Chapter 168

AXL Ophelia lies between Xavier and me, dressed only in a clean T-shirt of Malachi’s, with her hands resting on her stomach. The final rays of the evening sun bathe the room in soft amber hues. A movie plays on the TV in the background, but none of us are watching it. Alexandros is reading quietly next to Xavier, and Malachi is lying next to me, his fingertips trailing up and down my spine. It’s an oddly ordinary scene given the extraordinary events of yesterday. Malachi scrapes his teeth over the nape of my neck now, his chest pressed up against my back. My dick stiffens. We’ve always been physical creatures, and this is how we reconnect. How we anchor ourselves back to each other after bad shit happens, and last night was the embodiment of bad shit. But I’m not sure if Ophelia is ready for that yet. We’re all fully healed now, and although she slept most of the day away, she’s still tired. “You need anything, princess?” She shakes her head. “Got everything I need right here.” Xavier’