King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

379

Sephie

I could hear Andrei snoring when I finally woke up. He was louder than Adrik, so I knew who I was sleeping on before I even opened my eyes. I would’ve been able to tell even if he wasn’t snoring. I wasn’t warm enough. It was almost warm enough, but not Adrik’s perfect warmth.

I opened my eyes, looking outside to try to get a feel for how late in the day it was. It was definitely afternoon, judging by the dim winter sunlight coming through the windows. I picked my head up to look at Andrei. He was pretty adorable when he slept. He was handsome anyway, but he had a boyish innocence to his face when he slept. I found myself watching him sleep for a few moments, enjoying his peacefulness.

He probably needed this extra sleep as much as I did. I hadn’t thought about it before now, but he had a new level unlocked between the match with Vitaliy’s men and what happened at the hotel. He was probably exhausted. I needed to check on Misha and Ivan to see how those two were doing after the last couple of days’ festivities.

I tried to get up as quietly as I could, but his giant arms were still wrapped around me. I knew he was trying to ensure maximum warmth as I slept. Poor guy must be having a heat stroke with me on top of him plus a blanket. He felt me trying to quietly move his arms and he woke up.

“I’m so glad you finally did this, spider monkey. I was exhausted too. You’re my favorite,” he said, letting go of me to rub his face in his hands.

I laughed. “i was just thinking about that. You got a new level unlocked. It always makes me exhausted when it happens. Are Misha and Ivan just as exhausted as you?”

“I think they’re okay. Boss said he’s never seen it affect Ivan this morning when he moved you out here.”

I thought for a minute. He was right. It had never affected Ivan the same way it did everyone else. “Huh. I never noticed, but you’re right. I knew he was a superhuman!” I said, laughing as I got off the couch and Andrei. I stood up to stretch, my joints popping like normal.

coffee table. He opened it and started typing. “I know if I’m

me? I mean, seriously. Stop toying with me already,” I said. He grinned at

me to his chest. “I love you, spider monkey. But

from him, feigning outrage. I clutched my chest. “It hurts, Bubba. It hurts right here,”

does mean sarcasm,” he said, smiling at me. I smiled at him, but the sadness from the night before came back. He picked up on it immediately. It seemed like Andrei was very quickly becoming very sensitive to my subtle mood changes, just like Ivan. He was almost as good as Adrik, especially considering it hadn’t been happening very long for him. “Don’t be sad, spider monkey. It changes nothing. It was just shocking last night when we saw the whi te eyes. Boss was

said, pulling me

few moments, then added, “all of this is strange for all of us, but we’ve had you to help us through it. You’ve had to deal with everything on

up at him. “Nobody thought you were going to figure it out this lifetime. You’re the youngest out of all of us,”

looked confused. “I’m older than

is older than yours. Your soul is the youngest.” I thought for a minute, then added, “which really just goes to show how smart and capable you are. You surprised

do you know this?”

handle the truth. I decided he could. “You know my dad is a bit of a guardian angel, righ for Adrik’s

he’d just answered the riddle.

you fish that out of my head or you

different about her. She has a glow that most people don’t have,”

seen that glow on?” I was curious if he’d picked up on

it now too. I never noticed it before he got hurt that day they tried to take you the first time. You and Boss do to but I don’t see it all the