​

Noelle

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My surroundings slowly came into focus.

​

First, there were fragments of light, then glimmers of strange shapes and colors. There wasn’t a single inch of me that didn’t ache, like I’d been tossed into a blender, ripped apart, and then pieced back together.

​

It took a few seconds, but my cloudy vision eventually settled on four formidable figures, four sets of eyes staring back at me. Each one was just as concerned as the others.

​

Peering up, the stone ceiling of a cave darkened the space, but it was definitely morning. The orange glow of sunlight and chirping birds made it obvious. Seeing as how there were no plumes of smoke, warning sirens, or at least restraints on my arms, I guessed this meant I hadn’t freaked out and tried to destroy everything when I shifted.

 

Then again, I could have very well died, and this was heaven. The hard, bronze-toned bodies hovering around me made that a total possibility.

 

“You’re okay?”

 

The question left Ori’s mouth barely louder than a whisper. The words were filled with so much concern, and his gentle tone took me by surprise.

 

Until now, he’d only addressed me with frustration and intolerance. Neither was present when he’d just spoken, which only added to the feeling of disorientation as my head swam.

 

When I peered up, his gaze took hold of mine. A spark of unexpected emotion passed between us, making my heart

thunder. Ori must have felt it too, because the next second, his eyes suddenly lowered to the ground.

 

A memory flickered inside my thoughts and I blinked, feeling confused as it rushed in from the fringes of what felt like a dream. Only, this vision of Ori hovering above me, leaning in to press his lips against mine … I hadn’t imagined it. Nor had I imagined gripping the back of his neck, inviting him to get even closer.

 

Apparently, the Omega I once deemed heartless and intolerable now made my heart skip a beat. The same potent sense of clarity that overtook me after I’d given in to the others, now existed within me for Ori.

 

“I’m fine, I think.” When the delayed answer left my mouth, he nodded to acknowledge my response, but still avoided eye contact.

 

A warm hand gripped my shoulder and I glanced over, seeing that Rayen had been the one to touch me. Beautiful curls rested over his shoulders, partially hiding the red lips tattooed on his collarbone. My eyes wandered down to his chest, the one side covered in ink, connecting to more of the elaborate art that colored his arm in a full sleeve.

 

“You scared us pretty bad last night.” The depth of his voice made me draw in a breath, one I didn’t release until he offered a faint smile a moment later.

 

I imagined how wild things must have gotten and had to agree with him. “Yeah, I was kind of terrified, too.”

 

Suddenly aware of how they’d stuck by me, the urge to reach for Rayen’s hand was hard to fight. However, I held back, still feeling a bit overwhelmed by these changes in our little group’s dynamics. I’d gone from being the pest whose very presence annoyed the heck out of them, to somehow being stared at like I was the center of their universe.

​

Well, for the three who were able to look at me, that is.

​

“We think you should stay with us.” I turned toward Paulo when the suggestion flew from his mouth. “At least until classes start again,” he added.

 

“I … what?”

 

His expression didn’t change even when I protested a bit. He exuded so much confidence it was clear he thought this was the right thing to do.

 

The only thing to do.

 

I, on the other hand, stared at him like he was insane.

 

“There’s no room for me there,” I retorted.

 

“We’ll make room.” He hadn’t even taken a second to think about that, just barked out the response as if he’d been ready for me to object to the idea.

 

My heart pounded inside my chest. I mean, I was definitely aware of our connection, was drawn to them with a degree of intensity that was off the charts, but the timing felt all wrong. It had been one thing when I hunkered down with them after the Pinning Ceremony. Then, my life had been in danger and we hadn’t acknowledged our bond. However, now that we had, I was keenly aware of the need to take things slowly.

 

Well … slow-ish.

 

The change of heart came when Paulo leveled another of his stormy gazes on me. It was all heat and tension with him. Heck, with all of them.

 

I scrambled for another excuse.

 

“I can’t just bail on Toni,” I countered. “With how I left last night, I’m sure she thinks I’m out here hurt, scared, or worse.”

 

Paulo shook his head. “People saw Ori take you from the courtyard. Trust me, she knows you’re not alone,” he asserted.

 

I hated that he was probably right, blowing a hole right through my excuse. I also hated that I knew what Toni would say if I told her I was invited to stay at the guys’ bungalow. Her advice would likely be something along the lines of, ‘keep painkillers and an icepack close by, and load up on protection. Lots and lots of protection.’

 

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pushed aside the flood of kinky images of myself entangled with the four, lifting my lids again when my heartrate spiked.

 

“It’s just that … I think … what about—”

 

“I’m starting to think you don’t trust us,” Rayen interrupted with a smirk, cutting me off as I stammered. Unknowingly, he taunted me by wetting his lips.

 

“It’s not that. I—“

 

“Or maybe she doesn’t trust herself,” Paulo suggested boldly.

 

My neck and face warmed too quickly for me not to have turned red.

 

Ori stood and the movement stole my attention for a moment. He seemed so far removed from the conversation as he locked both arms across his chest. His gaze finally met mine, and he stared at me like I’d break into a million little pieces if the wind blew my way.

 

The look reminded me of what Nayeli and the other Hive Queens had shared about his past, about the one he once loved, but couldn’t save.

 

“It’s not like that,” I forced out, finally tearing my eyes from Ori as I looked to the others.

 

Okay, yeah, Paulo was at least partially right, but my weak will wasn’t the only valid argument against staying with them.

 

“What if my parents try to get in touch with me?” I asked. “I know it’s tough getting calls to and from the mainland, but I’m positive they’ll be trying since today’s my birthday. What if they get through and then find out I’m staying with you instead of at the dorm? You four don’t know my dad. He’s … intense.”

 

That was a good word for the man who once threatened to decapitate a guy for bringing me home fifteen minutes past curfew.

 

Yup … my dad was intense.

​

“There’s a simple answer for that; you’re twenty now,” Paulo reasoned. “Old enough to make your own decisions. Even ones your father might not approve of,” he added. “We’re only trying to protect you, not knock you up.”

 

Neither the laugh that left his mouth after speaking, nor the wicked way his eyes swept over my body, were innocent.

 

“Besides, you’re worrying for nothing,” Rayen chimed in again. “I’m almost positive your parents are gonna love us. Most do.”

 

Aww … how cute! He was so chill and confident. Like most were before coming face-to-face with The Reaper. After? Totally different story. Explaining to my dad that I’d met and fallen for one guy on the island would have been one thing. Telling him I discovered I was the mate to four wouldn’t be so easy.

 

To put it plainly, that wasn’t a conversation I looked forward to having.

 

Suddenly overwhelmed, I attempted to sit upright, but the world tilted when I did.

 

“Whoa, take it easy.” Kai’s hands braced my shoulders, and he lowered from standing to kneeling behind me. When I glanced up over my head, seeing how he still carried so much worry from the night before, I realized just how bad things must have gotten. All of my memories from the last twelve hours were foggy, which left me with the sense of having lost time.

 

In my opinion, the guys should have been relaxed and happier now that I was awake and hadn’t, you know, sunk their island. Only, their moods were so sullen I knew something was off.

 

“What aren’t you telling me?” It was hard asking that question, because I didn’t really want the answer.

 

Ori’s large shoulders moved with a deep breath, and he locked eyes with the other guys before finally finding the courage to look into mine.

 

“It was touch-and-go for a while, but you were strong,” he asserted. “We did our best to keep you comfortable, and then took turns watching over you while you slept.”

 

He stopped, but I knew he hadn’t told me everything.

 

“And?”

 

Dead silence meant none of them wanted to answer my question, but Ori looked especially distraught. I reached for his hand without thinking and the way his body stiffened made it clear the contact had caught him off guard. Not quite like he didn’t want to be touched, but rather that he hadn’t been this close to someone in a long time.

 

“I’m grateful for what you guys did,” I started again, realizing I hadn’t told them this yet. The words were so true, emotion strained my voice. “Whatever it is you’re not saying, you can tell me,” I added. “Did I … hurt someone?”

 

Ori’s eyes quickly darted back toward mine, filling with sympathy. “No,” he assured me.

 

“Thank God.” I breathed a sigh of relief, but when the hand I held tightened around mine, I knew I’d celebrated too soon.

 

“You have the mark, Noelle.” The information Ori had just given caused my brow to tense.

 

“The … mark? I don’t understand.”

 

Paulo turned to expose the back of his neck, pointing a finger to the nape where a symbol I’d seen there before glowed brightly—a flame within a flame. Still a bit confused, I reached beneath my hair.

 

“All Queens receive them, but … yours—”

 

When Ori trailed off again, I became uneasy, breathing wildly as panic set in. At first, I didn’t understand what he meant to imply, but then, as my fingers traced the warm outline of my mark, I was pretty sure I’d figured it out.

 

Like theirs, the symbol swirled slightly to the left, coming to a point. Only, mine didn’t stop there. Above it, there was something more. Something I didn’t understand and had the feeling the guys didn’t either.

 

“Slow down, Noelle.”

 

I ignored Rayen’s plea when I scrambled to get to my feet again, stumbling like a toddler while getting my bearings. Three sets of hands were on me, and then the fourth looped an arm firmly around my waist.

 

With no idea where I was headed, or what I hoped to accomplish, I slumped against the wall of the cave, breathless.

 

“Why does mine feel different?” I asked, still panting.

 

The lack of an immediate answer only made me more anxious.

 

“Honestly? We’re not sure,” Paulo admitted, “but we’re gonna figure it out.” There was no doubt in my mind that he and the others had every intention to keep this promise, but that didn’t mean they’d be successful. I was a wildcard, they knew that as well as I did, and this was just another glaring reminder.

 

I traced my symbol again. “What’s it look like?”

 

“The bottom half is identical to ours,” Kai answered, “but the top half is inverted—an upside-down flame, purple instead of orange.

 

My eyes slammed shut, knowing this was a sign. Of what, I didn’t know, but it couldn’t have been good.

 

“This is why you wanted to keep an eye on me,” I said aloud as their intentions became clear. “You think something’s wrong with me, think I might still be a problem.”

 

“…Not exactly,” Kai answered. “We just—”

 

“It’s fine,” I interjected. “You don’t have to explain. I’ll stay with you,” I gave in, which came as a clear relief to all of them. “But if you don’t mind, I need to stop by the dorm. Toni’s probably worried sick and I need her to see I’m okay.”

 

Rayen seemed to understand when he nodded. “Of course. We’ll take you.”

 

The rapid breaths that made me lightheaded were starting to subside. Not because my circumstances had improved, but rather because I was reminded that I wasn’t in this alone. As I glanced around at all of them—so alert to my every move—I’d nearly forgotten I wasn’t surrounded by actual family.

 

Then again, I knew family came in many different forms.

 

“Thanks for offering to take me in. I—”

 

“Don’t.”

 

The command had come from Ori, and it stopped me just as I was letting the hive know how much I appreciated them.

 

“We got off to a rocky start,” he admitted. “I’ll be the first to say I don’t always know how to be soft when a situation calls for it, and my tone doesn’t always match my intentions, but just … give me time. Please,” he added gently. “In the meantime, while we’re all figuring things out, anything we have is yours. As our mate, our Queen, you’re more than welcome in our home. Always.”

​

His offer was so kind, I smiled. He stared thoughtfully and I didn’t doubt the sincerity of this gesture for even a moment.

​

He was a work in progress, but he knew it. So, if he needed time to adapt to our new dynamic, I’d give him that.

​

This declaration made me even more grateful that the four were so determined to stick with me. It wasn’t so much that I needed them, but I wanted them, and the feeling was mutual.

​

It was during this thought that I was reminded we weren’t yet out of the woods. For all we knew, this mark was a sign that my fight against the Darkness had been over before it even started. Yes, I’d had a successful face-off with it, but the odd symbol on my neck suggested things were far from over.

 

I’d won the battle, but who’s to say I’d win the war?