A few hours earlier...

I woke up cocooned in warmth with a pleasant hum buzzing in my chest. I felt relaxed and well-rested. A sign that I had no nightmares last night.

I nuzzled further into the warmth chasing after my escaping sleep for a taste of some more but froze when I felt it move of its own accord.

"Have a pleasant sleep?"

I looked up into Ares's hooded eyes. They were more awake than mine but still laced with sleep. They were framed by thick, dark lashes that had me envious framed by tousled dark locks. As he yawned, he lifted a fist and rubbed the sleep out of one of his eyes.

"I should probably increase my training regiment if my body makes for such a comfortable pillow," he continued.

I looked down to realize that I was sprawled across his bare chest. I jumped up with a start that was greater than a shot of espresso chasing away my sleep when I remembered his state of undress. At least the blanket was better than his briefs at preserving his modesty.

His chuckle drew my eyes again. "Better get used to seeing more, little one. You will be soon."

My face grew impossibly redder. His amused smile grew as he climbed out of bed and made his way to the bathroom, unashamed with his skin on display.

Then again, if I looked that perfect, I wouldn't be so quick to hide my body either. Well, if I had a normal life.

A shocked gasp left my lips when, after glancing back at me and winking, Ares dropped his briefs, revealing two, white, defined buns.

Clenching my eyes shut, I looked away, but it was too late. The image was seared into my mind.

And the worst part? I didn't entirely hate it.

What was happening to me?

After both of us had washed up ad prepared for the day, we exited the room together. When we emerged it was to find Jaxon on the sofa in front of the large, flat-screen TV playing a video game, while Ryder was seated at the dining room table. When the pleasant smell of freshly cooked eggs and bacon reached my senses, I noticed Zev standing in the kitchen with an apron on. The sight almost had me doing a double-take. He looked so...

Domestic.

Almost. He still had too heavy of a presence. He was missing ...

As I was thinking the words, Zev gave me the answer I was searching for. He angrily grabbed the elastic headband that was warped around his wrist and used it to push his hair out of his eyes. The sight of him as such nearly had me laugh.

"Nea, over here!"

I looked away from Zev at Ryder's call. As much as I hated to admit it, looking at him was making the bond tying me to him, react. If I wanted to keep him at a distance and remain as unaffected as I could, I would need to physically keep myself away. Hopefully, that won't be too hard.

Giving Ryder a smile, a genuine one compared to the last when I last saw his still pale complexion, looked much better than the previous day. Noting his bettering health, I couldn't help but send a concerned peak towards Jaxon who seemed completely immersed in his game. With the chaos and the screen and the loud noises coming from his headset, he probably wasn't even aware we were at the table behind him.

Despite how much hate remembering what he had done to me evoked, I couldn't bring myself to find joy in his pain. And he was in pain. Ezra had spent the longest on him to heal. He even had to get the assistance of one of the aids he kept brushing off while administering treatment to the others. I had gotten a brief glance at him while he was being treated and it left me with my stomach turning. I could still picture his burnt and blistered skin vividly. I had a feeling it was an image that was going to last in my mind for a while even after Jaxon had healed. I didn't know what it was about the wound, but it frightened me to the core.

I shivered. I dreaded it, but I knew the twisting in my stomach would drive me to seek him out to see if he had made any improvements like Ryder had. The severity of my need to know wouldn't be satisfied until I saw he was alright with my own eyes. I knew one thing for sure though, I wasn't going near him without Ares by my side.

He had made me a promise. I fully intended to take advantage of it.

"Where are the others?" Ares asked as I sat down beside Ryder. I couldn't help but smile when his fox ear twitched in excitement at my choice of seat, chasing away the frown thinking about Jaxon's wounds had brought about.

Looking around, I noticed that I couldn't see Cassius, Axel, or Ezra anywhere in sight.

"They left earlier. The warlock went to the infirmary but I'm not sure about the other two-" Ryder's words stuttered when I couldn't resist reaching up and grabbing one furred ear between my fingers. The flush the covered his face and spread down his chest was brighter than the day before, further showing his improvement.

It also showed that maybe he wasn't as confident as he liked to appear. If my giving his ear that much attention garnered that response, I wondered how he would react if I did more than just touch his ear.

"Oomph," he grunted.

My eyes widened when Ryder's ear was pulled from my fingers with a sharp jerk.

Jaxon walked by with a huffed snort. He was no longer playing his game, instead, he was headed towards Zev, passing by us. He had bumped into Ryder. Hard.

My eyes narrowed on the blonde-haired man, while Ryder rubbed at his shoulder with a grimace. He didn't turn back. Deep down, a little part of me was thankful. I didn't want to know what would have happened next if he had met my glare, but another part was disappointed I would be able to lash out at him.

"Watch where you going," Ares warned on Ryder's behalf.

The action surprised the kitsune as much as me. He had looked ready to snap Jaxon's head off, but at Ares's words, he was left blinking at the man with an open out.

I would still have been, but when Jaxon stilled at the threat, I braced my hands on the table. For what? Even I didn't know, but, apparently, my body did as I grabbed the edge of the table, my muscles tense.

"What did you say?" Jaxon asked as he turned.

"I said, watch where you're going," Ares repeated, emphasizing his words. It came across as mocking. "If you're going to stumble around like a toddler, don't go bumping into others." Ares turned his head to face him, still standing on his feet.

I sucked in a sharp breath, preparing for Jaxon's response.

At the growing tension, even Zev had stopped stirring the eggs in his frying pan to stop and watch the confrontation taking place.

Jaxon's golden eyes darkened. He stepped forward, giving a threat in return to Ares with his body language. "Watch how you speak to me."

Ares snorted, sounding amused while the sound gritted on my nerves, winding my strings tighter as the tension increased.

"Ares, why don't you and Nea take your friend to see Ezra? It looks like he's still in need of more blood. Another transfusion would do him good," Zev's voice rang out, interrupting the two.

I held my breath for Ares's reply. I wanted him to say okay so we could leave before a fight broke out, but I had a feeling he would be reluctant to do anything that his brother suggested. So I stepped in. I'd much rather speak out than jump between two fighting men who were twice my size. Judging by my body's reactions, that was the direction I was headed in.

"Ares," I called. His head jerked at the sound of his name before his eyes found me. "Let's take Ryder to see Ezra. He still looks pale."

I hoped he could read the plea in my eyes as I begged him to agree. He and I both knew that if he didn't go, I wouldn't either. He was my security net, and he knew it.

He huffed, it sounded disgruntled as he crossed his arm. He started down Jaxon, despite being nearly the same height.

"I'm not the one who needs to watch who I talk to, dragon," he warned.

As expected, Jaxon did not take that well.

He bares his teeth in a snarl and was about to lunge at him. Before he could take a step forwards, I was on my feet, standing in front of Ares, with my arm outstretched in a pathetic attempt to stop Jaxon's attack. I knew my body was preparing to do something stupid.

"I doubt you'd do much, doll."

I hadn't realized I had closed my eyes at first when I had jumped in front of Ares until I noticed what I had failed to earlier. Zev had Jaxon confined in a chokehold. "Why don't you go grab your fox while I handle these two."

"I don't know about those you associate with, but I am not one that needs handling," Ares countered.

"Neither do I," added Ryder.

"Ryder," I snapped at the man. He seemed way too excited about the events unfolding before him.

He got up and made his way towards us while Zev kept his hold on Jaxon.

"Let go of me!" He yelled, struggling against Zev's forearm that was banded over his throat. "I'll teach that piece of shit just who I am, then we'll see how quick he is to talk."

His angered protests could be heard following us into the hallway as the large double door shut behind us. It shut quietly, a surprise considering I was expecting more from the solid slab of wood.

"Can you not?" I asked with a snap once we were a few paces away and on our own.

"Can I not, what?" Ares asked with a raised brow as he started down the hall. I didn't know the directions to the infirmary that Ezra had taken over, but Ares and Ryder probably did.

"Not be such a pain," Ryder added, answering for me. I wouldn't have used the same words, but the message was the same. "I thought that was my role." He continued, sending me a mischievous smirk as I frowned at him.

"Don't worry, your plenty of one on your own," I dryly replied.

"Soon it'll be a pain in the ass."

My anger didn't have a chance to surface. It was washed away by the laughter that bubbled out when Ares smacked Ryder across the back of the head.

"Speak to her respectfully," he warned.

When his warnings and threats were aimed at me, I didn't care for them very much, but when they were aimed at a mutual target? I enjoyed them very much then.