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  I ran faster towards him. When he was only a few feet away, I leapt up to him and buried my face in his neck. His powerful arms caught me and held me.

  I completely lost it, and I let myself go. My body shook violently as a dam of tears poured out of me. Alec just stood and held on patiently, his strong arms never tiring. He carried me like a little girl, all five-nine of me, my long legs wrapped around his hips. He held on until my tears stopped, and I quieted down. I peppered his neck with kisses and whispered how much I loved him. I finally looked up and saw his gorgeous grey eyes.

  His smile broke the sorrow in my heart, and it felt like everything would be okay. He pressed his lips to mine. “I love you. I’ll always be here for you.”

  I nodded and kissed him again.

  He started walking towards the water, and I pulled away with a frown on my face.

  He met my gaze with a lopsided grin and continued walking. I gasped as the cold water hit me, and he laughed, so I splashed his face with cold water.

  His eyes glinted in mischief right before he dropped me. I fell in and spluttered. “You asshole!” I said when I resurfaced.

  He chortled and swam away.

  I gave chase, but he had stopped when the water was past his neck. I reached to dunk him under the water but, instead, he grabbed my hips and pulled. We went under briefly and dematerialized.

  I let out a lungful of breath, then stumbled. Alec caught me, and I looked around. We were in a room. From the looks of it, it was a guy’s room, most likely Alec’s.

  “You jackass, warn me next time!” I sat my wet butt on his bed, still trying to catch my breath.

  He pulled on my hand. “C’mon, dry off. I don’t want you to get sick. Toss me your bathing suit, and I’ll wash it for you. I’ll leave a shirt out for you to wear.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to wash my suit for me.”

  He caged me into the sink. “Oh, trust me… I’m not doing it for you. I don’t know which is more torturous, the thought of you wearing my boxers or you wearing nothing under my shirt. So you need to get your bathing suit back on as soon as possible.” His expression heated.

  My heart fluttered, and my breath caught in my throat as my eyes flicked down and noticed that our lips were only a few inches apart. The heat radiating from him caused shivers to crawl up my spine. I looked at his pink lips and tilted my chin up. Our lips met, and our breath mingled, as our tongues touched and caressed each other. I sucked in a lung full of breath and pushed my body towards him. He pushed back and lifted me onto the sink. His fingers grasped my hair, then pulled my head back to get a better angle, and our kiss got deeper and more frantic. His fingers slid down from my head to my neck in a teasing caress, which left a trail of goosebumps. Then he tugged on the tie of my suit. The cold air hit my exposed skin but was soon replaced by his warm hand, which triggered electricity to surge through my whole body and an overwhelming power to blast out of me. Alec jerked backward and slammed into the wall, but I immediately put a shield up and cushioned his fall. I dropped down next to him and healed him right away. He looked up from the ground and smiled with a dazed look on his face. I pulled him up and wrapped a towel around myself.

  We turned as frantic pounding could be heard behind the door. “What happened?” Tatia called from the other side of the door.

  “Nothing, everything is fine,” Alec called out.

  “Are you okay?” I grimaced as my eyes traveled up and down, inspecting every inch of him. “I’m sorry. My emotions are all over the place. I really don’t have any control, so it’s best we don’t…”

  Alec pulled me into a tight hug. He took a deep breath and kissed the top of my head. “Since I have the top, you might as well give me the bottom.” His mouth twitched.

  I smiled and shimmied out of my bottoms from under the towel. “Thanks,” I called after his retreating back.

  When I stepped out of the shower, I found a white button-down shirt on the bed. I looked around the room curiously. This was the first time I had been in Alec’s room. A queen bed with white sheets lay in the center of the room enclosed in powder blue walls, but the front view was glass that looked out to the ocean. It was unusually neat for a boy. His clothes were folded and stacked, weapons lined up neatly. His toiletries were clean and organized—even his toothpaste had been rolled up from the bottom. I inspected the books on his nightstand table—non-fiction. Boring.

  The large windows surrounding the room were open and allowed the breeze to flow in. I peeked outside to see how close we were to the boardwalk. I couldn’t see it, though. All I could see was water and a secluded beach. It looked like the house sat on a cliff.

  When I was decent and had combed my hair, I stepped out of the room. It seemed everywhere I went, there was a large window with the ocean peeking through. I descended a spiral staircase to a white room surrounded by more glass decorated with white flowing decorative curtains. It had an open space where I could see a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an island in the middle where Alec was standing. Next to him was Celeste, and on the other side of the room were deep white couches where Tatia and Viktor sat next to each other. All eyes were on me as my footsteps echoed on the white tiled floor.

  “Hi, everyone.” I hesitated next to the couch.

  Tatia hopped up. “Oh my God, of course it was you. Who else could have caused that static electricity? Why is it that whenever you are around, you manage to frizz my hair? And I’m by the ocean!” She beamed and pulled me into a gentle hug.

  “Ti. Be nice!” Celeste scolded. “It’s nice to see you, Gabby. Are you okay?” She hugged me, and her warmth eased more tension out of me. I nodded in response as my face broke into a wider smile.

  Viktor had a glint in his eyes. “What were you two doing up there, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows and gave me a crushing hug. I laughed and hugged him back.

  Ti elbowed Vik out of the way and tugged me towards the living room. This house had a similar open space as the brothers’, just posher. I looked around the white glass room and through the giant windows out to the ocean, then sank into the comfortable couch, feeling more at ease. The serene house was a perfect vacation home.

  Everyone followed and sat around me.

  “Celeste, you’re out. Why are you here? Is it safe for you to be out?” My brows were drawn together.

  “Yes, I’m here for a reason, but let’s hear yours first.” She looked sideways, then played with the many bangles on her wrist. I studied her for a moment—her anxious demeanor worried me.

  Alec pulled me closer and put his arm around me, and calm radiated through me. I told them about what had transpired since I’d left our house up until the incident at the beach. I noticed everyone’s tense expression as they digested my tale.

  “Daemon has got to be Adam,” Celeste whispered. Her head snapped to Alec’s direction. “I know you said that it wasn’t him, but it sounds like him, and he is definitely the block to my sight. If it’s not him, then he is relevant in finding Adam.” Her jaw jutted out stubbornly.

  Alec held his tongue, but with his clenched jaw, I could tell he wanted to contradict Celeste.

  “Alec is right, though. We all saw Daemon. He is definitely not Adam or as I used to call him, Elija. I think we would have noticed if that was him,” Ti argued. Vik placed a gentle hand on her and slightly shook his head. “What?” she said, gearing up for an argument.

  “I understand what you all are saying,” Celeste snapped. “It’s just…it makes sense. If it doesn’t to you guys, it does to me. I just have this strong feeling. Either way, I’m not going anywhere until I find out.” She crossed her arms and legs, then leaned back against the couch, looking out of the windows with her jaw clenched.

  We all eyed each other but didn’t argue.

  Ti had her eyes trained on Celeste. She opened her mouth, but Alec cut her off. “Anyway, Gabrielle, what do you plan on doing?”

  Both Ti and Celeste turned to me.

 
I sighed and leaned on Alec’s chest, playing with the golden hair on his lightly tanned arms. “I have to go back,” I said faintly. Alec stiffened up behind me. “I know I shouldn’t, but I just don’t feel like I’m done. However, I do think my time with them is coming to an end. Lilly is getting darker. Slowly, I have accepted that the Lilly that I knew is gone.” Tears threatened to fall, so I blinked rapidly and took a deep breath.

  Alec rubbed my arm and kissed the top of my head.

  “What’s the plan then?” Vik asked.

  “We can’t move in until Gabby is ready for us to, so we stay put,” Ti responded. She looked at us, but her eyes lingered on Celeste, whose eyes were distant.

  “How can you give us a signal if you need back up?” Vik asked, his tone serious.

  “Alec can get to me.” I shrugged.

  “But how do we get to you guys?” Ti raised her eyebrow.

  I twisted and looked at Alec for answers. Instead, Celeste responded. “You could open up a portal if you need back up.”

  I sat up straight. “No, I can’t. I’ve never done that before. I don’t even know how.” I shook my head and looked at Celeste like she had lost her mind.

  “What if we piggyback back on Alec when he disapparates to see Gabby?” Ti asked.

  “Is that possible?” Vik turned to Alec.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’ve only done it once.”

  “Maybe you should test it out before you rely your whole plan on this,” Celeste suggested.

  Everyone looked at me, asking for my permission. “Sure?” I didn’t know why they needed my permission. It wasn’t as though I knew what to expect.

  “Okay, Gabby needs to go somewhere far. Then Alec will follow, taking us,” Vik said.

  Alec got to his feet and pulled me up. We walked towards the hall where there was more room. My heart picked up speed. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. This was the first time they’d all relied on me. I looked at Alec nervously.

  Alec placed both of his hands on my hip and stiffened up. He pulled me closer and ran his hand slowly down my butt, sucking in a sharp breath and clenching his jaw. His fingers on my hip dug into my skin.

  I looked up at him in question while I placed my hands on his arms before he shook his head slightly and walked away, before returning from one of the rooms with my dry bathing suit. “Please put this on.”

  A smile played on my lips, I remembered that I wore nothing under his shirt, as I took the suit from him.

  I emerged from the bathroom with amusement still in my eyes. Alec’s eyes were full of promises, which caused fire in my belly and a quick zap of electricity to tingle up my spine. I took a quick breath in and let it out slowly.

  “Jesus, stop eye-fucking each other. I can feel you two from over here,” Tatia snapped from the couch.

  I glanced at her, then at Celeste, who had an amused look on her face as I looked down at my bare feet in embarrassment.

  Viktor bellowed an obnoxious laugh.

  “Shut up, dick. Now you know how it feels with you and Ti,” Alec said but without heat. His eyes showed pride and desire.

  “Okay, children. How about we get started?” Celeste interrupted. “Gabby, think of a place Alec’s never been with you. Somewhere far and secluded so no one will see you, and we can ensure that you’ll be safe. Wait there until Alec arrives. If he doesn’t show in fifteen minutes, come back here.”

  I nodded and thought of a place.

  “Wait.” Alec stepped forward and handed me my phone, which was the only thing I’d grabbed when I ran. “Just in case.” He flashed me his sexy smile and kissed me on the cheek.

  I beamed at him and disapparated.

  ☈ ☇ ☈

  I took a deep breath, smelled the fresh ocean scent, and looked around the white sand and the clear, green ocean. The calm waves crashed on the large rocks by the shore, and mountains surrounded the island. I’d chosen the secluded island away from the tourist spot Lilly and I visited a few months ago. A few boats passed by as I sat on the fine powdery sand. I took off Alec’s shirt and lay out in the sun, smiling to myself as I closed my eyes and relaxed.

  Just a few breaths into my relaxation, I felt a tingle on my neck. I looked up and Alec, along with Vik, Ti, and Celeste appeared next to me.

  Alec smiled down at me as his eyes traced down my body. Heat filled me as my heart stuttered.

  Ti squealed and jumped on Vik. “Yes, I love this. This is gorgeous!” She tackled me on the sand and said, “I give you two permission to eye-fuck each other as much as you want. You two are awesome! I so need this vacation!” She got up and pulled Vik to the ocean as she stripped down to her underwear.

  We could hear Vik and Ti’s laughter as they ran to the warm water.

  I sat back up, laughing. Celeste sat next to me, and I side-glanced at her. “I thought you weren’t coming?” I asked.

  She smiled slyly. “I wasn’t, but as you guys would be gone all day, and I didn’t want to miss out, so I insisted on coming.”

  “That’s what took us so long,” Alec complained at the other side of me.

  “It’s fine, Alec, nothing will happen. I’ve seen it,” Celeste said patiently. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

  He eyed her doubtfully since Celeste rarely told anyone her premonitions.

  “I promise,” she insisted.

  I got up and tugged on Alec’s hand. “Relax, Alec. Just this once. We all deserve it.” My eyes pleaded with him. “Celeste, you coming?”

  “No, I’m quite enjoying this view. It’s very serene. You two go on and don’t mind me.” She shooed us with her hand.

  With a big smile, Alec followed me. He stripped down to his boxers, and I couldn’t stop staring at the fully defined V on his hips. Fuck, he was killing me.

  He smirked at me when he caught me staring. I blew out a breath and ran to the water to cool off, but he chased me and easily caught up with me, lifting me off my feet. I latched on to him with both my arms and legs wrapped around his body. “Don’t you dare, Alec,” I warned him.

  With a chuckle, he dunked both of our heads under water. I’d barely sucked in a deep breath before I went under. Water went up my nose as I spluttered above the surface. I splashed him with water and glared. “You keep doing that, asshole!” He bellowed a laugh and swam farther away. My stomach clenched at the sound. I had never seen Alec this relaxed. With a big smile on my face, I followed him towards Vik and Ti.

  “Okay, it’s not about who can hold their breath longer, but who can swim faster?” Vik raised a brow at Ti.

  “Well, how about we add on who can swim farther on top of that?” Ti dared Viktor.

  Oh my god, these two never stopped. I rolled my eyes as I got closer to Alec. He had an amused smile as he watched his two friends.

  “Do you two ever give it a rest?” I asked.

  “Never,” they both said dismissively as they scouted the surroundings for where to perform their race.

  “How can we time? No one has a watch,” Alec said.

  “Oh, my god. Don’t encourage them,” I chastised.

  “No, I actually want to see this,” Alec said.

  “You guys are totally insane.”

  The two looked at me like I’d just complimented them.

  “I’ve got it. How about to the mountain and back? Whoever makes it back first, wins.”

  “Wait. That’s really far. You two want to race there? I know the water is clear, but it’s deep, and there are currents. It’s not necessarily safe.” No longer smiling, I was nervous for them.

  No one paid me any attention.

  “Alec, call it,” Ti said as she and Vik lined up.

  “On my mark. Ready… Go!”

  They took off like Olympic swimmers. These people were fucking insane. I turned to Alec, ready to give him a piece of my mind.

  “Babe, relax. We’re Nephilim, remember? We are stronger and faster than the average human. Those two have bested each other in all avenues you
can think of on land but never in the ocean, so this is good training for them. They have too much energy and too much rivalry between them, and a lot of restless energy that needs to be released. We have been on standby for days so…let them have their fun.”

  Guilt filled me. I looked away and searched for them, and my heart stopped when I couldn’t find them until I saw splashing. My senses must have adjusted because there was no way I would have normally seen that far. I could see the outline of both Ti and Vik close to the mountain line. Vik was ahead by several strokes.

  Vik was slowing down. With his bulk, he would tire easily. Ti kept the same pace but was catching up with him. As they got closer, Ti put on a burst of speed and was a head faster than Vik. They were neck and neck as Vik caught up with only a few yards left. When they were almost in front of us, Ti propelled herself forward to gain the advantage and passed Alec with Vik soon following.

  Behind us, Ti resurfaced with a big grin on her face. She was breathing hard, but in between breaths, she said, “Who’s the better swimmer now?”

  Vik scowled at her. “Well, I could hold my breath longer, so…”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re such a sore loser.”

  “How am I a sore loser? I’m simply stating the facts.” He shrugged his burly shoulders. “You might have speed, but I can stay under longer, which is a great asset,” he said smugly.

  “Whatever. How about two out of three?”

  “Deal!”

  I rolled my eyes and swam away. I felt a tug on my foot, and I went under, but this time I was ready with a lung full of air. I flipped under water and was free from Alec, so I took off and swam fast. I disapparated and appeared behind him. He surfaced and looked around, but I snuck up behind him and tackled him. I cackled a laugh and swam to shore as I heard him splutter.

  I joined Celeste as we saw Alec emerging like a drowned rat. A sexy, sexy rat. His muscles flexed, and his defined abdominal muscles contracted as he jogged closer. My eyes once again trailed that V.

  “Watching you four is highly amusing.”

  My face flushed. “Are we being insensitive with you being alone?”