As I stared out the window, watching the glimmering buildings fade into the disastrous Zone, I calmed my racing heart. "Well, ladies, it looks like our naïve little Walker isn't so innocent anymore. She practically reeks of sex,” Blythe said with a smirk.

The other girls didn't seem remotely interested in what she had to say. Kaye was drunk and struggling to stay awake, and Lowe was scratching herself, streaks of her rubbed-raw red skin were glaring at us in the dim light of the transport.

I didn't bother denying it; I wasn't embarrassed. I was too shocked at seeing Cavil. If anything, I felt sorry for Blythe. "You going to say anything?" she asked.

"I don't feel like I have anything to say."

Blythe looked around the transport, waiting for someone to speak up, but Jade just coughed and got more comfortable. "It must be nice," Blythe said. "First you're immune, you grew up in the Stonewell Manor. Dormas leaders are eating out of the palm of your hand. And while the rest of us worked, you got to enjoy a little rendezvous with your man."

Once again, I looked out the window, smiling once I saw the brothel in the distance. I was tired, sore, and eager to see Jacob, Patrick, Huxley, and Kemper.

"I'm not going to apologize for having a good life or for things I cannot control," I said to Blythe. "I don't know what I've done to upset you, or if you're just too jealous to see past your prejudice of me, but I'm not one to play games. I'm here to save the men I love, so you can either get on board with that or get out of my way."

Lowe, with her smeared lipstick and crooked smile, started clapping for me. "Well hot damn," she began with a whistle. "Ash loses her virginity and, within the hour, becomes a badass. That must've been some great cock."

I laughed as the transport came to a stop, and when the doors opened, I wasn't surprised to find Huxley standing outside with his arms crossed. The moment my feet hit the ground, he strolled forward and helped me up and out of the transport.

"How did it go?" he asked while placing a hand on my lower back and guiding me up the steps. Behind us, Jade struggled to carry a drunk Kaye inside.

"It went seamlessly," I lied. No use telling Huxley about Cavil catching us until he had calmed down. The brothel door opened, and we flooded into the lit entryway, but once Huxley took in my appearance, all hell broke loose.

At first, I was confused by his ferocious face and shaking hands. I inched closer, a concerned dip in my brow as I reached for him.

"What happened to your dress?" Huxley asked. The rest of the girls filed in, and once Blythe heard his question, she started laughing hysterically.

"Your innocent little Walker had her cherry popped," she said while throwing her head back with another laugh.

I immediately realized what Huxley was thinking, and I threw my hands up to capture his face in my hands. Staring in his green eyes, I assured him, "This is Maverick’s shirt. I spent my evening with Maverick."

Slowly, ever so slowly, the light in Huxley's eyes returned as he realized that I was indeed okay. I assumed that he imagined the worst. "I've been pacing the floors all night," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm glad you're okay, but I have to admit that seeing you in Maverick’s shirt has me intrigued."

A healthy blush covered my cheeks as I looked down at the floor. Although we established back in Ethros that my relationship with all of them was mutual, it was still embarrassing to say out loud with an audience listening in.

Huxley scratched the back of his neck then looked at the Walker Companions still standing in the entryway, staring at us. They were watching our exchange with rapt attention, and I felt even more insecure under their scrutiny.

Huxley wrapped his big hand around my wrist and pulled me upstairs, not giving the others a second glance as we escaped their curious stares. In Dormas, sharing a woman might be typical, but to the rest of the world, it was an unusual arrangement. And although a Companion might understand our dynamic more than others, there was still a judgmental way they viewed my relationship with my guys. I'm sure they thought I was just a glorified version of them, and no matter what I said, they wouldn't believe that there was more to this relationship than what the guys could offer me.

At the top of the stairs, Kemper, Patrick, and Jacob were waiting. But Huxley didn't give me the chance to see them, he yanked me by, grumbling a "she's fine" before dragging me into his room and shutting the door.

I wasn't sure what this was, but I didn't argue. "I promise I'm okay," I said once more.

Huxley wrapped me in a big hug, squeezing me until I coughed. "I know I'm selfish right now. I'm not jealous. Well, I am."

The door opened and in poured Kemper, Patrick, and Jacob. I should've known that they wouldn’t allow Huxley to hoard me to himself. My shirt had risen some, revealing my long legs and butt to them all.

"What happened?" Kemper choked out. Huxley let go, and I turned around, adjusting my shirt. He was wearing pajama pants, hung low on his hips, and his light blond hair was wet as if he'd just showered.

"I saw Cyler and Maverick, then spent the evening with Maverick," I rushed out, hoping they wouldn’t make me explain much further. Cyler once told me that the only way this would work was if we didn't keep secrets from one another. I knew that by diving into the deep end of my physical relationship with Maverick, I would have to be open to letting the others know.

My eyes flashed to Patrick who was grinning at my disheveled appearance. "Did you and Maverick have a nice little reunion?" he teased. Huxley looked up at the ceiling then glared at his twin. Patrick strolled towards me, and once we were toe to toe, he gripped the collar of Maverick’s shirt and pulled me towards him, launching a kiss upon my lips with a groan.

I melted. I was nothing but loose limbs and racing heartbeats. Patrick was delicious. I savored every touch until he pulled away abruptly. My mouth dropped open in surprise as I stared at Patrick. He bit his bottom lip and leaned in close for one additional peck upon my lips. "Look so good," he said. "I hope he treasured you."

It was unlike Patrick to be so intense. But I liked that side of him. I looked behind him at Jacob, Kemper, and a broody Huxley. "I'm now more determined than ever." My voice wasn't shaky. There was nothing tentative about my thoughts and my desires to save Cyler and Maverick. Seeing them once again fueled my need to bring them home.

Kemper looked like he was itching to ask me questions, so I wasn't surprised when he said, "Did Maverick say anything about what Cavil has him doing? I know he's looking for the cure still. Did he say how close he was?"

I blushed, unsure of how to tell Kemper that there wasn't much talking that happened between Maverick and me. Our reunion was purely physical. We connected on an emotional level long before we were separated.

"By her expression, I’m guessing they didn’t do much talking," a monotone mindspeak said for Jacob. He gave me an impish smile before the voice then said, "That lucky bastard! I get this nasty scar and lose my ability to speak; he gets the girl and the glory."

Jacob didn't even try to get the mindspeak out of his ear. I was laughing at his thoughts but also felt bad. I squeezed Patrick's hands and walked up to Jacob, feeling brazen. "Don't you know?" I asked. I trailed my nail down Jacob's forearm and watched as goosebumps pebbled up on his skin. "You all get the girl." Standing as tall as I could, I placed a chaste kiss on Jacob's lips, but when I tried to pull away, he cupped my cheek and kept me firmly against him.

"God, she feels so good," the mindspeak said. The monotone voice should have jarred me out of the sensation of our kiss, but it nearly spurred me forward. I wanted to know what he thought. "If she doesn't stop kissing me, I'm going to have a very embarrassing situation."

I laughed and took a step back, taking a moment to stare at Jacob’s chest as it heaved. Licking my lips, I forced myself to calm down and remember once more that there was something important we’d learned tonight.

“I do have some bad news,” I said with a shaky exhale. “I saw Cavil.” Each of my guys tensed and stared at me with frowns. “He didn’t recognize me,” I quickly added, “but I’m expected there the rest of the week. Cavil isn’t staying through the end of the month; he’s leaving in three days. I guess the party will be the night before he leaves.”

Kemper let out a curse and said, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to let Louis know.”

“So we only have three days?” Patrick said. I nodded with a frown.

“Fuck,” Huxley growled out. And as if on cue, he then said, “I don’t like this.”

I immediately felt the room grow heavy with concern for what was to come. Tomorrow, we’d have to figure out what we were doing, but tonight? Tonight, I needed peace and comfort. "Stay with me?" I asked.

"Of course," Kemper said while reentering the room with a half smile. I could sense that he too was worried about the new timeline.

"I want to be held. I want all of you here. I know that as we continue to learn how to navigate our relationships that it's unreasonable for us to have sleepovers every night. But I'm in a new place, and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. I just…"

"I'm more than happy to hold you, little Walker. But if one of these assholes tries to spoon me, we're gonna have an issue," Huxley said.

Jacob must've forgotten that he had his mindspeak in because he then thought, "I'm going to spoon Huxley just to fuck with him."

We all laughed and settled into the tiny bed. Patrick and Huxley opted to sleep on the floor and sofa. We said our good nights, Jacob made sure to kiss me thoroughly, and we fell asleep. As I lay there listening to the steady noise of their breathing, I took inventory of myself. I felt...different.

I'd always thought that losing my virginity would awaken me as a woman. But instead, it merely bridged me back to the girl I was before everything went to hell in Ethros. I felt hope for the first time in months. I felt joy. I felt a little less like Shade, the Companion, and a lot more like Ash, the fearless Dormas woman, hopelessly in love with six men.