The pale blue walls brought to mind the sea and sky. In some places, the paint was a darker blue from where pictures once hung, but those pictures were long gone, as were any other decorations that once adorned the place.
To his right, the front desk ran the length of the wall. What remained of the furniture was draped with white cloths meant to protect it. A thin layer of dust coated everything, but he would guess someone had cleaned the place sometime within the past month. Otherwise, the dust would be a lot thicker.
They made their way through the lobby and into the dining area. Protective cloths were also draped over most of the tables within, and plywood covered windows that would have looked out on the sea. He couldn’t recall if boards covered those the last time he was here, but that was years ago, and things had changed since then.
From the large dining room, they moved into a hallway with doors to some of the first-floor rooms. As the three of them stepped into the hall, the others slipped into one of the rooms.
When they arrived at the room, Lucien looked inside to discover Ronan and Saber tying the demon to a chair. Lucien turned away when Saber lifted the creature’s head so they could wind chain around its throat.
He walked three doors down, grasped the knob, and pushed the door open. None of the locks were engaged on any of the rooms. There was no reason for them to be locked when there weren’t any guests staying here. Having them unlocked made it easier for the cleaning crew to go through the rooms.
He carefully placed Callie on the bed and caressed her forehead while he studied her. She’d settled down as the worst of her transformation ebbed, but her mouth remained pinched, and her fingers twitched on the bed. Soon, she would wake looking to feed.
Chapter Forty-Six
Lucien shifted her as he stripped her blood-soaked clothing before removing his. Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom. He kicked the door closed behind them, turned on the water, and waited for it to warm before stepping beneath the spray.
Callie flinched when the water hit her skin, but she soon calmed again, and she didn’t wake. He set her down in the tub and knelt to massage muscles he knew had to be sore after everything she endured. He worked his way up her legs and over her back and shoulders as he leaned her against him.
Blood streamed from their bodies and swirled around the drain before vanishing. It took a good five minutes before the water ran clear. The wound in her chest was healing, but it remained a gaping hole. However, he could no longer see her heart beating inside her as bone and muscle had knitted closed over it.
He fought against the emotion burning his throat and eyes as he gazed at the injury. He’d come so close to losing her, and now that they were finally safe, the reality of how close was sinking in. His shoulders hunched forward as he drew her into his arms and crushed her to him as his tears mingled with the water streaming over them.
“I love you,” he whispered over and over.
The words were so difficult for him to say for so long, but he would make sure she heard them every day for the rest of their lives together. She was his everything, and his brother had sunk a sword into her beautiful heart. He’d almost lost her, but he’d been granted a miracle, and he would cherish it for eternity.
The water was turning cold by the time Lucien shut it off. They didn’t have any shampoo or soap, but he felt infinitely cleaner by the time he stepped out of the tub.
Steam choked the air and coated the large mirror over the sink as he opened the door. With no towels available, they dripped water across the wood floor as he carried her to the bed.
When a knock sounded on the door, he settled her on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. He made sure she was completely covered before tugging on his boxers and walking to the door. She was covered, but he used his body to block the room as he opened the door.
Declan stood on the other side with his and Callie’s bags in hand. “I thought these would come in handy.”
Lucien took the bags from him. “Thank you.”
“How is she?”
“Okay. I think she’s going to wake soon.”
“Good.”
“How’s it going with the demon?”
“It’s still unconscious.”
“We’re never going to get any information out of it.”
Declan ran a hand through his auburn hair and tugged at the ends of it. “No, but maybe, if we can get it talking, I’ll be able to sense something from it.”
Lucien’s eyebrows lifted. He’d always suspected—he was sure they all had—that Declan possessed an ability to understand and feel more than the rest of them. They’d worked together for centuries, but this was the first time Declan ever confirmed it to him.
With a jolt, he realized how much Willow had changed him. But then, finding their mates had changed all of them. They were all far different than the Defenders who existed before Ronan discovered Kadence and the Alliance formed.
They were always close, but they’d been shut off to each other and trapped in their thoughts, memories, and troubles. Now, they were closer and more open. Ronan had taken his rightful position as king, Killean was nowhere near as cold as he once was, Saxon was happier, and Declan was revealing more of himself than ever before.
And he… well, he was nowhere near the asshole he was before being taken prisoner. He glanced over his shoulder at Callie. Before her, his heart had felt like a lead weight in his chest. Now, every beat of his heart pounded for her, and he didn’t loathe the world as much as he once did.
She’d made him stronger; all of their mates had made them stronger. However, having their lives and their hearts tied into the well-being of another also made them weaker.
That weakness nearly destroyed him when he saw the sword plunge into her heart, and without her, he would become a monster the likes of which none of his brothers had ever seen. But he welcomed the weakness she’d brought into his life if it meant having her by his side.
“Do you think you will be able to sense anything from it?” Lucien asked.
Declan shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not really sure if that thing is capable of experiencing anything I could sense, but we’ll find out.”
Lucien studied Declan as he set their bags on the floor next to the door. “We’re not the same anymore, are we?”
A small smile played at the corners of Declan’s mouth. “No. Nor do I wish to be.”
“Neither do I,” Lucien admitted.
“Let us know if you need anything.”
“I will.”
Lucien closed the door, stripped out of his boxers, retreated to the bed, and curled up beside Callie to draw her into his arms. He held her close while he tried not to think about how close he’d come to losing her. Even with her in his arms, he still might go mad from the memory of Yannis stabbing her if he focused on it.
Another hour passed before he felt the flutter of her lashes against his neck. When she stirred, a low groan issued from her, her nails bit into his back, and she whimpered.
“Shh,” he soothed as he ran his hands over her back. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
Callie’s eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into the curve of Lucien’s neck as his body warmed her and his thick muscles ensconced her in safety. When the vein in his neck throbbed, something inside her stirred, but the sudden tidal wave of memories bombarding her buried it.