𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅

chapter seventy-eight

Emriana

I was just finishing cooking the omelets when the three barged back inside. They were covered in sweat, their body glistening, and their hair soaked.

Zeke walked over to where I was, and I took a step back, and he raised a brow.

"What?" He said, eyebrows furrowed.

"You're covered in sweat, Zeke. That's disgusting," he laughed before grabbing my arm and pulling me flush against me.

"Eww, no!" I whined as he wiped his biceps over my face, and I gagged. He was laughing at my clear misery, and I pushed him away.

"What did you cook?" Drakkar asked, coming to stand behind me. The small kitchen suddenly felt even smaller as they occupied the space.

"Omelettes," I said, lifting my pan from the fire stove and placing each omelet on a different plate. I had cleared the small kitchen table and brought an extra chair from my bedroom desk.

Zander was already sitting down, almost swallowing the small chair. I placed the plate in front of him, then did the same for Drakkar and Zeke before lowering myself between Zander and Drakkar, sending Zeke a glare for earlier.

They dug into the food, and Zander hummed.

"This shit's good," he said, and I smiled.

"Thank you," I said before making eye contact with Zeke and Zander. "Thank you to all of you, really. I don't how long it would've taken me to do all that you did today."

They nodded, but Drakkar frowned slightly.

"I don't like that you have to do all of this alone. Little one, it's a lot, even for us. You shouldn't be doing this by yourself," he said, and I sighed.

"I know, but what can I do? I live alone. I don't really have any neighbors," I chuckled, and Zeke smiled.

"I just can't understand how you did all of this alone. There's so much to be done," Zeke added, and I nodded.

"I can't say it was easy. It was definitely a lot. Especially when my grandma got sick because I had to take care of everything along with taking care of her," I said, and Zander's hand gripped the inside of my thigh as he kept eating.

"What else do you have to do?" Zander asked, and I paused for a moment, trying to picture everything mentally.

"I have to finish the fence. I have to repair the roof, there was a leak I noticed. I also have to cut some of the vines on the roof. They're aggressive plants and could damage the house's integrity. I also have to do the laundry, clean the garden, and plant some new seeds. I also have to clean the interior of the house. It's really dusty," I enumerated, and Zander frowned.

The backdoor slammed open, and the three jumped to their feet, and I laughed as Akira walked into the living room, dripping wet. I stood up from the table with a frown.

"Aki, what did I say about being wet? Dry yourself before coming in," I scolded him, and he let out an aggressive growl. I rolled my eyes.

"Is that supposed to impress me? Get out before you ruin the floors," I shooed him out the door and waited for him to shake the water off his fur. I hurried him back inside, Drakkar, Zeke, and Zander watching the interaction with amusement.

"What?" I said as I walked back to them, sitting down and resuming to my food.

"Nothing, princess," Zeke chuckled, already done with his food.

"How long are you planning on staying here?" Zander asked, and I felt their attention shift on me.

"I don't know exactly. Until everything is good and running, I guess," I said, and they nodded.