Then, I finger my clit until I’m grinding and squeezing and crying out his name.
And I’ve never felt more out of control.
“Amazing. So gods-damn amazing,” Broderick groans, and I can feel him trying to see me in the darkness.
As pleasure pulses through my nerves, I allow a touch of my fire out.
Just enough to glow.
“Hold me,” I command.
Instantly, he’s upright, his arms wrapping tight around my torso, his lips dragging down my neck and along my collarbone. Broderick rocks his hips, thrusting up into me and prolonging my orgasm—or maybe starting a new one.
All I know is that when he shouts my name, movements erratic, I join him in the euphoria.
Even better than my freedom from fear.
16
OPHELIA
The morningof Galen’s Gauntlet, I find myself bending over a bush, throwing up.
I might be slightly nervous.
“This is normal!” Niko calls out encouragingly. “Lots of top competitors get nauseous right before a competition. Let it all out!”
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about having allies, especially when one is a well-known grump. But Jack and Niko have been awesome these past few weeks. We relocated my daily swimming lessons to the MacNamara dock since it was much larger than the library one and turned them into swim lesson/strategy sessions.
If Broderick was bothered by our sexy times getting postponed due to an audience, he kept his opinions to himself. Also, he spent most nights in the Airstream with me, making up for lost time.
In addition to coming up with plans for dealing with potential Gauntlet obstacles, I also used the time with Owen,Niko, and Jack to instill the knowledge that not all men are looking to hurt or imprison me.
My father and the sorcerer were outliers. Not the norm.
Though Niko did make it clear that our alliance lasted until the final task at the latest. There could only be one winner, and he intended for that to be him.
When I asked what his motivation was, the kappa explained to me that in addition to the prestige of the title and the cash prize, there were perks around town. Bonus prizes. And there was a particular complimentary service he had his eye on.
Back when I was fashioning my glass gifts, I’d stopped by the IT department at Ramla, where Jack worked, and asked him what his friend liked.
He’d simply said, “A wolf.”
Not wanting to push, I had taken that and run with it. I hadn’t understood it at the time, but when I was reviewing the prize list, I saw that there was a year of free haircuts offered by Veronica, who also happened to be the alpha of the werewolf pack that had moved into town last year.
Could it be that Niko has acrushon a certain werewolf?
I figure if we become close enough friends, one day, I’ll find out.
When I asked Jack why he wanted to win, the werewolf shrugged and grumbled, “I don’t.”
Which I took to mean, the guy entered this competition with the sole intent of helping his best friend reach the finish line first.
After that, his grumpiness lost most of its intimidation factor.
But now, I’m plenty terrified as we make our way to the starting line.
What if I forget how to swim?
