Love.

A strange word for someone who swore to never want to feel it again.

But that's exactly the word to describe the feeling I get in my heart when I look at Acker.

Okay, I'll stop there. That's way too sweet for me.

I love him and that's it. That's the important thing.

"Oh wow." Julie breathed heavily when I told her everything. "I will never take a vacation again."

"Stop." I laughed and took a sip from the glass in front of me.

"I mean it. You crashed, you got kidnapped, your brother got shot, Mason is dead and Sebastian told you he loved you and you said it back." She summed up our half-hour conversation in a few words. "I was home for two days!"

"Shh." I tried to calm her down since we are at Eddie's and there are people around.

"I'll stick to your side." She pointed her finger at me threateningly.

"While I appreciate that, I don't think you thought it through. What would happen to Eddie?"

"All right." She leaned against the chair. "Maybe you are right." She tried not to smile, but I could see what his name was doing to her.

"So how are you two doing?"

"Good." Her cheeks flushed. "Better than good." She laughed. "I know I should be careful, but it's hard. I think about him 24/7. I really think there's something wrong with me."

I smiled at her, but also at Eddie, who was slowly walking towards us and obviously hears Julie.

I could be a good friend and tell her he's behind her, but I want to see her face when she realizes he's behind her.

So I let her talk.

"I get stupid butterflies in my stomach just when he looks at me. I feel like a high school girl." She rested her face in her hands. "It's childish, I know, but I can't help it. You'd know what I'm talking about if you woke up next to him in the morning with the sun shining on his face and his hair tousled. He's so adorable and I feel like the biggest fool, as I watch him. Can you imagine what he'd see if he woke up? I'm staring at him like he is...what do I know. The Northern lights?"

At that moment, I couldn't take it anymore. I started laughing at the top of my lungs and didn't really care who could see and hear me.

"It's not funny, Maya." I could hear the desperation in her voice.

"I'd say it's adorable." I saw Julie freeze at Eddie's voice.

"Shit." She whispered, her cheeks turning even redder.

"So what were you saying about the Northern lights?" He put his hands on her shoulders, and it was obvious that Julie wanted to crawl under the table to disappear.

Laughing, I stood up and patted Eddie on the shoulder. "Hurt her and I'll castrate you," I said with a smile.

"I'm aware of that." He laughed with me and sat down next to Julie, whose look screamed for me not to leave her there alone.

She can handle it.

"You know you don't have to come to see me all the time, right?" I walked over to the bar and sat on a high chair next to Acker. "Nobody's following me anymore. Except you."

"What, you already bored of seeing my face?" He laughed. "I'm going to have to let you down, I'm not going anywhere." He leaned towards me and gave me a quick kiss. "So how did it go?" He nodded his head towards Julie and Eddie.

"All right." I nodded. "Have you called your brother yet?"

He's been avoiding it all day. He said he would call him in the morning and say he was staying in Seattle. It's eight o'clock in the evening.

I know I shouldn't push him into anything, but if he tells his brother he's staying, I'll feel better. I will know that he means it and that this is not just some dream.

"No." He exhaled heavily, placed the glass in front of him, and straightened up. "And I won't be calling him."

"What?" I felt like I was going to run out of breath right now. Did he change his mind? A few seconds ago he said he wasn't going anywhere.

"I don't need to call him, I'll go to him personally. I'll also take more things."

"Oh." I breathed a sigh of relief. Shit, I freaked out more than I should have.

"And you know what's the best part?" He smiled. "You're coming with me." He pointed his finger at me.

I'm doing what now?



I'm taking Maya to New York.

Words I didn't think would ever be real. But now it's different. I know what I want.

Her.

And since I want her, that means I'm staying in Seattle. And that means that everyone can't wait for me back in New York.

Maya wanted me to call Killian and tell him but I decided to do it differently.

We fly there early in the morning, before the sun rises, spend one night there and return sometime in the evening.

That's my plan, which obviously makes Maya nervous as she runs around the room like a crazy person saying "what should I pack".

With my hands behind my head on her bed, I watch as she flies from the closet to the small suitcase next to me.

"Please stop smiling like that." She snapped me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"This isn't funny. What if..." She couldn't finish as I pulled her hand to my chest. "Acker!" She screamed.

So Acker and not Sebastian. She's not that upset.

"Maya Carter, is it just me or are you afraid my siblings won't like you?" I smiled at her amused.

"Stop." She looked at me seriously. "I just want to make a good first impression, that's all."

"It seems to me," I ran my hand through her hair, "that you care what they're going to think about you. I thought you didn't care what other people thought of you."

"Yes, but these are not just any people." She rested her hands on my chest and sat up, my hands sliding to her hips. "This is your family."

"They'll like you, trust me. You have nothing to worry about." I tried to calm her down even though she looks adorable when she's nervous.

"They are your brothers."

"You'll only meet two of my siblings. Killian and Kai are the only ones in New York. Finn and Val aren't even there."

"What about your niece?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, Lucy and Lyssa will be there too, but that's about it."

"Theo and Luna?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You know what?" I grabbed her hips tightly and threw her under me. I rested my knee on the mattress between her legs. "Enough. You're overthinking it. They're just normal people."

"But..."

"No buts." I interrupted her. "Now let me help you relieve some of that stress, love." The corner of my mouth lifted into a small smile.

If I don't get between her legs in the next minute, I feel like I'm going to die.

She laughed when she realized what I was going to do. "Then you should start."

God, I love her.

*****

I walked past the car to Maya, who was looking fearfully at the villa in front of her. I intertwined my fingers with hers and spoke. "It will be fine."

"This is huge." She said without taking her eyes off the villa.

Looking at it now, she's right. Compared to her small apartment, this villa is pretty big.

"It's huge, isn't it?" We heard Theo behind us, who was just getting out of the car, helped by Luna.

"So it is." Maya almost whispered.

"Let's go." I laughed at how nervous she looked and strode to the door, dragging her behind me.

"Why are the bodyguards standing here?" She asked quietly when we were almost at the door. "Oh, I forgot, mafia." She rolled her eyes and I just smiled. "Sounds like something out of psychiatry." She murmured.

I opened the door to the villa and pulled her inside. She stopped for a short moment and scanned the corridor.

I can't wait for her to see my home. I don't even know why. It's just something we can do together, and for some reason, it makes me happy and excited.

"Anyone home?" I shouted and the only response was an excited child's scream. Lucy.

"What if she doesn't like me?" I was pulled by the hem of my T-shirt.

"Just give her some candy and it'll be fine. It worked for me." I shrugged and waited for Lucy to rush out of the living room.

"Uncle Sebastian!" shouted Lucy, who didn't even stop, just ran straight to me and jumped into my arms. Not even two seconds later, Odin was running after her.

"Well, you've grown up." I bent down to pick her up. "Hello, little devil." I smiled at my niece who threw her arms around my neck.

"I've missed you." She said into my shoulder.

"Missed you too." I hugged her tightly. "I want you to meet someone." I slowly pulled her away from me. "This is Maya." I pointed at Maya next to me. "My girlfriend."

Lucy eyed her carefully while Maya was clearly out of her element.

"She is pretty." Finally, Lucy said and I couldn't be more proud of her.

Maya obviously relaxed and even smiled. "You're far more prettier."

Lucy laughed. "She's funny."

"Where are your..." I didn't even have time to finish and other people started to emerge from the living room.

"It was about time."



Where did all these people come from?

First of all, Lucy is the most beautiful and sweetest child I have ever met. And what's even better, she doesn't need someone to change her diapers. She is big.

And she has a little bodyguard in the form of a dog, who is said to be called Odin. He is adorable.

"It was about time." The first guy who had a shaved head and a huge smile spoke up as he approached Acker. He slowly put Lucy on the ground and they hugged. "I didn't think I'd ever miss your face, brother." He laughed in a rough voice.

They pulled away from each other, Acker's hands on the guy's shoulders. "Maya, this is Kai. Kai, Maya." He pointed at me and I uncomfortably shifted my weight to my other leg.

"So it's because of you that my brother stayed in Seattle." I opened my mouth to say something, but he beat me to it. "How did you last so long with him?" He came to me, took my hand, kissing the back of it.

"Okay, stop that." He was pulled away from me by Acker.

"What? I'm just welcoming her here."

"Kai," Acker said warningly and I couldn't help but smile. I love when he's jealous. Although I didn't expect him to be jealous of his own brother.

"Just kidding, brother." He patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down. You have nothing to worry about, do you?" Kai winked at me and at that moment backed off, as Acker wanted to catch him and do God knows what to do to him.

"Kids. I mean it." I heard a woman's voice and shifted my gaze to two people close to me.

A woman who had long brown hair, a beautiful figure, and arms crossed over her breasts. And a guy who was looking lovingly at the woman next to him while Lucy stood at his feet.

This must be Lyssa and Killian.

That Killian who is able to kill me if I somehow threaten his family.

Oh God.

But hedoesn't look as menacing as I imagined. A bit younger than I expected actually.

"This is Killian, the oldest of us, and Lyssa, who apparently come back from the dead."

"You're still not funny. I'm glad some things never change." Lyssa laughed and walked over to me. She offered me her hand and I happily accepted it. "Nice to meet you and at the same time I'm telling you to get away while you have time."

"Okay, that's enough." Acker came up to me. "Stop scaring her."

"She looks like he can handle it. I don't know how you ended up with him."

"Five seconds and you're already insulting me. Unbelievable. Is there something you want to say?" He looked at his oldest brother.

I swallowed hard when he started walking towards us. When Lyssa suddenly isn't standing next to him and he isn't smiling at her, he looks a little scarier.

He stopped right before me and I didn't know what to expect.

"Nice to finally meet you." He gave me his hand and I looked at it for probably too long.

"You too." I got out of myself.

"I'm glad my brother finally found someone." He said with a stern expression. "But I will need to know from you how you manage him on a daily basis." He smiled slightly and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, you know what? I'll never bring anyone again. You're just putting me down." Acker pulled me to him by the hips.

"Come on, you know we love you," Kai spoke up behind him.

"Speak for yourself." Another female voice was heard, which I already know. Luna.

We all laughed except Lucy, who probably didn't understand anything, and Acker, who probably didn't think it was funny.

This isn't as scary as I thought it would be.

I feel good here. Really good.

Like...like I belong somewhere.