Nikolai agreed, because he drew them out of her mind. Fortunately, the barrier recognized them this time, and let them out.
Ed fell back into his own body and drifted off into the first real sleep he'd had in months.
Chapter 30
Sofia
I blinked sand out of my eyes and tried to get them to focus. A heavy weight across my chest restricted my breathing, and I forced my eyes into focus. Ed's arm wrapped tight around me, pressing my back into his chest.
Nikolai lay against my other side. Was this the first time I had woken up with him?
I twined one of my legs around Ed's and took the hand I wasn't laying on and ran it across the mage's back.
Ed's arm tightened around me possessively. "Sofia?"
"In the flesh," I said. "Finally."
He buried his face in my neck. My ribs creaked as he tightened his arm around me. I didn't complain.
Nikolai sucked in a breath and rolled over, crushing me in a hug. I hadn't noticed Allan on the other side of him, but he blinked his eyes open and wrapped his arm around me, squishing Nikolai between us.
"It worked," I finally managed to get out.
"Yeah, you definitely almost died," Star grumbled from somewhere else in the room.
"But I didn't."
The guys reluctantly let me extract myself from their embrace and I sat up, looking for Doc.
Doc sat in a chair he had leaned back on two legs against the door. His lips curled into a tired smile when I met his gaze.
After I checked in with him, I glanced over at Star. She sat in the other bed, arms crossed and an angry scowl on her face. She alternated glaring at Doc, a hint of fear in her eyes, and glaring at me.
Whatever was bothering her, and I could think of a number of things that might be, we would figure it out. I was just so happy to be back in control that I couldn't help the large smile that split my face.
"Demons," she grumbled. "Werewolves, vampires, mages…you just went and found yourself one of everything, didn't you?"
"I, uh…" I glanced back to Doc.
He nodded, so I figured he'd done something that let her know what he was.
"Yeah, I guess."
Star shook her head. "I can't decide if I'm more pissed that you didn't tell me, or that you almost got killed."
"I didn't want to talk to you about it over the phone." I flopped back onto the bed, and the guys curled around me again, Ed pressing into my back and Nikolai pulling me against his chest. Our legs tangled, and Allan reached back around Nikolai and held me, as well. "What time is it, anyway? Or maybe I should ask what day?"
"It's Thanksgiving," Star answered. "And it's still pretty early in the morning. Your parents are probably freaking out. Maybe we could get back and reassure them that you aren't kidnapped and dead?"
I groaned. Dealing with my parents wasn't high on my priority list. I had been in control of my body when Nikolai had shown up with Star and my werewolves, but my memories of the last few days were pretty sketchy. I seemed to recall someone calling him a communist and him throwing George on the ground.
"Do you want to text them?"
"Why don't you text them?"
"I think my phone is back at the house."
"What do you want me to tell them? And you'll have to tell your boyfriends to give me my phone back." She did not sound happy.
Allan sat up and returned her phone. He didn't apologize, and I didn't expect him to. There was enough to worry about without Star making awkward phone calls.
She started texting. "So, you're all right now?"
"Yes." I tried to get up, but Nikolai and Ed refused to let me move, holding me sandwiched between them.
"They want to know when we'll be back."
"Guys?"
"We can head back any time you want," Doc answered. "As long as Nikolai is recovered enough to cast some magic."
"Yes. I should be fine."
"Couple of hours then," Doc answered.
"Great," Star muttered.
"Can that couple of hours include getting some food?" Ed's stomach growled.
I laughed.
"Yes, please," Allan whined plaintively.
"There will be plenty to eat at dinner," Star replied.
"We'll have plenty of room for more," Allan explained. "We eat a lot."
"Why don't we go out and see if we can find anything open. Sofia and Star probably need a minute to catch up." Doc stood and shoved the chair back against the wall.
The guys let go of me this time when I tried to get up, and I scrambled off the bed. Doc caught me in a hug before I could move more than a few steps toward him. I breathed in his clean leather scent and held him tight. After a minute, he released me and herded the others out of the room.
Their absence left me hollow, and I had to reach for the pack bond to avoid running after them. I did not want to be alone, and while I loved Star as a sister, she was not one of my guys. Maybe I should have asked one of them to stay.
"So…" Star prompted.
"What don't you know?"
"Why don't you start with how you're dating a vampire and he hasn't killed you. And then you can start at the beginning and fill me in." She turned to face me.
I sank down onto the edge of the other bed and sighed. "He's like, half vampire."
"Still drinks blood."
"Well, yeah."
"And vampires don't like humans as a general rule, except to eat them. Or so everyone's been told."
"Uh, well, Doc isn't really like that. He doesn't exactly want people to know what he is, if he can avoid it. Nikolai has known quite a few from his time that weren't anything like what people tell us vampires are now."
"No shit? I think you might have some competition from your Russian, though. He seems very fond of your fangy boyfriend."
I couldn't read Star's expression, so I shrugged. "Yeah, him
