Onyx groaned as sunlight woke him up.

Demi laid on his chest, snoring softly.

It'd been a couple days since they came back from Lake Geneva, they had a meeting to recollect and review what each group had found. He knew Knox and Ezra came across some information.

He barely wanted to go.

He just wanted to stay and be wrapped around Demi. He knew it was because they'd been attached at the hip while she healed, a reminder of these Humans were just more stress.

A reminder of his fuck up, more like.

He lifted Demi's shirt, checking her wounds. Her skin was healed over completely, the lightning scars were now a lighter pigment against her skin instead of an irritated red.

Her feet were another story, still wrapped in clean bandages. Her mother says she can walk, but in short increments.

Demi furrowed her brow, a frown tugging at her lips. He glanced up at her, wary of her waking up.

Demi groaned lowly, clutching her stomach as she turned her back to him. Onyx slipped his hand under her own, rubbing the area gently.

Her eyes opened slowly. Onyx knew this could mean nothing good, Demi never woke up this early.

She sat up abruptly, beginning to roll to the bathroom.

Onyx barely had enough time to catch her from falling off the bed.

He lurched and gripped her waist, cradling her as he grunted.

"Need the bathroom," she had a sour look on her face.

"You feel okay?"

"Mhm, just have cramps."

He rose a brow, cramps... he tried to rack his brain. Why did he feel like that meant something else?

Demi could feel his confusion as he helped her up.

"I'm getting my period," she explained to him. His eyes widened in understanding. He'd never had to deal with anyone on their period, he didn't know how to help her.

"What can I do to make you feel better?"

She smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth. "Need to go to the bathroom, then I'll be back."

Onyx nodded slowly, she held his hand until she was too far away and their hands dropped. Onyx sat in his boxers as he tried to think of how to help.

Gods, he wished he could be normal for just a second.

He quickly gripped his phone, searching up how to help a person on their cycle.

Demi walked back out, wearing a nighttime pad until she decided to get dressed for
later. She was glad she caught it before she bled through her shorts.

She didn't notice Onyx on his phone while simply walking straight into him. He was surprised momentarily as Demi collapsed on top of him.

He hummed as she flopped over his body, he swiftly turned to spoon her. Onyx ran his hand over her stomach, trying to keep her warm.

"Do you need me to get you anything? Water? Do you have a heating pad?" He nuzzled her shoulder.

Demi smiled smally, shaking her head tiredly.

Within the next two hours, Onyx had to get up. He had gotten out of bed without waking his mate, successfully. He'd been going through his drawer for clothes and heard her getting up as well.

Without looking back he gruffed, "Go back to sleep."

Demi didn't listen as she pushed herself to go to her side of the dresser. The other day she'd insisted he have half of the bureau so he doesn't have to go back and forth to get dressed.

Onyx didn't want to admit how his chest tightened at the notion.

She grabbed underwear before turning to him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Onyx," she began as she hugged him tightly. He was surprised but grasped her hips nonetheless.

He hummed for her to continue.

"You've never dealt with anyone on their period, right?" she asked quietly. He shook his head slowly, wondering where she was going with this.

"Okay well, mine only last for three days or so. But it sucks very bad and I'm going to be clingy. And cranky, but probably not at you."

She let go of him as she went to her closet to grab an outfit. He rose a brow but absorbed the information.

He saw her grabbing a long skirt and furrowed a brow, "Don't you want to be comfortably today."

Demi threw her underwear at him with a frown, "Pants are not comfortable."

He rolled his eyes as he took the underwear off of his face and allowed her to take them back. Not cranky at him, my ass.

Onyx was cleaning up some of her room, already dressed himself when Demi walked out.

He glanced up and momentarily paused.

She wore a white lace tank top, with a dark floral skirt that brushed the floor. Demi was instructed to keep her feet bare for a while, with thick wrappings as her painted toes peaked out from the skirt. 

She was combing her hair that flowed with the movement of the skirt, walking straight for him.

He kissed her gently when she was close enough, "You look delicious." She smiled into the kiss at the compliment, gripping the top of his pants.

"So do you, mister." And it was true, Onyx wore a muscle tee, showing off his physique. Athletic pants hugged his muscular legs and she realized he probably had something to do with the pack later.

Once they were downstairs Demi hopped towards her mother who was reading through something. She clung to her and Elora laughed heartily, petting her daughters hair.

She gave a knowing look to Onyx, Demi was so clingy on her cycle.

"The gathering for our next move is in a couple minutes," Elora said towards Onyx. He nodded as he gripped something for Demi to eat.

"Knox said he found a lead but we're not sure how sound proof it is."

Onyx handed Demi a yogurt, not taking no for an answer while looking at Elora.

"Whatever it is, I can take my group to verify it."

Demi's head snapped up, going to speak but choking on her yogurt.

"I wanna' go!" She choked out.

He rose a brow at her in amusement but softly shook his head. "Not until you're feet are healed."

Before she could argue, her mother backed him up.

"He's right, honey. You can't walk for more than twenty minutes at a time. You can stay here with me. Keko and I need your help anyways, and it's something you can do sitting."

Her lip jutted out, she hated being separated from Onyx.

He reached and ran his thumb over her hand while reviewing whatever file her mother was looking over.

It wasn't long before Elora rounded them both into the dining room. Where everyone could fit and sit.

~

Knox was trying to speak over everyone who was jabbering on about unimportant things they'd found.

Ezra and Lacey were both talking about humans they'd came across. Bragging about how easily they were taken down. Demi and Kekoa both looked at each other in annoyance.

Demi, who was holding Onyx's hand in her lap and sat between him and her father, gripped the closest thing.

It was a stapler.

She chucked it at Ezra's head.

"What the fuck?!" Ezra yelled as he ducked.

"Let Knox talk."

She was shaking her leg anxiously as she huffed in annoyance.

She felt her fathers gaze on her and looked up at him.

He laughed at the irritated look on her face. Demi couldn't stop herself from grinning and shoved at her dad.

"I'm glad you thought that was funny dad. It's really obvious you don't have a favorite," Ezra scoffed sarcastically.

"Oh stop it," Demetri waved. "You know I love you boys. You were just dragging on a bit."

Knox cleared his throat, "Thank you, Demi."

He spared her a wary glance, relieved to see a satisfied grin tug at her lips.

Onyx smoothed his hand down to her knee to calm her jittery legs. Demi leaned and pressed her face tightly into his bicep. She was a ball of nerves as she was forced to think back to that poor Witch.

"My group found an underground bunker, it looked like they tried to destroy the entrance. We managed to find a way in and the bunker seemed like a stash of information. I mean the entire area was a mess of papers. We just finished going through them all this morning."

Knox passed out papers, copies of the most important information they'd found.

"We've got serial numbers, next to each of them there was a description and rating. We think they represent people. Whether they were experiments or Witches in particular we can't be sure yet," Knox's eyes cut to Demi worriedly.

"Before we buried the Witch Demi found, we searched her body for a number and matched it. It was on the base of her neck. The description matches the what you guys said. Apparently she was a low-level Witch at the time she was captured. No way near as powerful as whatever you dealt with. So, it seems that headset and whatever they did to her boosted up her powers majorly. Especially, if she messed Demi up as much as she did."

Demi met her brothers gaze, she saw the concern in his eyes. She gave him a soft smile, trying to ease his worry.

"With the description comes locations. We can only assume the locations are where they took these people from. And most of the coordinates are this village in the north. Clovis, it's a village off the coast."

"I'll take my men up there, we can scout it out and gather information." Onyx's dark gaze met Knox's yellow one. He nodded immediately.

Demetri piped up, "You're welcome to take some of our warriors."

Onyx shook his head, "We're used to doing these things in a small group. Besides less numbers gather less suspicion. Thank you though."

"When do you need us to leave?" Onyx asked.

Ezra rubbed his jaw, "Honestly, these fuckers are getting on my last nerve. Sooner the better."

Onyx couldn't agree more.

~

Surprise!! I'm posting the next three!!! chapters today hehe

cause i love the little group of reader we have going lolol

i like how this one kinda showed how Onxy really doesn't know jackshit about women lmao

i'll be posting the next two chapters right after this just cause i'm excited about the next phase of the book,
i think my posting schedule will be sunday and monday back to back!