ALICE "... Together,” I answered Linden knowing full well what that was code for and started to sit up in the bed. There was no avoiding what he was going to tell me next. Rian was going to find out, and with any luck, he’d see my side of it more now that Sebastian was gone and something needed to be done about that. The idea of being able to see Sebastian was motivating me to start moving, even though I wasn’t sure where this was going or what kind of state we would find him in. “Terran found the Princess, but not soon enough… Jasper already has her.” “And where is Terran?” “Here,” Linden sighed, “Nixon brought him back before he could do anything too stupid. I’m not about to be the one to tell Marie that she’s mateless.” “Did he se-” “If he did, I would have already known that Ian wasn’t with you and sent Nixon to check on you.” Nixon. Linden never came to check on me, and while Nixon was erratic and impulsive, part of it was always Linden’s fault. Growing up, he’d purpos

  ALICE Jasper looked over at where Linden was barely coming out on top even with Terran’s help, “That one is dead,” he looked back towards Nixon and he leaned in towards me and whispered, “but I think I’m going to keep that one as a pet.” Sebastian’s fingers were digging into me as I practically vibrated with anger in his arms. Amara’s walls were back up, so whatever he had to say, he could fucking save it. Linden was NOT dying again, no, I’d die before that happened or before I ever let anyone take my pretty bird as a pet. Fuck this.  “I’m going to drag your death out,” I grit out through where Sebastian was trying to squish my mouth so I couldn’t speak.  “It’s me who’s going to have all the fun,” Jasper attempted to smile but it looked so unnatural that I couldn’

  ALICE My chest began to heave up and down as I stared at Sebastian, the pain of him leaving me in the middle of the night flooding back to me.    “Why didn’t you come back to get us so that we could have done this together? You let me think you left me? That you’d betray me?”  Sebastian’s eyebrows scrunched together, his jaw flexing with tension, “I had to get us close enough with minimal risk, I was working on a way to get you here alone-”  “Nixon is dead,” I interrupted him, cocking my head as I took a step towards him, “Terran could have died… Linden could have died… again!”  

  LINDEN Later that day, after a well-deserved nap, I came back out to check on Nixon but found Alice’s mates sitting in front of his fire with her. She was sitting backwards on Rian’s lap as he sat cross-legged on the ground and sideways to the fire. Her cheek was resting on his shoulder and her face pointed in the direction of the fire, although it didn't surprise me that she would be keeping an eye on Nixon.  What did surprise me was when I rounded her and her eyes were closed. Was little volcano finally sleeping? She hardly ever slept when Nixon rebirthed, only admitting defeat after several days if his episodes lasted long enough. Al was always afraid that she would miss something, that he would wake without her and she wanted us to be the first thing he saw when he did. 

  LINDEN  I still can’t believe the giant monster curled up casually outside of the house. Alice has been home for over two weeks, which was also so unheard of that I was beginning to wonder if I was dreaming.  The blue scales on his body rippled as his lungs expanded, the horns coming back from his face shaking a bit as he seemingly got comfy and pups crawled all over him. They were sliding down his tail, where Sebastian and Nixon were on watch in case they needed to flash to catch anyone who fell off.  Patient, yes his beast was that. Careful, cautious, really any kind of safe, he was not.  ‘I don’t think I ever want to leave,’ Alice leant her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my hand around her as we watched them and she ate some… kale? She’s always eat