Chapter 284: That is Love

He caught her cheek in his palm and kissed her again, softer this time, lingering until her fingers curled into his hair. When he finally pulled away, he brushed his nose against hers.

It took Theo another thirty minutes to convince herself to leave the bed, for every time she tried, one of the boys found a reason to pull her back.

Sylas wanted another kiss, and Zeke did too.

Sylas thought her hair needed a little fixing, while Zeke disagreed and insisted that her hair looked perfect.

Sylas pointed out that Zeke was hardly an authority on personal grooming, considering he looked like he’d been dragged through the forest backwards, while Zeke informed his elder brother that at least he didn’t dress like a funeral director.

Theo laughed so hard she fell against Sylas’s chest, which, naturally, resulted in both men kissing her again.

Honestly, she was beginning to suspect they were doing it on purpose.

By the time she finally sat upright, the sunlight coming through the cottage windows had grown considerably brighter.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Late morning." Sylas replied.

"How late?" She blinked.

"Late enough that Charlene has probably finished her morning chores."

Theo went still, and then she remembered! She’d totally forgotten about the older woman!

Charlene was in the other room...and the cottage had thin walls.

Her mouth slowly fell open, "Oh, my God."

Zeke’s lips were starting to twitch again.

"Venom—"

"SHE WAS RIGHT THERE."

Zeke immediately buried his face in a pillow, his shoulders shaking as he burst into heaps of laughter. He then rolled onto his back, laughing so hard that he had to clutch his stomach.

"ZEKE!" She cried, embarrassed.

"Sorry!" he gasped. "I’m sorry, Hellcat. I really am."

He was very obviously not sorry.

Theo turned to Sylas, hoping and praying that at least one of her mates would demonstrate the tiniest amount of mercy.

He was watching her with an expression of such profound composure that she wanted to throw herself out the window.

"Tell me she couldn’t hear us." Theo pleaded.

Sylas considered the question. He considered telling her ’no’ to spare her.

"My love, I wasn’t in the next room." He said calmly.

"YOU LIVE HERE!"

"Occasionally." He shrugged.

"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!"

Zeke made another strangled noise, and Theo grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head, "I’m going to kill you." She yelled, frustrated.

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, "Love you too."

She shoved his face away and grabbed another pillow to hit him, but Sylas caught her hand before she could reach for another pillow and brought her knuckles to his lips, "Listen to me." He said, "Charlene is a grown woman."

"That is the worst opening sentence you could possibly have chosen."

His mouth twitched, and she glared at him hard. If he started laughing like Zeke, she would kill herself.

"She has lived a long life. She raised two boys who were far from innocent, and I imagine she has encountered considerably more scandal than you are currently imagining."

"Hey. I was an angel." Zeke argued.

Theo and Sylas narrowed their eyes at him.

"Fine," He groaned, "I was a moderately well-behaved demon."

"Charlene loves you. She has no intention of making you uncomfortable." Sylas continued to Theo.

"But what if she heard—"

"Then she heard," He replied simply.

Theo made a noise that sounded suspiciously like her soul leaving her body, but then Sylas drew her hands away from her face, "Look at me, Venom."

She did. She’s been looking at him since she met him.

"There is nothing shameful about being loved. There is nothing shameful about wanting the people you love. And there is certainly nothing shameful about being happy after everything you’ve endured. You don’t have to hide from Charlene because you’re embarrassed. She’s not going to think less of you."

"Alright," She said.

"Good," Sylas kissed her cheek.

Zeke leaned over and kissed her other cheek, "And if she does say anything, I’ll take responsibility."

"You?" Theo looked at him, "You are the main reason I’m embarrassed!"

"Which is why I’m willing to sacrifice myself for the cause." He grinned.

She stared at him for a moment before a laugh escaped her.

The next step was getting dressed, which proved to be another adventure.

Theo had barely managed to find her clothes when Zeke appeared beside her, already dressed and looking infuriatingly pleased with himself, "Need help?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Because you seem to be struggling with that—"

She threw a shirt at his face, and he caught it and gave her a look, "Violence. First thing in the morning. Very attractive."

"Get out!"

He laughed and left the room.

Sylas, at least, had the decency to knock before entering again. He entered carrying a glass of water and a small plate of food. There were a few pieces of fruit and some bread.

He sat beside her while she ate, occasionally brushing her hair away from her face or handing her the water when she forgot to drink.

There was something almost absurd about the contrast. The same man who could make the entire supernatural world tremble was sitting beside her, patiently ensuring she ate breakfast.

And he looked entirely content doing it.

When she finished, he took the plate from her, "Better?" He asked.

She nodded, then she called softly, "Sylas?"

"Yes?"

She looked at him for a long moment, then she whispered, "Thank you."

"For what?" His expression changed.

"For last night."

His gaze softened, and he smiled.

"Not just..." She gestured vaguely at the bed, then immediately regretted the movement. "You know."

"I do."

"I mean, I felt..." She struggled to find the words. "I felt loved. Both of you made me feel loved. And I didn’t have to think about anything else. I didn’t have to be strong or brave or worry about what happens next."

He took her hand and placed it over his chest again, "You don’t have to earn your place beside us. Not through fighting. Not through suffering. Not by proving you can survive the worst things the world can do to you...You are ours because we love you. And we love you because you’re you."

"Oh, don’t do that," She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

"What?"

"Say beautiful things when I’m trying not to cry."

"I’ll try to be less considerate in the future." His mouth curved.

She laughed through the tears and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him. Sylas held her close, but the silence didn’t last because Zeke’s voice came from the doorway.

"Are we hugging? Because I want in."

"How long have you been standing there?" Theo asked, lifting her head.

"Long enough to know my brother has been stealing all the good lines."

"Must you ruin every tender moment?" Sylas sighed.

"Yes." Zeke said then he crossed the room and dropped onto the bed beside them, pulling both of them into his arms, "Come here, you two."

Theo laughed as he nearly squashed her between himself and Sylas, "Zeke! You’re crushing me!"

"That’s love, Hellcat."

"That’s a broken rib!"