"How was today?" I ask him, and the grimace on his face fills me with dread.

"It can wait. Can I use your shower?" he asks, already shedding his clothes.

"Sure," I say, because he's already halfway to it. He turns on the water,