“If you have no magic, then the …badDamarians will have no reason to go after you, which will allow you to have a normal life.”
The sandy-blonde, average chick stared at Roan.She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip to the side.“And if we don’t want a normal life?”
Maddie’s eyes widened.Ooo-kay.That was blunt.She glanced around to see if she was the only one picking up on this chick’s vibes.And now she understood what was compelling.Confidence.The woman exuded it, wore it like a second skin.And this chick was feeling all sorts of confidence in her attraction for Roan.Maddie swallowed thickly.
Roan held the woman’s stare long enough that the tension in the room began to grow, and unless Maddie was reading the room wrong, it wasn’t the good kind of tension.Finally, just as Taras started to move, Roan spoke.“I’ve told you before, Celine, I’m not for you.”
Celine’s gaze jumped to Maddie, a brow rising as her lips pursed.
“Why are you looking at me like I just stole your lollipop?Get your flipping tattoo and see if it’s his face plastered on your bicep, then you’ll have your answer.”Typically, Katy was the most aggressive of their trio, but it seemed with Katy gone and Lola on lion duty, Maddie had jumped happily into that driver’s seat.
A hand gripped Maddie’s arm and started pulling her away, though not roughly.But Maddie tugged against it, which wasn’t helping things go smoothly.She jerked her arm again.
“Roan,” Lyra called out, causing them both to halt abruptly.
“Why are you dragging me off like an errant toddler?”Maddie rubbed her arm where he’d gripped her.
“Did I hurt you?”he asked quietly.
She frowned.“What?”
He motioned to where she held her arm.“Oh, no.”She shook her head.“Not at all.I’m just irritated.”
“With me?”Roan asked, his voice carefully blank.
Maddie shrugged.“Probably, but I’ve been irritated with you since I met you.So I don’t know what it feels like to not be irritated with you.”
“That’s fair.”
“Roan, please,” Lyra called out again.
“Come on.”He motioned for Maddie to follow him.
“Wait.”She pointed to herself.“I’m coming, too?”
“Where I go, you go.”
“Roan, I’m not going to run off.”Maddie wished he’d trust her.
“Hey.”
Maddie felt a hand on her face, and she was shaken from the memory.How long had she been standing there thinking about, well, mostly him?The guy standing right there, touching her.He touched her a lot, now that she thought about it.
“Here’s your room.”He motioned to a closed door.“I’m across the hall if you need anything.”
She narrowed her eyes.“To guard me?”
Roan blew out a breath, dropping his hand from her face, and then pinched the bridge of his nose.“No, to protect you.”
“Why?I mean, whyyou?”Maddie tossed up a hand.“Couldn’t, literally, any of Taras’s warriors protect me.”
Roan’s muscles flexed.The dangerous man—the one she’d seen outside of Lola’s room just before they’d faced Callon—suddenly stood before her.“Because it’smyjob.”
Then he left her standing there.He walked across the hall, opened his door, and stepped into his room, closing the door behind him.
Maddie stared at the shut door for what felt like forever.
Eventually, she heard his voice through the door.“Go to bed, Madeline.”
