He seemed to leave out Theodore and Gabriel on purpose. Probably because of their “girlfriends.”
She made a sound of frustration at him, wanting to kick him for vocalising all of that before the cameras, but then she realised it was probably a ploy of some kind to clear up the rumours circulating online that all of the Alphas were surrogating for her.
“Cian,” she huffed, refusing to look at the tall Alpha beside her, his skin warm as his arm brushed against hers. “Are you busy later?”
“How much later?” he returned, his voice carrying that husky quality that he usually reserved for flirting with everyone on camera.
He didn’t seem to give a single shit about his reputation.
“Five minutes.” She shoved some of her food into her mouth, eating as quickly as she could.
“For what?” Cian was leaning on the table now, bending down to peer at her, his eyes crinkling in amusement as her cheeks grew puffy with the amount of food she was trying to push through her lips.
She swallowed. “I want to go to the chapel.”
He nodded sagely. “You should definitely atone before you use me to ease your bond.”
“I’m not going to do anything to you.” She rolled her eyes, quickly filling her mouth again in the hopes that he dropped it.
He didn’t. “Should I use you, then?”
There was a hard thump under the table, and Cian let out a low, deep chuckle. “Fine, fine. Let’s go confess, Carter.”
“Thanks.” She managed around the rim of her soup bowl, having lifted it to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
She tried to set her chopsticks down several times, but each time Theodore only shook his head, nodding to the unfinished food on her tray. After the third time, he ducked his head down beside hers, whispering in her ear.
“I’ll let you go if you agree to watch a movie with me before you go to sleep tonight.”
She glanced at him, sucking in a short breath at how close his face was before quickly turning away again.
“Why?” she muttered.
“Dessert,” he answered.
“Fuck’s sake.” Oscar stood up suddenly, jostling his tray. “Let me out.”
He paused when he was out of the booth, glancing back to her and Theodore. “Group movie night,” he said stiffly. “In the common room.”
“Offer still stands,” Theodore whispered.
She dipped her head in a slight nod and he stood up, tugging her out of the booth. “Ready?” he asked Cian.
The other Alpha nodded, following them out of the hall and around the lake. Isobel was about to branch off and head to the residence on the other side of the chapel when Cian caught her arm, encouraging her into the chapel instead.
“There’s another exit through here,” he said, leading the way to a door mostly hidden along the back wall, behind the altar. He tried the handle, showing that it was unlocked, and opened it wide to reveal the outside wall of the Guardian’s residence.
“How’d you know that was there?” she asked.
“I come to the chapel sometimes.” For some reason, his eyes dipped to her chest. To the chain hidden beneath her shirt …？
“You follow the Gifted religion?” she guessed.
He only shrugged, nodding at the open doorway. She skipped past, Theodore following wordlessly, and the three of them skirted the wall, finding themselves at the propped-open gate.
She approached the front door, knocking softly, but it was also ajar, and it squeaked, falling open further as her knuckles connected with it.
A soft, strangled sob carried out to where they stood, and she almost darted forward, but Cian caught her shoulder, holding her back. Theodore pushed the door open the rest of the way, striding into the small kitchen.
“What happened?” He sounded alarmed. “Is anyone else here? Is he okay?”
“It’s just us.” Sophia sounded strained.
Isobel shrugged out of Cian’s hold and pushed into the room, finding Sophia and Luis on the floor, leaning against the kitchen cabinets. Luis was curled into a ball, his arms wrapped around his legs, his sobs small and terrified.
“Carter.” Sophia looked up at her, tension and relief fighting across her expression. “You came.”
“What happened?” Isobel tried to step forward, but Cian caught her again, his hands at her hips this time.
She glanced over her shoulder, catching his apologetic look before he tugged her back, pressing her hard against his body.
With a short sigh, she realised neither of the Alphas were going to let her near any strangers anytime soon.
“He has dreams,” Sophia explained, as Theodore knelt on Luis’ other side.
“You okay, little buddy?” He set a hand against Luis’ shoulder, completely dwarfing the small boy.
“What kind of dreams?” Cian and Isobel asked at the same time, the same note of wariness in both their voices.
Luis lifted his head, looking at Theodore, and then Cian, his eyes wide. When he glanced at Isobel, he paused, his glasses slipping off the edge of his nose, hanging precariously by his left ear, his face soaked in tears.
“We’re g-going to d-die,” he whimpered.
Cian cursed, releasing Isobel. They both fell to their knees before Luis, who kept staring at Isobel like he thought she could somehow save him.
“T-The gods like y-you,” he stuttered out, pointing to where her chain was hidden. “Y-You can ask them for help.”
Sophia pressed her hands over Luis’ ears, her attention passing between Isobel and the Alphas. “He said he heard sirens, screaming, alarms going off. And he said he saw me and mama dead in the chapel.”
She released Luis, popping up to fill a glass with water before returning and pressing it into his hands.
“Hi.” Cian held out his hand after Luis pushed the glass away. “I’m Ashford.”
“I know.” Luis quickly tried to right his glasses, his hand trembling violently as it disappeared in Cian’s grip. “I’m L-Luis.”
“How often do you have dreams that come true, Luis?” Cian reached over and straightened his glasses.
Luis made a squeaking sound, like he suddenly couldn’t talk.
“Maybe once or twice a year,” Sophia answered for him. “They’re never good … but they always come true.”
“That’s his first mistake.” Cian painted on a reassuring smile. “The divination ability is never certain. Unpractised users will make their own predictions come true simply by believing they will.”
Luis’ watery, mahogany stare was growing wider by the second.
“How far apart are the dreams from the incidents that occur?” Cian asked Sophia.
“Sometimes a month, sometimes the next day.” She slipped her hands beneath Luis’ arms. “Come on, grasshopper. Let’s go lie down, okay?”
They all stood, watching as his eyes grew unfocussed, his stance wobbly as Sophia pulled him to his feet.
“He’s about to crash hard,” Sophia explained. “If you have any other questions for him, you have a few minutes until he passes out.”
“I’ll take him.” Cian bent down, banding an arm around Luis’ legs and pulling him up to his wide chest. The little boy’s head immediately lolled onto Cian’s shoulder, his eyes fluttering shut.