"Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest summer could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder."

~~Benjamin Alire Sáenz

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~Robbie~

Frustration simmered in my veins as I watched another yawn split Nova's face, dark circles prominent beneath his tired blue eyes. He claimed to be fine and maybe he could convince the rest of the world of the lie, but not me. I could see it in the way he stood beside me, leaning against a tree with what appeared to be a casual and relaxed stance. His face was calm, eyes slowly scanning the dark street as we lingered in the shadows, watching the house from the end of the block.

Tension had Nova's body coiled tight, jaw clenched and the muscle ticking as his nails dug into the flesh on his arm. Shadows lurked in the depths of his eyes, haunting and cold, but disappeared the moment they fell on me. The corner of his mouth kicked up a bit as he looked back at me. 

"Like what you see?" Nova teased even as heat flickered to life in his gaze. "Never been a major exhibitionist but I'm not exactly opposed either."

When I didn't immediately respond, Nova let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"What?" His voice held an edge of irritation as he pushed away from the tree, arms crossed over his chest. "What is it, Robbie? Just spit it out already."

"I'm just worried about you," I told him honestly. "It's been a rough night."

Nova snorted. "Yeah, no shit. I'm fine, so you can stop hovering."

I cocked a single brow and said nothing which didn't seem to be the response Nova had hoped for because he let out a frustrated noise.

"I just need some sleep," he said after a moment, his voice low as he looked away. 

"Go back to the car with your sister," I instructed, my thumb caressing the smooth skin of his cheek. I slid my hand to the back of his head and forced him to look at me. "August will be back any second and then we'll figure out what to do next."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Nova protested with a shake of his head.

I smiled. "I think I can handle it. I'm just watching the house while he checks for spotters, okay?"

"Fine." I could tell he was reluctant to give in. "No word from Reyne yet?"

"Not yet, and you're stalling." I pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Now go before I put you there myself."

Nova rolled his eyes dramatically but smiled anyway, slowly slipping from my grasp. I watched as he made his way back to the SUV where Nevada and Michael were still waiting, making sure he actually got in before turning back to study the house. If it were up to me I would just kick in the door and take care of them all, whoever it was.

The problem was that we didn't know who or what was in there or how many. Going in blind and angry was a sure fire way to end up dead and that wasn't my goal, not tonight. I wasn't sure what August had planned, but I could feel his anger periodically through the sire bond and I had a sneaking suspicion that he and I were on the same level on this one. 

Both of our mates were exhausted and had been through enough tonight, and whoever these bastards were that had taken over the safe house… well they just added fuel to the fire. The faint whisper of cloth met my ears and I turned my head towards the sound just as August slipped through the trees behind me. His face was cast in shadows that distorted his features except for silvery violet orbs that stared back at me.

"Anything?" I asked, barely about a whisper.

"No. Whoever it is, they're sloppy and reckless," August answered, his volume matching mine as he came to stand beside me. "No one in a three block radius is watching, unless they're invisible."

"Anything is possible at this point," I muttered. "Doubtful with the idiots we've run into lately though."

"True enough," he agreed. "Come on."

Soundlessly, we sauntered back to the SUV and slipped inside. No one was speaking as the doors clicked shut behind us, the air in the interior of the vehicle thick and strained. I met August's questioning gaze with one of my own, only able to shrug in response. Tension and stress were high tonight with everyone.

"I didn't see anyone in the area that looked like a potential threat," August informed them all, his deep voice rumbling through the dark.

"No one has left the house or looked out windows either," I added.

"So, we still don't know who it is?" Nevada asked, her voice trembling slightly as she directed the question to August. "It could be anyone, squatters or people wanting to kill us, but we don't know?"

"To know for sure, recon needs to be done."

"What are you waiting for? Find out what we're dealing with so we can do something." Nova's words held a bite as he leaned back in his seat, staring up at the cloth ceiling. "I'm tired of just sitting here."

"I say we just bust in and kill them," I shrugged, growing bored of the entire situation pretty quickly. "They're obviously stupid so it should be a piece of cake."

"It probably would be." August rubbed his beard in thought. "I'll take the front, you go in the back and -"

"Why do we always have to kill people?" Nevada asked in exasperation from the back seat, cutting off his sentence. 

"I didn't say we were going to do it," he corrected her with an even tone. "It was an observation, Love."

"Then why even bring it up?" Nova banged his head against the back of the seat. "Stop talking about what we could do and start talking about what we're going to do."

August narrowed his eyes but said nothing, turning a moment later to look out of his window. I scrubbed a hand over my face and checked my phone which still had no new notifications. Fighting the urge to crush the annoying tech in my hand, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and let out a deep breath. 

"I'll do recon of the house, see what we're dealing with or who," I announced, checking the knife on my hip. "Once that's established, we'll go from there."

"Why don't we just leave?" Michael asked, still gazing out into the darkness.

"Because as of now we have nowhere to leave to," I explained, trying to hold my patience together. I really don't like that guy. "I'll be back in a bit."

With one last look back at Nova, who didn't open his eyes to meet mine, I slid from the SUV and into the night. A privacy fence ran along both sides of the house between it and its neighbors, providing decent shadow cover as I dashed across the street and into the yard. The scent of faery filled my nose, like tendrils of sunshine, as I moved through the darkness like a wraith. I could hear voices inside, the sound muffled through the walls as I crept along the wall.

The first window I peered into was a kitchen, the blinds left cracked partially open but there was no one inside and the room was dark. It was the same with every window I check, the rooms dark and empty, or the panes covered but the lack of noise told me they weren't occupied. Finally, when I was beginning to wonder if they actually were invisible, I rounded the house and spotted the light still on in the living room. 

The front windows facing the street had been covered by blinds, the plastic panel drawn tight. But lucky for me, whomever was inside hadn't bothered with the side windows and had actually left them open. A cool breeze traveled through the night air, carrying with it the sounds of a woman's voice. Cautiously stepping closer, I pressed my back against the outer wall of the house just beside the closest open window and began to listen.

"Are you taking his side?!" a woman snapped, anger prominent in her words. 

"What? No, that's not -, I didn't mean-," I man stammered frantically in reply, his voice vaguely familiar. "I just meant-"

"Oh, shut up, you bumbling idiot!" the woman spat in disgust. "It doesn't matter what you say anyway. I know what he's doing, with all his lies and sexy smiles, running off with his whores whenever he gets bored!"

"You think that's what he's doing?" another male voice asked, almost identical to the first except sounding almost bored with the conversation. "He's a busy man, Val, you know that. He doesn't have time to appease his arm candy everytime she gets her panties in a twist."

"I should cut out your tongue for that," the woman snarled and I could see a slender show travel across the walls of the room.

Slowly, I crept deeper into the shadows, damping down my presence as I repositioned myself. Peering through the open window, my eyes narrowed as I took in the scene. A tall woman with a slim build, long blonde hair pulled into a severe ponytail at the back of her head, was pacing the room with clenched fists. When she turned, I saw the sharp angle of her ears and the pale, moonstone like orbs glaring at the two men lounging on the couch.

I recognized the woman immediately as Valyndria and the men were the fae twins, Weston and Wyndal that August had dispersed from the apartment months ago. That had been the day the siblings had come to stay with us, but had also been the second attack on them, both times linked to these three. A growl threatened to rip from my throat but I forced it down, unwilling to give away my presence. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the house so taking them down would be relatively easy.

"If you want my tongue, Baby Doll, all you have to do is ask," one of the twins, Weston I believed, drawled with a smirk. "Otherwise, I don't know what to tell you about your man."

"Why did he send you two instead of coming himself?" Valyndria demanded, stomping a stiletto clad foot. "I want to know where he is!"

Wyndal, the other twin, looked nervous but also a bit irritated as he flicked a glance at his brother beside him. Weston rolled his eyes at Valyndria and shook his head.

"Lady, I don't ask questions," he told her flatly. "I do what I'm told and don't get into shit that isn't my business. If he wants you or me or anyone else to knowing anything, he'll fucking say it. Otherwise, be a good little girl and shut the hell up already."

Valyndria shrieked in outrage, stomping from the room like a teenage girl. I could hear her feet pounding up the steps and a door slammed closed a moment later. I watched Weston and Wyndal look at each other before they both let out a sigh.

"I don't know why Torch bothers with her," Weston said with a shake of his head, glancing at the stairs. "He must want something from her."

"A piece of ass," Wyndal answered, shuddering. "Bitch is crazy."

"That she is," Weston agreed, standing up. He stretched his arms over his head, his muscles bulging and I wondered for a second if the fabric of his shirt would rip from the tension. After popping his neck, he headed towards the doorway. "I'm going to find some food and make sure she isn't trying to give us the slip. Let me know if you hear from him. I'm already over this shit."

Wyndal nodded disinterestedly and grabbed the remote, flicking the flat screen across the room to life. After watching for a few more minutes without any new developments, I quickly and silently headed back towards the SUV. Nova had his face pressed to Nevada's window as I approached, no doubt nearly crushing the poor girl as he watched for my return.

"Well? What took so long?" Nova asked before I even had the door closed. "I was about to come looking for you."

"I was gone like ten minutes, Babe," I chuckled but quickly sobered. "I know who's in the house. It's Valyndria and the twins."

"The twins?" Nevada asked, confused. 

"Weston and Wyndal," August explained with a growl, "the two fae that attacked you two in your apartment that day."

"Oh."

"What were they doing?" Nova asked, peering out the window towards the house. "Or do I want to know?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted, "but they seem to be babysitting her for Torch. Maybe he's supposed to come here or something, I don't know. She got mad and went upstairs to have a temper tantrum."

"What was she upset about?" August asked, fists tightening on the steering wheel. 

"Something about Torch and his whores but fuck if I care." I held my maker's eyes. "She wants my gran dead, so I would happily rip her heart out and drink from her arteries like a straw."

"That's gross," Michael commented with a grimace and Nevada nodded in agreement, looking a little green.

I shrugged but didn't say anything, waiting for August to give me the go ahead. It wasn't that I necessarily needed his permission to kill someone, but it was much less of a headache if we both agreed.

"Is there another option to get them out and away from the house without killing anyone?" Nova looked at me regretfully. "I don't think Nev can deal with any more violence tonight."

I opened my mouth to point out that it wasn't exactly some easily avoided with the current state of things. But with one look at Nevada's paler than usual skin, and the light bruising under her eyes from lack of sleep, I clamped my lips shut. It didn't matter what I wanted, not right now. They didn't need this and it was avoidable.

"If we do anything, it will give away our presence and just because they know Razi, that doesn't mean they don't know who really wants to find you," Michael cut in. "Besides, the more people that know where we are, the easier it'll be to track our movements."

"Yeah, that's true," Nova agreed and I bit my tongue to keep from snarling at the warlock, or both of them.

Rationally, I knew it wasn't a slight against me and it had nothing to do with me not trusting Nova because I did. It simply boiled down to the fact that I was a jealous bastard that didn't like the fact that someone else wanted what was mine. I didn't want anything to encourage Michael to push closer to Nova, because I didn't share. I looked over my shoulder with narrowed eyes, taking in the smooth lines and softer angles of his profile as he looked out the window again.

…well not usually anyway. 

Michael snorted, or maybe it was some weird choked noise, that he tried to mask with a cough. Everyone looked at him in confusion except for me as a single fact popped into my head causing me to scowl at the other man. The asshole could read minds… 

"Someone hand me a coat hanger or a spoon," I growled, watching Michael's face turn a delicate shade of red. "I'm going to pull his fucking brain out of his nose."

"Wha-, I didn't-, why?!" Michael stammered, his cheeks flushing even more as he looked around, refusing to actually meet my eyes or look at Nova. 

"Woah, what's happening right now?" Nova asked, looking between the two of us in complete confusion. "My head hurts and this is weird."

"It doesn't matter," I huffed, turning back around in my seat to retrieve my phone from my pocket, the device vibrating with a message. 

"Ti diáolo?" Nova muttered under his breath. "Treloí bástardoi."

Forcing myself not to ignore my mate's grumbled words, most likely cussing me out, I tapped on the icon. The message was from Reyne, just an address and a promise to be at the new rendezvous point. Tossing my phone into the cupholder, I looked over at August.

"Got another address. Let's cut out of here," I told him as he rolled the windows down to let in a cool breeze and fresh air. "This one is closer to Braelyn territory. Maybe we can catch up with the old people somewhere along the way."

August shot me a deadly glare which only made me laugh as he started the engine. The laughter died in my throat a second later as headlights flashed in the mirror as a vehicle turned onto the road. The interior of the SUV lit up as the lights drew closer and all five of us seemed to freeze in place and wait with bated breath. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as the unknown vehicle turned into the driveway of the safe house, revealing a sleek black car with dark windows.

We watched as the two front doors opened, a man and a woman stepping out. Even though her hair was a darker shade, most likely dyed to change her appearance, there was no mistaking her or the man she was with. Edith Dumont stood beside the vehicle, her arms crossed as she glared at Jackal who was standing a few feet away.

"Calm down would ya woman?!" Jackal growled loudly, eyes flashing in the darkness. "They can't hide forever."

"Bullshit!" Edith snarled, jabbing her finger at his chest. "You said it would be taken care of!"

"Does it look like I was there?!" Jackal shot back. "I was with you at the Edlington place because you insisted, remember?!"

Edith scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air and I glanced back at Nova. His face was pale, blue eyes wide as he stared in shock at his mother. Her screeching voice and Nova's name drew my attention, my eyes darting back to the arguing couple.

"That's not the point! Nova wasn't supposed to make it out of there, remember?!" Edith's hands gestured wildly around her head as she verbally exploded in the driveway. 

The front door opened and light spilled out as the twins hovered in the doorway to watch. I could make out Valyndria's head bobbing behind them as she struggled to see around the twins' large frames. 

"That boy's mere existence has made my life a living hell over the last two decades. He ruined me just like his father did!" Her words shot through the darkness like arrows and all I could do was watch as they impaled Nova's heart, one syllable at a time. "He should be dead along with the rest of them! Nova deserves what's coming to him and you said it would be done tonight!"

"Excuse the fuck out of me for being wrong," Jackal snarled, advancing on the smaller woman and pinning her back against the car. "Don't worry, the boy will be dead all in good time. Until then, I suggest you keep your claws to yourself."

I could see the defiant anger blazing in her eyes as she glared up at the large man that towered over her, but she wasn't afraid.

"Fine, but I want proof when the deed is done," she negotiated with a sickly sweet smile.

"As you wish," Jackal conceded almost sarcastically. "Now get the fuck in the house. You're making a scene and that's not something I feel like dealing with."

Edith gave him a jerky nod before pushing her way passed him and into the house, ignoring the curious gazes of the others standing in the doorway. Valyndria looked more than smug about Edith's unhappiness and bounced after her into the house.

"We need to leave," August said quietly the second the front door clicked shut behind them and the yard was once again empty. 

I reached my hand behind the seat in search of Nova's, wishing there was more I could do. He was hurting and I could feel it just as I had when he was worried about Michael. Nova's fingers found mine in the darkness, squeezing tight as he clung to me. 

"Yeah, get me out of here please," he whispered, sapphire eyes still locked on the front door of the house. "Please, let's go."

Wordlessly, August obeyed and we pulled out into the night. No one spoke and I wished I could pull Nova into my arms and take away his pain. But there wasn't anything that could erase a hurt or betrayal like that. One thing was for sure, I didn't think he would forgive her after this. His pain and anger was palpable in the enclosed space, so thick it would probably be cut with a knife. If anything, the next time he saw her, Edith would be lucky if her son didn't rip her heart out too… literally.

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A/N: Aaww, poor Nova! My heart breaks for him!💔

Ti diáolo - "What the hell"
(Greek)

Treloí bástardoi - "Crazy bastards" 
(Greek)

I used google translate so if anyone sees anything wrong with my Greek phrases let me know.

Hope you liked the chapter. Next one will be up asap. Remodel is still ongoing on my new house AND I start watching Supernatural on netflix from the beginning so who knows lol.

Thanks for your understanding!

XOXO🖤❤🖤❤

~SM~