“Oh, beautiful.I’m sorry too.I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
“You didn’t actually yell,” Wave whispered.She still felt the need to cry, but held it in check.“And I deserved it,” she added.
“I—it really drives me nuts when you do that.”
“Do what?”Wave carefully leaned back and looked up at Hellion.
“Act like you don’t deserve the world laid out for you.”
“Hellion,” Wave tried to laugh, but it got strangled in her throat.
Why would he think that?He didn’t know her.If he did, he wouldn’t think that.If he knew the truth, he wouldn’t view her as a gifted mid-tier, but as an out-of-control high tier.And that was if he knew just the one half.If he knew it all… Wave shuddered.She liked Hellion.Hell, she liked them all to some extent.None of that mattered if her siren heritage came to light.
Liaranddeceiverwould be the nicest words hurled at her then.Manipulator of men, scourge, killer, murderer, mindbender, leech… those would be more accurate.
“Yeah, that look.That look drives me nuts.It flitters over your face from time to time when you think no one is looking.”
Wave tried to pull back from him, but Hellion didn’t let go.He pulled her in tighter and whispered into her ear, “I won’t ask, Wayla.Not when I’m not ready to share all my secrets yet, but it still drives me nuts.”
“You shouldn’t—”
“Let me worry about what I should and should not do.”
“But you don’t have all the information,” Wave protested.
“Neither do you, beautiful.Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t see where this goes.”He kissed the top of her head and then changed his tone.“Now, have we calmed down enough that we can keep going?Marc’s waiting with a lesson plan to make you cry.”
“Like that’s a good thing.”
Hellion grinned and tugged her forward as he started walking.“You’ll thank him when it saves your life someday.”
Chapter 31 – Marc
Marcwasnervous,whichwas stupid, except that he was, and the reason was ridiculous.Wayla was the first girl in all these decades he had taken home to visit voluntarily.It shouldn’t matter, but it did.Not because of what his family thought of her, but what she would think of him after the visit.
Well, he hoped Tanner liked her, but Wayla was pretty and funny.Of course, his little brother would like her.He had good taste, like him.Marc would be shocked if his father showed his face for more than two seconds.
He had made plans to pick up Wayla after lunch.They would take the jet and fly over.It was a short flight, at least with the magical boosters, they should be able to be back before midnight.Wayla didn’t want to miss her classes on Monday, and Marc had no intention of spending the night.
It was all planned out and in order.Her bag was packed and stood next to his.So why was he jumping out of his skin?
Marc tried to focus on something else, but his thoughts slipped into their previous training.Wayla still couldn’t pull the shield in place.She got the concept, but she just couldn’t make it happen.
He had resorted to training external shields with her to hide his frustration.Her frustration had been clearly evident.Still, an external shield, if she was fast enough to pull it up in time, could, at least partially, protect her from power buildups.
It wasn’t good enough, and they both knew it.Jarred knew it.Hellion knew it.Everyone in the house knew it.External shields were a defense against straightforward attacks.They didn’t encompass everything, like internal shields would.
Power buildups were mostly a harmless nuisance, even the one she had just gone through.The approaching Hell Moon and the power surges it brought could tear some unlucky being to shreds.They were running out of time.
Marc glanced at the calendar on his phone, which confirmed what he already knew.Hell Moon was rising way too soon for his comfort.He should cancel this stupid trip and train her more.
“Don’t you dare,” Hellion said from the doorway.
“What?”
“That’s your ‘I want to back out of this’ face.Don’t you dare cancel on Wayla after she sucked it up and accepted all those clothes, luggage, and things gracefully.”
“Why wouldn’t she have…” Marc trailed off in the face of Hellion’s disbelieving stare.“Um… Was there ever a doubt she would accept them?”
