Page 24 of Miles's Pact
"You're welcome, Miles. I'm glad I could help. I have to go now, but let me know if you need anything else."
"Of course. Thanks again."
Ending the call, I rested my head against the fence, tilting my head up just as a big droplet splashed onto my face, then another, and another until it was pouring. I stood there for another few moments before hurrying up to the back porch. I shook out the water in my hair, breathing in the scent of wet soil and oncoming lightning. The buzzing of my phone was enough to confirm my suspicions about the sudden change in weather even before I saw the text in the clan group chat.
Cam: They're hatching! My siblings are coming!
Congratulations were as immediate as the rain, and I added my own in the mix before heading inside.
"You heard?" Neel asked, shooting me a grin as he typed on his phone.
"Yep. That display out there told me before I even checked my texts," I said, waving toward the crackling sky.
Thunder boomed through the house, loud enough to make my heart jump, and I hoped Duckie was doing okay. This was his first time experiencing Raiden's power, and I hoped he wasn't afraid.
Still, I decided to check in with Mateo, glad he had his phone on him today.
Me: Where are you?
Mateo: On our way home. Cam and Micah left to go see the hatching.
Me: Got it. I'll be home soon. I have news.
"So, did you guys make a decision?"
It took them both a moment to remember what we'd been talking about before Neel nodded. Once I'd ordered enough tiles for the backsplash, I left them with a few more choices to make, escaping before they could start up another argument.
Mateo had dropped me off this morning before going to the haunted house, so I'd have to figure out how to get home on my own. I could fly, but I didn't want to risk it in this downpour. Walking would be far safer, even if it's slower.
I started heading toward home, keeping my head lowered as I tried to stick to the edge of the sidewalk, using the trees lining it as shields from the rain.
A car honk right by me made me jump, and I turned my head to see our car idling beside me, Mateo waving at me through the window. Thank fuck I wouldn't have to walk all the way back.
Duckie
"Duckie, can we talk? There's something I need to tell you," Miles said, and I nodded, curious what he wanted to say.
After we'd come home, Miles had gone upstairs to shower and change while Mateo made us some lunch. He'd made sandwiches, and cut mine up into tiny squares so I could eat them. It had made me want to give him a hug.
Miles had been quiet throughout lunch, which wasn't unusual for him, but this silence had felt weighted, and this was why.
What if he was going to tell me he was tired of waiting? What if he wanted to give up on me? I knew we were fated mates, but that didn't guarantee we'd end up together. What if I'd messed up my chance with him by not getting over the fear holding me back from shifting?
"Hey, hey, stop worrying. It's a good thing. I promise," he said as he sat down beside me on the couch, reaching out to cup the spot where my wing met my body. I gazed into his warm brown eyes and found only reassurance.
Okay, okay, I said through the bond, and he smiled.
Miles glanced over at Mateo, who nodded in encouragement, and I wondered if Mateo also knew whatever Miles wanted to tell me. They hadn't talked about it out loud, or I would've heard them. Had they discussed it through their bond?
"That day at the dads' house, when you told me about your past, I asked a cop friend of ours to look into it. I'd hoped I'd find something that could give you some form of closure."
I blinked, surprised. He'd done that? For me?
What did you find?I asked, wanting and not wanting to know at the same time. What if those horrible men were still out there? Would I ever feel safe enough to shift? Maybe I was better off not knowing.
"The men who did it are dead. They were arrested not long after that night, and they were later killed in prison."
The breath whooshed out of me, taking all my fear and anxiousness with it. They were gone. The men who had haunted my nightmares for all these years were just... gone.
