You already own me.
I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to Braxton being able to talk in my head, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
As the five newly-appointed council leaders stepped back, the elders picked up their books again. They read a few more lines, bestowing their own blessings, and then it was done. I was up on my feet and flying across to the quads in seconds, wrapping my arms around each one. Jo and Jack were right there beside me; those two were so proud of their boys. It’s funny that the perfect mix of races, and love between those two supes, was the reason we had a set of quads strong enough to take out Larky and his brothers. Jo and Jack were really the heroes of the day, and they had not even been there for the fight.
Nash bumped me as he dashed past to jump on his brothers. No one had been able to find his parents. It was thought they were killed by the Four when Nash was first captured, so Jo and Jack were taking the steps to adopt him. He was going to officially be a Compass.
Fucking Four. I was beyond thankful that those bastards were dead.
Jacob twirled me around when I reached him. Tyson did the same. Maximus simply closed his arms around me, holding me tightly for a few long moments. I relished the closeness. He had been so lost since Cardia.
“I’m going to go away for a few days, Jess,” he said as he pulled back. I forced my face to go blank, even though I was already opening my mouth to protest. “I promise it’s nothing you have to worry about. I just need some time alone to get my head together … to deal with the fucked up darkness inside.”
“What about your council duties?” I knew the boys would be straight into learning their roles. Louis and Jonathon – my father was an elder now too – were going to be their teachers. They had to fill a lot of roles since there were no previous council leaders left – well, except for Kristoff, but that dude was a dead man the moment he surfaced.
Maximus’ eyes were black and glassy. “They’ll just have to wait. I’ll never be any kind of leader if I don’t find peace with … everything.”
I swallowed down my pain and pulled him back in for another hug. “Call me whenever you can. I swear I will carry my cell phone around day and night. For you I will.”
He actually chuckled and I held tight to this moment.
“I love you, Jess, and I will be back soon. Can’t let my nephews be born without me here to keep Braxton from losing his mind.”
I elbowed him. “They might be girls.”
He dropped a gentle kiss on my head and then he was gone. I had been his last goodbye. I just hoped he didn’t do anything stupid while he was gone. My throat was all choked up as I turned to the rest of the gathered.
Mischa’s lower lip was wobbling as she stared after Maximus. Looked like her plans to tell him about her pregnancy was not happening today. She hugged herself, the loose shirt draping across the small bump. I really had to look to noticed it, but there was a definite size increase. So much sorrow laced her downturn face, and I was starting to see that for her the feelings had never gone anywhere. Mischa still cared deeply about the vampire who was never destined to be her mate. I just hoped they could work out their soap opera drama, for the sake of their child.
“Jess…”
I turned to find Grace. She had been different since Cardia’s death, lost somehow. I could still see the torment on her face.
“I’m going away for a while,” she said, no hesitation.
What the crap? Was this the day of people saying goodbye to me?
“What the hell!” Tyson popped up at our side, as angry as I’d seen him in some time, gold already threading his honeysuckle eyes. “You can’t leave. We’ve already lost so much … you have to stay.”
Grace swallowed hard, and for once didn’t run from the wizard. “My family is having some problems, Ty. They need me right now, and frankly I’d like to escape from the painful memories here. I need to do some cleansing of my soul, my chakras.”
She reached out a hand and placed it on his chest, the first time I’d seen her touch him outside of healing. I held my breath, expecting for a moment that a mate bond would kick in between them. Unfortunately, nothing happened except for Tyson’s eyes – they went full gold, like he was completely immersed in a spell.
“Will you come back to me?” he asked her.
Grace sucked down a sob, then nodded, and with a last moment of something between them, she wrenched her hand free and ran from the building. Tyson started after her but I caught his arm.
“Let her go, Ty. She said she’d be back. Let her make the choice. If you want her to choose you and Stratford, you cannot force it to be.”
I could see him fighting for control. Eventually his head fell forward. “I’ll give her some time, but if she doesn’t return to me soon, I’m going to find her. She’s mine, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.”
I let him loose, reaching up to pat his arm. “That’s my boy.”
Tyson flicked me under the chin then, before turning to make his way slowly from the hall. I trusted that he would let Grace go for now, but the healer was soon going to feel the full attention of a Compass quad, and she was not going to know what hit her.
Louis popped up then, scaring the shit out of me. My hand slammed against my chest. “For shit’s sake, Louis. Don’t you dare tell me you’re leaving town too.”
He laughed, flashing white teeth, before shaking his head. “No, Jess, you’re stuck with me for now.”