We jogged the rest of the way, or rather they did, while I had to be piggybacked, Reece doing it this time as Nick had gone into a kind of shock. Maybe he thought we'd lost our minds.
Stonehaven was safe though. Nick and Reece checked, while I used the crutches to hurry around the ground floor, sniffing and listening and checking. Stonehaven was exactly like we'd left it, nothing unusual, kids all asleep, Jeremy and Jamie asleep in his room.
We met downstairs in the newer half and sat there, clutching drinks, all looking like we'd seen ghosts. I wondered if we had. It was lucky Jamie was here. Or was it? I didn't know any more.
"So you've seen it before?"
"I thought it was a spell." I muttered. Drank the cocoa, stared at the table, still cold even with the fire going.
"Maybe it is." But Nick wasn't looking convinced either. "It couldnt be anything else. Did you see the way the clouds..."
"And those fucking owls. I hate owls." Reece shuddered, shut his eyes, then opened them as he stared at me. "You got hurt."
"Huh?" I had forgotten about it, wasn't sure what he was saying, not till his eyes went down. "Oh. I forgot about that." Sort of.
"She did?" Nick shifted closer, sliding the skirt I'd put on up, but he didn't look all that concerned. "It's okay. It happens sometimes. She bleeds so easily.”
"It does? She does?" Reece stared at him like he was mad, like it should never happen. "Maybe you should see a doctor.” In other words, of course, he meant 'talk to Jeremy'. We could never see a doctor. Our blood was too strange.
"Don't spoil it." Nick was just as glad for the change in subject, I realised, just as glad to be back onto a topic he was confidant and happy about. He grinned at me, a weak shaky grin, his own jaw shaking even now. "You had fun. We saw it."
"I might have." I flushed, as Reece's eyes locked onto me, suddenly really embarrassed.
"That's a yes, can we do that again." Nick translated. Nudged me, the grin gaining strength when I didn't argue.
"I don't want to hurt you." Reece wasn't smiling.
Nick rolled his eyes, pulled me into his lap, and bit my neck gently. I shut my eyes as his hand slid up, flushing, no dim candles to hide my expression now. It was bright and Reece was watching every single reaction I had to Nick. Oh fuck. What was Nick doing now? Fingers pressed inside me, Nick's eyes in mine, and I saw in Reece's eyes that desire flare back up. He actually stood up when I heard Jeremy. Coming downstairs. Oh man. What a thing for Jeremey to … see? Or walk in on?
"Jeremy."
"Fucking hell." Reece swore, almost banging his cup down, flopping back. "Don't tease me like that, Nick."
Nick grinned, pulled his fingers out of me, and I stood up.
"I need a shower anyway. I'm a mess."
"We know." Nick agreed. "Go on. We better tell Jeremy what happened."
I didn't want to go alone. I did anyway, I knew I was safe here ,I didn't know how to explain it. Suddenly I wondered how much of that night, when the twins had been taken, just how much of that had been fake.
It made no sense.
The shower helped ease the anxiety and stress though, and eased sore muscles as well, I was amused to see just how much 'damage' they'd done during our four legged romp. I started to wonder if we were under some spell. Maybe the place was being robbed again. Maybe they hadn't wanted to tangle with us, so they scared us away, and I knew that 'visions' could be shared. That had worked on the ex-alpha and myself far too well. Right? No way. We must have been seeing things that weren't there.
