Finding Ella

Chapter 8

The next few days went by relatively quietly for Ella and the guys. Ella spent time resting and recuperating, allowing her injuries to heal and giving her fractured psyche a chance to calm down and rest. The guys whiled away their time working in their control room that reminded Ella of the Batcave, working out in the enormous gym in the basement, training with their weapons or hanging out with Ella. They were clearly trying to help her be more comfortable around them and she was grateful for their patience.

Storm was attentive and caring, checking her injuries regularly and ensuring she was eating properly and getting enough rest. The healer in him unable to bear her suffering in anyway without trying to help. His gentle manner and calm nature meant Ella quickly grew accustomed to having him close by and she began to take comfort in his presence.

Her many smiles and even a few laughs were definitely the result of Blaize's antics. He was clearly the daredevil of the group, always laughing, especially when he was playing practical jokes on his older brothers. Ella wasn't so sure she'd be brave enough to put food dye in Ryder's shampoo. The huge blonde Viking looked like a raging bull as he bellowed his outrage and chased Blaize around the house and out into the grounds. He was dripping wet from the shower, his hair still soaped up and fluorescent green, and a look of pure murder on his face. The towel he clutched around his waist dipped dangerously low and Ella almost swallowed her tongue as she stared at his impressive physique. Eventually Ryder had given up the chase, swearing a blue streak at his brother before stomping back into the house. He looked like a disgruntled schoolboy having a tantrum and Ella had to bite her lip to keep from laughing in front of him.

The twins didn't often engage in the revelry with the others, but they did join in on the occasional Grand Theft Auto or Halo tournament. Ella tried a couple of times but wasn't any good; it was fine with her though because she preferred to watch the friendly rivalry between the brothers anyway. Whenever Wolf or Hunter decided to join in, it was immediately a chance for one of their younger brothers to try and bring them down a peg or two. Unfortunately for them, the twins were as good at video games as they were anything else.

There had really only been one incident in the few days since their shopping expedition that had caused Ella to revert back to fight or flight mode. It had been during breakfast two days later, when they were all gathered in the kitchen and dining area, laughing and talking as they waited for the food to be ready. Wolf had been on chef duty that morning and was methodically cooking up a healthy feast in the enormous kitchen. Hunter and Blaize were already sitting at the table talking about a new client they were meeting with later that day, Ryder was leaning against the doorframe cradling a cup of coffee between his hands and Storm was just wandering in, rubbing his belly and yawning wide enough that his jaw cracked.

"Ella, can you set the table please?" asked Wolf from his place in front of the stove.

"Sure," she said with a quick nod.

Jumping up, she went over to the cupboards and pulled out some plates and cutlery. Walking back to the table, she was intercepted by Storm who took them from her hands and said, "I've got this, why don't you bring over the orange juice and some glasses?"

Giving him a grateful smile, she turned back and walked over to the cupboards above the benchtop. She reached up on her tiptoes to open one of the overhead cupboards and grabbed some glasses. Lowering until her feet were back on the ground, she set the glasses on the counter and shut the cupboard.

"Dammit Blaize!" roared Hunter from behind her.

Ella jumped a foot in the air and swung around to see what was going on. As she did, she accidentally swept the glass salad bowl that had been left out from the night before off the counter. The bowl fell to the tiled floor below, smashing into a thousand pieces and silencing the room.