“So,” I drummed my fingers on my arm where I was sitting outside our door, almost an hour later, staring up at Jack and Pearl who had just exited our room, “I have to ask…what were the water and the sparkles doing?” I had been thinking about that as if it were burned into my mind ever since I had sat down.

“Sweetheart,” Ezra reprimanded, shaking his head and letting it drop on his arm that was over his leg.

“What?” I asked innocently. He tilted his head, giving me a look only a husband could. I sighed. “Fine. Never mind.” My eyes went back to Jack, who was standing a smidge protectively in front of Pearl, and Pearl, who had a pretty blush on her cheeks, peeking around Jack’s shoulder. “So, I’ll ask the other question. You two were fucking while Ezra was supposedly on his deathbed?” That one I was a bit pissed about, and I wasn’t going to take it back even though Ezra sighed heavily next to me.

Pearl bit her lip, but Jack stated calmly, “We were having sex to help take our minds off it.”

I snorted, but sadly I couldn’t really disagree with that way of thinking.

Jack raised his eyebrows at me when I stayed mute, then moved to help Ezra up, giving him a huge hug, pounding on his back. “How the hell are you alive?”

“Lily healed me.”

Pearl had tears instantly tracking down her cheeks, and she threw herself into Ezra’s arms when he and Jack broke apart. “I’m so happy you’re alive. And I’m so sorry about your mom.”

Ezra rubbed her back. “I’m fine, so don’t cry. And thank you.”

Didn’t really help because she kept bawling.

Still sitting, I asked Jack, pointing between him and Pearl, “When did this happen?” Ezra and I knew from our phone conversations with them that they had also gone against tradition and met up like Ezra and I, to find their Prodigies together, but Jack had never once mentioned this.

Jack grinned slowly. “I finally manned up a few days ago and made my move.” He shrugged a muscled shoulder, his grin growing, and he whispered, “She couldn’t resist me.” I chuckled at his cockiness, and he held out a hand to help me up, also giving me a hug and holding me close to whisper at my ear, “Just saying goodbye, huh?”

I shrugged inside his hold. “It was a little more bumpy than that, but we’re both fine now.”

He leaned back, tilting his head so his blue hair wasn’t dangling over his eye. “I have a feeling I would probably be pissed if I knew the whole story.”

Ezra grunted, still rubbing Pearl’s trembling back, and glanced at him. “You have no clue how pissed you would be.”

Pearl’s head jerked back. “What are you talking about?”

Ezra softly patted her blotchy cheek. “Nothing to worry about.”

Silently, I sighed in relief that Ezra wasn’t going to completely rat me out, but Jack felt it since he was still holding me, and he glanced at me sharply, eyes roaming my face. I smiled at him sheepishly and patted his chest, stating studiously, “We’re both fine.” I felt his power surge, aimed directly at me, and he stilled, eyes narrowing when he probably felt that my Core power was still a bit off. Calmly, I reiterated, “We are both fine, Jack.”

His eyebrows slowly rose, and he bent, whispering at my ear, “We’re going to have a talk later.”

I growled a bit at his tone, but I didn’t argue. I had lied to them. Used them. It had been for a good cause, but there would still be repercussions for my actions.

Jack released me, giving me one last glance before gently pulling Pearl away from Ezra. “We’re going to get some dinner. Want to come?”

Both Ezra and I shook our heads, and Ezra stated, “She and I need to talk, but I’m starving, so maybe you guys could bring us back something?”

Jack sighed, glancing at his watch. “How long should we be gone for?”

Ezra chuckled softly, putting his key in the door. “Maybe an hour.”

I held up two fingers. “Or two.”

Ezra blinked, opening the door. “You’re not too sore?”

Pearl popped her fingers into her ears. “Too much info. Too much info.” She turned, getting the completely wrong impression from his comment, and started walking in the other direction. “Let’s go, Jack.”

And…Jack followed…staring at her ass the entire way until they turned the corner.

I pointed where they had disappeared. “He’s whipped already.”

Ezra chuckled, pulling me into our bedroom, and locked the door behind us. “Yes, he is.” He hugged me tight against his chest, staring down at me. “You really aren’t too sore?”

I shook my head, fingering his shirt. “Nope, I’m really not that bad. And I want to make love in this room, where we first came together, one last time.” My eyes met his green ones.

And his gaze expressed complete understanding. He was on the same wavelength as me, thank God. Slowly, he nodded, bending to softly kiss my lips. “Okay, our talk can wait.”

Lying on top of Ezra, my head resting on his smooth chest, which was slick from our lovemaking, I listened to his heart beat strong, slowly calming from our time together. He ran the tips of his fingers up and down my bare back, lifting his head to gently kiss my forehead. I sighed. “I’m so happy we waited to talk.”

Ezra hummed, sounding half growl. “Unquestionably the right move.”

Tilting my head, I kissed his hard pec. “You know, you’re just as flexible as Jack.”

He chuckled quietly, the sound pulsating against my skin. “And you pulled a few maneuvers that there’s no way in hell Pearl could do.” He ran his fingers through my hair. “I have no clue how you can even move right now.”

I snorted. “I can’t.” I faked a groan. “I’m pretty sure I dislodged a few things.”

“Ah, poor little wolf,” Ezra purred softly, rolling us so he rested over me. Gently, he started kissing my neck. “Tell me where it hurts, and I’ll kiss it all better.”

A damn giggle, which was completely girly and which I couldn’t contain, bubbled up, but it didn’t stop me from pointing to the other side of my neck. “Right here.”

Ezra’s Vampire purred quietly as he tilted his head, softly touching his tongue right where I pointed before sucking gently, creating a wonderful new spark that sizzled through my body.

My eyes closed on a soft moan as I ran my fingers through his damp hair, our slick bodies gliding together as I arched under him. “The talk can wait a little longer.”

Ezra nodded, nibbling at my collarbone, his hands sliding up my sides. “Later.”

Half hanging off the bed with the dead weight of my Vampire husband on top of me, I blinked at the spelled ceiling, gasping for air. “Holy shit, baby.” My body was still shaking in aftershocks, but I chuckled when Ezra groaned on top of me in answer. I patted his ass, which was where my hand that wasn’t hanging off the bed currently rested. “If I wasn’t sore before, I’m gonna be now.”

Again, Ezra groaned against the side of my head, but when his breathing calmed, he muttered, “Jack and Pearl had better bring a shitload of food because I don’t even know how many calories we just burned,” his stomach growled against mine, “and I’m famished.”

I laughed outright, curling my foot around his on the ground. “Wanna go again?”

He stilled, and then muttered, “You’re killing me here, sweetheart. That was some of my finest work and it didn’t satisfy you?” When I teased him by only chuckling quietly, he growled low, his Vampire taking voice. “Well, we probably have time for a little more.”

Arms hanging over the edge of the bed, my head dangling so that my hair brushed the ground, I mumbled, breathless, “I must have done something damn fantastic in another life.”

Ezra chuckled quietly, his panting breaths fanning my shoulder where he lay across my back.

“Really, really, fucking fantastic things,” I muttered, waving a hand. “That was…unbelievable.”

“Why, thank you,” Ezra drawled lazily, his hands barely squeezing my hips, where they rested. His stomach growled again. “But I get half of your food since I made you come two more times after you said you couldn’t anymore.”

I grunted, my own stomach growling now. “Not gonna happen.”

“Where’s the justice in that?”

I waved my hand, my eyes still closed. “When I caught your ass from falling off the bed when you came so hard you damn near passed out.”

Ezra grunted. “I could claim it was lack of nutrition.”

“And I can already smell the lie.”

A pause. “Fucking Shifter nose.”

“You know, I’ve often thought the same thing about your Vampire nose.”

Ezra sighed, biting my shoulder gently. “Are we done procrastinating the inevitable?”

I sighed myself. “Guess so.”

We re-positioned so we were lying on our sides, staring at each other.

I touched his nose mildly, running my finger up and down it. “Are you really prepared to run?”

He bit my finger lightly, growling softly as he moved closer, and placed a heated palm possessively on my hip. “If it means you won’t be hurt and we’re together, then yes.”

I nodded slowly, staring him in the eyes, seeing his resolve. “Same for me.” My gaze darted between his eyes. “I couldn’t take you being hurt again,” my chin trembled from my near loss, “and if Antonio says he can’t stop what’s coming because he’s not powerful enough…well, I say we go into hiding.”

Ezra smiled gently, running his thumb back and forth over my hip, his wedding ring cool against my skin. “And you’ve definitely got enough places for us to hide.”

I nodded. “Antonio doesn’t even know about one of them, so we should go there.”

Ezra stared. “Jack and Pearl?”

I bit my lip. “They deserve to know we’re leaving.”

“Agreed,” Ezra murmured, and tilted his head forward, biting my bottom lip and tugging. “But I don’t want to tell them about our marriage. I want to keep something just between you and me. Plus, for their own safety, they probably shouldn’t know.”

“Agreed.” I rubbed my nose against his. “We should probably start packing so we can leave before the sun comes up, when there aren’t so many awake yet.”

Ezra’s eyes roamed my face, his expression quickly setting with determination. “Then let’s get it done.” He helped me up, tossing me a t-shirt from his dresser. “That’s my favorite old shirt, so don’t forget it tomorrow.”

I put it on and stared down at the worn grey t-shirt, which read: Live Hard Or Die Bored.

I snickered. It was perfect. “Can I also borrow a duffle? Mine’s lost somewhere.”

He entered his closet and brought me an empty duplicate of his full one. “You’re already stealing my shit.” A cocky eyebrow rose as he pulled on a pair of pajama pants.

My eyebrows rose. “Need I remind you about my Hummer?”

He snorted. “Our Hummer.” Grinning at my cross expression, he grabbed his full duffle off the floor. “And besides, you may be rich…but I’m filthy rich. So quit complaining.”

I blinked as I watched him saunter into his closet. “What are you talking about?” I hadn’t thought he was poor, most Mysticals weren’t — even I had a decent amount for someone my age.

His laughter boomed from his closet. “Let’s just say, when I turned twenty-two I came into enough money to buy a small country.” A pause. “A few of them.”

My jaw dropped in shock. “You’re a trust fund baby?” I just couldn’t see it.

“Yes,” he stated factually. “And none of those forms you signed when we got married were a prenup, even though Judge waved it at me and told me I was nuts when I tore it up while you were talking to Jury about our wedding DVD. So when I said before what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours, I meant it.”

My heart kinda melted. I peeked around his door, grinning like a fool. “I love you.” He gave me a crooked grin over his shoulder before digging through his massive amount of clothes again. My lips twitched. “But the Hummer’s still mine.” I barely dodged the shoe that was thrown at me.

The sheets were changed, our bags were in our closets behind their respective closed golden doors, and Ezra and I were now stuffed on a portion of the enormous amount of grub Pearl and Jack had brought back with them. We sat on the love seat together while Pearl and Jack sat warily on the couch next to each other, staring at us after we had asked them to have a seat so we could talk. It was remarkable the shift that had occurred in them since we had first arrived here, when the news of their mates had literally crushed them, but together they had found an aspect of peace, even if it was new, telling by the way Pearl tentatively scooted closer to Jack, and by the way he carefully placed his arm over her shoulders, bringing her closer.

I watched how Pearl physically relaxed inside Jack’s gentle embrace, and I smiled softly. “I almost don’t want to tell them now.”

Ezra nodded, eyes just as quick as mine. “They’re damn sweet together.”

Jack scowled. “Quit analyzing us.” He pointed between Ezra and me. “You two don’t know how alike you are. You sit the same way,” huh, guess we were, “You watch people the same way,” I already knew that, “Hell, you even tilt your heads the same way,” I had noticed that a few times, “and it’s like you two have telepathy the way your brains work the same way, finishing each other’s sentences and automatically knowing what the other’s going to do.”

Ezra and I both grinned.

Pearl snorted. “It’s kind of disgusting, really. If any couple in this room gets the sugary sweet award, it’s definitely you two.”

Ezra’s lips twitched — same as mine — as we watched Jack become still, before his head swung to her.

His eyes danced all over her face, asking, “You want to be a couple-couple?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip, her English accent becoming heavy as she stuttered, “Well…maybe…if you…you know…would like to?” And damn, if her eyes weren’t earnest.

Jack’s lips didn’t slowly lift. He damn near blinded us all as he flashed his teeth, grinning from ear to ear. “Yes, I’d like that very much.” And I blinked when he decided to attack her mouth with his and play tonsil hockey with her right in front of us.

Ezra’s chest was shaking as he rested an elbow against the arm of the love seat, covering his mouth when Jack started maneuvering her down on the couch…which Pearl didn’t seem opposed to as she gripped his shirt, yanking him closer, not at all shy with what she physically wanted. I, on the other hand, really didn’t want a repeat performance, live and in person, of the freaky shit, so when Pearl started glowing a little, and I could have sworn I heard the sound of waves, I clapped my hands loudly while Ezra dropped his forehead on his hand, barely keeping his laugh silent.

“Hey!” I clapped again when they didn’t break it up. “If you guys start…hovering…again I’m going to shift and bite your asses.” Ezra lost it, his laughter booming throughout the room. I glared at him, pointing across from us where they were still going at it. “I’m glad you think this shit is funny, but I’m,” I rubbed at my ear, “starting to hear shit.” My head cocked. “It sounds like waves, but as if they’re rolling faster and faster.” I blinked. “I think I’m traumatized by what I saw earlier.”

Ezra doubled over, slapping my leg, apparently finding what I said hilarious.

I scowled and let a little of my power ripple out, kind of like a gentle shove in their direction to remind them we were here. I screamed as a blast of Mage and Elemental magic flew back at me so hard it tipped the love seat Ezra and I were on backward, both of us toppling with it because of the mini-explosion. Ezra stared down at me wide-eyed, having landed on me, and he whispered studiously, “Sweetheart, I’m thinking they didn’t appreciate the interruption.” He lowered his face, snickering at my ear. “And now that I’ve seen it begin, I’m pretty sure the wave sounds are a reflection of how turned on Jack’s becoming, same with how Pearl’s glowing.”

I blinked, staring at my feet, which were straight up in the air behind Ezra’s head, against the cushion. “Oh.” I blinked again, my eyes widening. “Oh, now I get the water and the sparkles.”

Jack opened his door to our bedroom forty minutes later, peeking his head out to where Ezra and I were sitting outside in the hallway. Empty dessert dishes surrounded us, which we had consumed after deciding to take them out with us while we waited, because Jack and Pearl sure as hell hadn’t broken apart even after we had righted the love seat. His smile was lazy and sated as he jerked his head, stating, “It’s safe to come in.”

“Wonderful,” I grumbled as Ezra helped me to my feet, grabbing off the ground the few empty plates Ezra hadn’t. “Maybe we can talk now before we pass out from a sugar overdose.”

Ezra groaned, rubbing his flat belly. “We probably shouldn’t have eaten that second piece of pumpkin pie.” A pause. “Or was that the third?”

“Fourth,” I muttered, burping quietly. “There were only two apple pies and three blackberry cobblers, but there were definitely four pieces of pumpkin pie.”

We both stared at the empty plates in our hands.

“Maybe we should have stopped with the apple pies,” Ezra murmured absently before moving into our room.

I licked my lips, following him. “Or maybe just had one of each.”

Ezra hummed. “We’ll try that next time. Show some restraint.”

I thought about how good all the desserts had been going down. “We could try.”

We set our plates down on the coffee table, and sat on the love seat with Jack and Pearl on the couch again, and this time, Ezra didn’t waste a second and plowed into our news, stating bluntly, “Tomorrow morning, Lily and I are leaving King Cave and going into hiding.” When Jack’s and Pearl’s jaws dropped, he held up a hand to stop anything they would have said. “Antonio had a vision. A future he said he can’t stop because he’s not powerful enough. The damn man was crying because he was so upset about…,” Ezra glanced at me, “what did he say exactly?”

Since Pearl and Jack were starting to appear freaked out, I stated it factually, “He said he was so sorry for the agony you two will endure, referring to Ezra and me.”

Ezra nodded, his eyes back to them. “So we’re leaving. Neither one of us wants the other harmed,” he shuddered, “like what happened today, so we’re getting the hell out, and we’ll try to make it on our own in hiding.”

Pearl’s jaw slowly shut, her lips pinching. “If Elder Farrar saw it,” she shook her head, her expression one of worry, “I don’t know if hiding will help.”

Jack lifted his head from where it had fallen in his hands, saying quietly, “But they have to try.”

I pointed at him. “That’s right. We do.” I stood, jumping a little on my feet, anxiety beginning to creep in further. “So we’re leaving before the sun comes up, and tonight, I’d like for all of us to watch a movie together. Do something mundane before we run.”

Pearl instantly stood and embraced me. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I know,” I whispered, hugging her tight. “I know.” Tears slipped down my cheeks at knowing this was probably the last night we had together. “But I want us to all relax before we leave. Enjoy our evening together.”

She nodded quickly, squeezing me, her own tears falling on my head. “Then let’s do it.”

And so we did, after the hugs and tears were through, lying down next to each other in bed and finding a good old-fashioned comedy to watch before we all passed out.