Chapter 38
1502 Words
Gwen
Cash walked me back to my room with his fingers laced in mine. He was quiet, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was understanding. When we reached my door, he kissed the back of my hand and gave me a half smile.
“Goodnight, Gwen.”
“Goodnight, Cash.”
The door clicked shut behind me, and I leaned against it for a moment, replaying everything we’d just said. I had been so afraid of hurting them—of not being enough. But Cash had opened up, and I’d felt something shift between us. Something honest.
Still, one thought kept circling in my head like a restless wind: What about Cole?
Without overthinking it, I turned around, slipped back into the hallway, and padded barefoot down the corridor to Cole’s room. I hesitated for a heartbeat, then knocked.
A few seconds later, the door opened. Cole stood there in sweatpants and a fitted black T-shirt, his hazel eyes warm but surprised.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey.” He stepped aside. “Everything okay?”
“Can we talk?”
He nodded and let me in. His room was neat and calm, like him—books stacked on the nightstand, a soft golden light glowing from a reading lamp. He climbed back into bed, a book still in his hand, and I perched at the edge of the mattress.
“I wanted to ask you something,” I said softly.
“Shoot.”
“Do you… do you ever feel like I like Cain more than you?”
He blinked, caught off guard. Then he set the book down and sat up straighter, thinking. “Yeah,” he admitted after a moment. “Sometimes I do.”
That stung. I hadn’t expected him to say it so plainly.
“But,” he added, “I get it. You’ve known Cain longer. He’s the one who found you, brought you here, helped you through some of the worst of it. If the roles were reversed, I’d probably lean more on him too.”
I swallowed, guilt twisting in my stomach. “I never meant to make you feel less important.”
“You didn’t,” he said gently. “Not really. It’s just… hard not to notice the way you look at him. But that doesn’t mean I doubt the bond we have. I know it’s real. I can feel it every time you’re near me.”
I reached for his hand. “I want you to know I’m trying. I want to be close to you, Cole.”
He gave a small smile and squeezed my fingers. “I know.”
My eyes drifted to the book he’d set down. “What were you reading?”
He glanced at the cover. “The Fellowship of the Ring. I like the cadence of it. The way it feels almost like a myth that could be real.”
“I’ve never read it,” I confessed.
“You want me to read it to you?”
I hesitated. Then I nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
He shifted back, pulling the blanket over his lap, and patted the space beside him. I crawled up next to him, laying my head on his shoulder as he opened the book and began to read. His voice was soothing—low, melodic, steady like a drumbeat under the words.
I didn’t remember falling asleep.
Cole
Gwen was asleep.
Really asleep—the kind of sleep that melted tension from her face and quieted the constant weight she always carried in her shoulders. Her breathing was slow and steady, lips slightly parted, lashes brushing her cheeks. Curled against me like she belonged there.
She did belong there.
I kept reading long after I realized she was out cold, not because I thought she might wake, but because I didn’t want to break the moment. The sound of my voice had helped lull her into rest. That had to mean something.
She looked exhausted. Like she hadn’t gotten any real sleep in days—maybe longer. Dark shadows clung to the skin beneath her eyes, and even in sleep, her hand had curled near my side, like she was still afraid of being left alone.
I traced a slow circle on her shoulder with my thumb and exhaled quietly. She needed more than stolen moments. More than separate bedrooms. Maybe if we were physically closer—shared a suite, or at least a space where the bond could stay warm and humming—she’d finally rest.
I’d talk to Cain and Cash. We’d figure something out. She needed us.
Carefully, I slid out from beneath her, keeping one arm around her back so she didn’t stir. She mumbled something soft, unintelligible, and buried her face into my shirt before going still again. I smiled.
“You’re not making this easy, sweetheart,” I whispered.
I scooped her up into my arms, blanket and all, and made my way quietly toward her room. Her head fell against my chest, and she gave a tiny sigh. The sound settled something in me I hadn’t realized was knotted tight.
Halfway to her door, I turned a corner and nearly ran straight into Cain.
His eyes immediately narrowed. “What the hell?”
“She fell asleep,” I said, adjusting Gwen in my arms. “I didn’t want to wake her.”
His gaze dropped to Gwen, and his jaw flexed. “She was in your room?”
“Yeah,” I said shortly. “She came to talk. We didn’t do anything, Cain. She just needed someone—and you’re going to have to get used to that.”
Cain’s brow furrowed.
“You’re not the only one she's mated to,” I added, my voice lower. “She’s ours. All of us. You want to be her mate? Then learn to share.”
Cain’s expression cracked just a little. He looked back at Gwen, his anger deflating. “You’re right,” he said finally. “Sorry.”
I nodded, surprised but relieved. Cain never apologized easily.
I nudged open her bedroom door with my foot and stepped inside. The room was dark except for the low flicker of a bedside candle. I laid her gently on the mattress, tucking the blanket around her and brushing a piece of hair from her face.
She sighed again and turned toward the warmth of my touch.
I meant to stay just for a second.
Just a moment beside her.
But the bed was warm, and her scent was everywhere, and before I knew it, I’d slipped under the covers, curled around her protectively.
I closed my eyes.
Just for a minute.
Gwen
Warmth cocooned me.
Not just the kind that came from blankets or sunlight—but the kind that radiated from the steady rhythm of a heartbeat pressed gently against my back.
I blinked sleepily, slowly waking to the feeling of strong arms wrapped around me, the soft exhale of breath brushing against the back of my neck. Cole.
We were spooning.
His body curved around mine, one arm slung protectively over my waist, his chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm. Everything about it felt safe, grounding—like my world had quieted just for a little while.
I didn’t move at first. Just let myself enjoy it. The warmth. The closeness. The feeling of belonging.
But after a moment, curiosity tugged at me, and I carefully turned over in his arms. His hold on me loosened automatically, adjusting without waking, and I rolled until I was facing him.
Cole’s face was soft in sleep, his lashes dark against his cheeks, lips parted slightly. He looked younger like this—peaceful in a way I rarely got to see. My hand moved before I could stop it, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
He stirred under my touch, his eyes fluttering open.
“Hey,” I whispered.
A sleepy grin spread across his face, so full of warmth and something deeper it made my breath catch.
“What are you smiling about?” I asked, voice hushed.
He blinked slowly, gaze fixed on me like I was something sacred. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to wake up next to my goddess-given mate.”
Oh.
My heart squeezed.
No teasing. No flirting. Just a simple truth said with such honest affection it melted every wall inside me.
Emotion flooded my chest—soft, overwhelming, good. I didn’t even hesitate. I leaned in, brushing my lips to his, slow and gentle.
Cole sighed into the kiss, hand coming up to cradle the back of my head, pulling me just a little closer. He didn’t rush. He didn’t push. He just kissed me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And for the first time in a long time, it felt like maybe I was finally ready to let someone in.
- Writer
