“Didn’t hear you,” I grumbled, still in my protective positioning.
He shrugged and looked back at the house. “I brought reinforcements.”
“Everyone’s back?”
“Alex thought it would be best for Hope to discuss war strategy with Timber. They’ll be back later this evening.”
I groaned. “You didn’t have to cut your trip short. The fight between good and evil is more important than my… cravings.” I gulped.
Cassius’ eyebrows shot up. “What makes you think your cravings aren’t a part of that war, Wolf?”
Frowning, I looked down at the same earth I’d sworn to protect, its minerals swirling beneath the surface, kissing my fingertips. I belonged in the dirt, outside; I belonged with what I’d sworn to protect, and yet, I’d abandoned it. “This war is better off without me. I’m not that important, Cassius. It took one weak human to prove that I am nothing. I can’t fix what’s been broken.”
“Maybe you can…” Cassius hesitated. “…maybe you can’t. But the point…” He tilted his head and then leaned down next to me, his feathers shaking as pieces of dirt flew up and touched them, changing their color from blue to brown and back again. “…is to try.”
The dirt fell back to the ground in an array of colors and burst into a small field of wildflowers where my fingers were pressed. “Angels and their tricks.”
He shot me a half grin. “You know I don’t control the wings. Sometimes I think it’s Sariel’s way of still speaking to us, always creating, always moving.” He locked eyes with me. “I do not control them. I’m a part of them, and they are a part of me. Control does not always equal good. Sometimes, control is evil.”
“Control keeps things in line.”
“No…” Cassius turned and started walking away. “…control is just another word for fear.”
I watched his body disappear through the woods and glanced back down at the wildflowers, finally deciding on picking them as I wiped my dirt-covered hands on my jeans, and made my way slowly back to the house.
Serenity was downstairs with Genesis, her smile genuine as the girls huddled over a magazine.
Ethan’s green eyes narrowed in on me as he sniffed the air, and then his eyes widened a bit before he elbowed Cassius.
Cassius just shrugged. “Let it go.”
“This isn’t frozen,” Ethan said through clenched teeth. “This is going to be a clusterfu—”
Genesis cleared her throat and held out one of the twins to Ethan. He sighed and took both of them out of the room, but not before giving Genesis a disgusting kiss on the lips and shooting me another threatening glare.
“He slobbers all over you,” I pointed out. “You can’t enjoy that.”
“Twins.” Stephanie swept into the room. “I’d say she enjoys it very much.”
I made a face and lamely dropped the wildflowers in front of Serenity. “For you.”
I inwardly rolled my eyes at myself. Is that the best I can do? I may as well have brought in my latest kill with my tongue hanging out and panted next to her like a new pup.
Serenity held the flowers to her nose. “Thank you.”
“Thank Cassius.” Why did I say that? Why am I speaking still? “His feathers created them with their creepy angel magic.”
Serenity’s face fell. “Oh.” She laid the flowers back down on the table like the gift wasn’t really a gift anymore.
“You’re the one who picked them.” Cassius brushed a kiss across Stephanie’s nose.
Happy couples. Everywhere.
Disgusting.
Even an angel had a mate.
I snapped my teeth in irritation and jerked open the fridge door in search of something to eat.