“That’s nothing new.”
I almost snorted because he was right.
“I’m worried you’re going to push too far if I continue to let you get away with the little things.”
He tugged me to a stop and turned so we faced each other.
“You have one ‘Fenris, stop pushing me’ a day. Do you want to use today’s for this?” He lifted our joined hands between us and used his free hand to trace over the backs of my fingers.
My stomach clenched, and my vision flickered.
“I don’t think you want to,” he continued. “I think you like this. You said you trusted me. Trust me not to push too far, too fast. You can handle this.”
“Your confidence is my worst enemy,” I grumbled.
He grinned and lowered our hands, his hold secure.
“I can smell your nervousness. When are you going to realize that’s not something you need to feel around me?”
This time I did snort.
“There’s my girl. Now, let’s go find your druids.”
The muffled sound of raised voices echoed in the hall before we reached the pool.
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Fenris said a moment before I spotted Eras and his mermaids facing off with the druids just inside the pool area.
The group stopped yelling at the sound of the door opening. Eras’s angry face turned a deeper shade of red at the sight of us.
“I knew it!” he yelled. “This ends now.”
He lunged toward us, and several things seemed to happen at once. Fenris’s hand started to shake in mine. The mermaids hissed and went for the druids. And a cloud of dust exploded from Anne’s hand toward the mermaids.
Era’s black eyes locked on mine, and Fenris’s form began to shimmer.
The thing inside of me surged forward with too much force to deny.
“Fenris, no.”
He twitched beside me at the sultry sound of my voice, and the shimmer surrounding him disappeared.
Eras continued forward, unaware of his mermaids falling limply to the tiles behind him.
“Eras, your obsession with what I do with the druids needs to stop. This level of petty retribution is beneath you.”
His steps slowed.
“So you admit you stole my meal.”
I sighed, released Fenris’s hand, and moved toward Eras. The incubus’s eyes flickered at my approach, and I could sense his fear.
“Darling, don’t fear me. Celebrate me.” My lips curved upward. “On your knees.”
Eras immediately knelt.
“You wanted me to feed in front of you so you could know. Prepare yourself, Eras, to feel what it’s like to be my meal.”
Chapter Nineteen
