Profound Devotion

Chapter 6

July 18th
Monaia

Atticus agreed to allow both Lycan brothers access to his home, though it took us a while to calm the pack down and get them to return home for the time being. Now, as I helped replace the ruined sheets on Raian's temporary bed and rewrapped his wound with a fresh bandage, I could feel Cassius watch my every move with his calculating stare from the far corner of the bedroom.

He managed to squeeze into some of Atticus' clothes, though his height made it difficult to find anything that would fit. My brother was tall, but this man's size swallowed him within his shadow.

"Thank you, Naia." Raian slipped the clean shirt I held out for him over his head with a pain-filled grunt.

"It's really not a problem." I fiddled with my spare supplies. What else was I supposed to say?

I allowed him to use my shoulder for support to climb under the new blanket on the mattress, only pulling away once he was settled and tucked in enough for him to be comfortable.

"I can show you to your room now." I swallowed, habitually chewing on my bottom lip as I, once again, found myself under the elder brother's scrutinizing stare. My mouth melted into an exasperated frown as he almost immediately shook his head and crossed his massive arms over his chest.

"No. I will stay here."

Every word that fell from his pressed lips sounded like a dagger, and I knew it was no use trying to argue.

"Alright." I mumbled, biting my tongue as I reminded myself he had just gone through a lot and he couldn't be a complete ass. I spun on my heel and tugged the thick wood door open on its hinges, pausing to call out one last time as my feet crossed the threshold to the hallway. "I will come for you at eight to take you both to breakfast."

The door clicked near silently behind my back before they could respond, and I willed my ever-draining body to carry me to my own room just to collapse onto my plush mattress and pile of feather pillows.

Having the extra presence of Lycans under my brother's roof felt strange. I struggled to sleep as the taunting thought of what they could potentially do to us all whirred in my mind, making it near impossible to drift off. I buried myself deeper within my weighted grey comforter as the sound of the brothers stirring just below me sent a chilled shiver down my spine.

Eventually, after hours of tossing and turning, the bright sunlight that snuck through the robin-egg blue curtains over my windows interrupted my struggle. I rolled over to saunter out of bed, groaning as my strained muscles protested every movement. My heart continued to radically flip in my chest from the haunting of my looming nightmares, and I did my best to push them to the furthest depths of my mind for another time.

The clicking clock on my end table read just after seven in the morning, and I was relieved I would have time to wash away my exhaustion in the nearby shower before I was required to collect Raian and Cassius for breakfast.

I darted across the hallway to the shared bathroom and stripped down to nothing, allowing the steaming shower to wash over me and relax my otherwise tense muscles. My lips parted for a satisfied sigh, my fingers dancing across my scalp to relieve my tangled hair from any dirt and grime that came with living near the woods.

The large, fluffy grey towel that was hanging over the metal towel bar was large enough to cover most of my body, leaving only my shoulders and the bottom few inches of my legs bare. I reached for another within the sink cabinet, ruffling my damp hair dry and tying it up at the top of my head.

The halls were still empty as I snuck back across to my room. I pulled out a simple pair of black running shorts and a loose shirt that I tucked into the waistband. I ran a brush through my unruly hair, allowing it to fan over my shoulders and dry naturally, my feet stepping into my black sneakers while I checked the clock once again for the time.