It, in fact, did really fucking rattle me. Especially on the final night of my study session when I decided to really give this my all and dive into every book I could consume on beast taming. No distractions—that’s what I’d told myself. I was set to meet Ronan tomorrow morning, and honestly, I’d been so on edge the past few days with my father demanding to know everything I’d learned each day that the fear of failing this made me struggle to focus.
Yet here the fallen angel was, sauntering into the room, a full distraction with his perfect jawline and bright blue eyes that ensnared me from the first moment our eyes clashed. He walked around like he owned the place—as if it wasn’tillegalfor him to be here.
A heavy sigh fell from him before he turned on his heel to give me his full attention. With narrowed eyes, he snapped, “Don’t worry, Angel, you made that abundantly clear.”
Fire burned into my chest at his tone, and I shoved to my feet, stomping over to him. “Excuse me, but what the hell did I do to deserve that tone?”
I wouldn’t let anyone speak to me that way, and I was maybe a little bit on edge already. The condescension that dripped from his words had my exhausted body roaring to life with the desire to rock his world in a whole new way—with my fist.
My brow pinched together as he lowered his hulking body down until he was eye level with me. His finger shoved into my chest, just above the curve of my breast. “You told me, and I quote,“This can never happen again, because I could go to jail if anyone finds out—fuck my life,”before running away without even saying goodbye.”
A rumble of discontentment rolled through me as he mocked me, uncomfortably nailing my voice. I couldn’t help my hands flying all over the place as I rebutted, “But that’s the truth! How can you hold menotwanting to go to jail against me?”
I’d be an absolute liar if I said I didn’t notice the way his finger slipped down slightly on my chest and how his eyes kept dropping to my lips as I spoke. My heart rate increased in response, lips parting as I waited for what was to come.
The inexplicable draw that crackled between us like lightning was still present and crawling beneath my skin, drawing me in. It made no sense, though. I knew nothing about him, and he sure as hell didn’t know me. That apparently didn’t matter to our bodies, though, which knew each other intimately.
I couldn’t imagine the level of embarrassment I’d suffer if he found out he was my first.
His words were barely a whisper as his finger trailed a path upward before his hand firmly cupped my cheek. “Some of us are willing to risk breaking Alfemir’s precious rules if it means finding our place in this world and keeping our wings. It just takes a little bit of courage and a leap of faith.”
His words hit me like a stack of bricks, deflating the fight within me. I understood that now more than ever, with it finally hitting me how little time I had left to figure out my affinity or risk losing the most precious thing to our being. My wings.
He was young enough to have fallen under the new law of ripping our wings off instead of allowing us to transition to black wings and a new life. That meant he dipped and broke the law before they came for him.
My words were equally as soft as my eyes lowered and I answered, “Some of us don’t have a choice. My family is already disgraced by my lack of an affinity. I couldn’t further their shame.”
Could I do the same, though, if it really came down to the last month of being eligible to find my affinity? I’d be branded not only a fallen, but a criminal as well, and would spend the rest of my life worried about being hunted down.
“I understand, far more than you realize.”
Questions jumped into my head at his whispered admission, but as the Text Keeper tasked with assisting library guests for the day passed to say we had about half an hour before they closed, my mouth snapped shut.
I took a few steps back, slapping my hand to my forehead as I processed this situation. I was carrying on a casual conversation with him in public. His mere presence was treasonous, therefore conversing with him was as well.
Fuck, what was I getting myself into?
He waited until she wasn’t within listening distance before letting that cocky attitude of his come roaring back with a vengeance. As he took steps toward me, I mirrored him, taking a few back. That is until my back hit the rough wood bookcase behind me, blocking my path. He took full advantage of the situation and stepped into my space, placing his hands on the shelves near my waist, trapping me as I stared up at him.
My breath caught at the intensity pooling in his eyes. Frustration welled within me as I tried to understand it but was met with a wall. He didn’t want me to understand him. Well…tough shit. If he was going to gamble with my life by coming around, I wanted to know exactlywhoI was taking the risk for.
“Tell me who you are and why you keep showing up here, or else I’ll alert that Text Keeper to your presence.” My tone left no room for argument, and I let the challenge fill my eyes, daring him to see if I was bluffing.
He was too quick to respond, his words sounding practiced, “My name is Carter, and I’m here as a member of the resistance to take back something that was left behind by a Text Keeper before he was banished.”
I believed there was a layer of truth somewhere between the bullshit he was serving me, but that wasn’t going to cut it.
I held my hand up, stopping him from going any further. “Try again, and this time without the lies. Last chance.”
A brief flicker of shock flashed through his eyes at the same moment his mouth opened, yet nothing came out.
“What?” I quipped with a knowing smirk, “Cat got your tongue?”
He flipped the script on me—fast. Dropping his lips to caress the edge of my ear as he spoke, he practically purred, “Your cat did indeed have my tongue, Little Star.” My brain short circuited at the nickname and the memory of his tongue flicking across my clit. I barely registered the rest of his husky words. “Too bad we can’t have round two. Since that’s the case, I have a job to do and the clock is ticking.”
He turned over his shoulder and took a step away, snapping me out of my momentary stupor. He wasn’t getting away that easily. Letting my voice raise, I quickly called out, “Mrs. Sadria?”
As soon as I called out for her, he stopped in his tracks, whipping his head over his shoulder to glare daggers at me. Ilowered my voice for just his ears, “Oh, did you think I wouldn’t follow through on my threat? From our night together, you should know that I always finish what I start.” I almost swore I saw a small billow of smoke coming from his ears.
