“You know as well as I do that it’s not just ‘some gossip’.” Max’ voice is softer now. “I can see your fear. I can see how much you fear your parents. I just want to take you somewhere safe. I just want to take you somewhere they can’t get to you.” His quiet words seep into me, the caring he puts behind them and it’s hard to be angry with him when he’s like that, when he acts like he really cares about me. “Let us protect you until everything calms down. It’s the least we can do after putting you in the spotlight like this.”
I want to tell him, no, but the look in his eyes is too pained to keep arguing. “They’ll hurt you too. All of you. They’ll try to ruin you.”
He steps closer, reaching out, putting his fingers under my chin, like he’d done before, the touch sending electricity through my body, heating the spot our skin touches. “We can take care of ourselves. We’ve got the means to protect ourselves, and the means to protect you.” His phone buzzes and he glances at the screen before accepting the call. “Yes? Good. We’ll meet you there.” He’s quiet for a moment, glancing at me. “I’m working on that. You just get everything ready on your end. Later.” He disconnects the call. “Liam and the others have found somewhere for us to stay. You’ll be safe there.”
I want to believe him, but he’s got no idea what my parents are like. They have no idea.
“Pack your meds, your laptop, some clothes and anything else you need, and we’ll go.”
I nod. It’s not like I’ve got a choice at this point. He’ll take me anyway, no matter what I want. From what he did just now, I don’t doubt that anymore.
It’s better if I at least take my meds and such with me, that will hopefully prevent them from jumping me...
Not that my meds are going to last me very long, unless I manage to get more of the suppressants in the next two weeks. If I can’t get them, nothing will matter anyway... My life will be over either way, no matter who’s ‘protecting’ me.
Sighing deeply, I’m about to go to my bedroom to pack some clothes, when Max stops me.
“Where’s your phone?”
I hold it up and he plucks it from my hand. “Hey! I need that.”
He shakes his head. “We’ll get you a new one. If your parents have your number, there’s a good chance they’ve got ways to track it, even if you don’t know about it. We’re not taking that chance.”
“Everything I need is on that phone. I can’t just leave it. I need it. Give it back.” Asshole.
He dares to look at me like I’m the difficult one. “Fine. We’ll drop by a place on our way to meet the others. We’ll get all the data you need from this phone onto a new one, but we’re not taking it with us.”
Fucking asshole. They’re all fucking controlling assholes.
I stomp to my bedroom, grabbing a bag and stuff as many clothes in it as I can find.
I hope he’s got a hard time fighting his instincts while he’s waiting in the living room. Serves him right. Serves him fucking right.
20 Zack
It’s already past midnight and I keep scrolling through the news feed, somehow not able to look away from what they’re saying about Cyra, or about us.
We’re lucky that Cyra’s parents haven’t revealed what type of shifter she is yet, which is probably a good thing. They know as well as we do that once that gets out into the world, they lose all chance of ever getting her back. And that’s definitely working to our advantage right now. I was surprised when I first saw Cyra’s last name, when her Alpha’s last name showed up. They’re a famous fire-aligned family. There are fire dragons in their family, hellhounds and, yes, phoenixes. Though, for them to have an Omega phoenix in the family... I don’t think many people would guess that, because they’ve not had full-blood phoenixes in their family for a long time. So most people will think Cyra is probably a dragon or a hellhound, both rare types, but not as unique as phoenixes are. Still rare enough to make a fuss about, but not rare enough to put us in too much danger from mobs trying to get their hands on her.
We’re at the local airport, waiting for Max and Cyra, who are taking a damn long time to get here...
Spence plucks my phone from my hands and slides it into his pocket. “I think that’s enough of that. That’s not going to help anyone. It’s just making you angrier if you keep reading it.”
“I don’t care.” I get up, balling my fists. “You don’t get a say over what I do. Give it back.”
“Nope.” He shakes his head and walks over to the windows that line one side of the room. We’re in one of the special VIP waiting rooms, all empty apart from the three of us.
“Don’t fight, you two.” Liam’s sitting at a large table, the laptop he grabbed from Max’ home office in front of him, as he keeps typing and scrolling. “Or, do fight, if it means you’ll stop bickering... Just make sure it’s, you know, enough to release that sexual tension you’ve got going on.”
“There is no...” I stalk closer to him, but the bastard just smirks at me.
“No? I was so sure that’s what I saw at the party... A lot of sexual tension between the two of you.”
“Okay. Enough!” Spence comes over, his eyes blazing, his hand on my chest stopping me from punching the smirk from Liam’s face. “If anyone needs to release some tension, it’s you two. Can’t you just wait in silence without riling each other up the
