When he stood. The pain was gone.
The burning in my body — still sadly there.
I didn’t realize anyone else was in the room until a hand appeared from my peripheral and slowly slid up my neck. “I can only stop it for so long.”
I turned and saw green.
Bright green fire.
Ethan’s eyes locked on mine before he very casually touched his lips to my neck while Mason held my hand.
A brief pain stabbed me in the neck.
And then.
The burning increased before steadying off into a pleasant hum that didn’t make me want to scratch my skin off.
“What did you do?”
And why was I between two immortal men like a sandwich?
“Fighting fire with fire.” Ethan lifted a shoulder casually. “It will get better, give him time, it’s a very….” His eyes went back to normal. “Tedious process.”
“That?” I pointed back up the stairs. “That was tedious?”
“It’s harder for sirens.” Ethan spoke the words slowly before sharing a look with Mason.
“Sirens.” Mason spat the word. “Are always hard. Never soft.”
“That’s the point I think.” Ethan offered a slight smile while Mason let out a low growl.
“Thank you.” I rubbed my arms as I stepped away from both of the overwhelming men and then tried to find my way out of the house.
By the time I reached the front door, it had been at least fifteen minutes.
The car was exactly where Alex had left it.
What was I even doing?
Going back to work?
Like that was going to make everything suddenly better? Like my life would make sense again?
But it was all I had.
The monotony of a job.
I had to get away.
From all of them.
But especially from him.
I glanced back at the house and slowly looked up only to see a curtain fall from the window.
Alone again.
Only this time, I knew what it was like to be a part of something — to belong. So the pain at getting in the car and driving away wasn’t only acute. It was a painful awareness that I really didn’t fit in anywhere, that there was something wrong with me, not everyone else.