I head toward the large hut in the center of the camp, where Mar and a few other witches are preparing dinner for the clan. They bow when they see me—which I immediately shut down. Their reverence sours, however, when they witness my tragic lack of domestic flair in the kitchen. I take their orders, grateful for the distraction from Zadyn.
He’s already walking better by the time he and Kai step through the door. His color has improved so much, and he’s barely giving his full weight to the cane. Our eyes link as he sits down at the long table across from me. I feel a little surge of nerves in my stomach.
His hair is still wet, turning the caramel strands a shade darker. He pushes it back, looking like a fucking Abercrombie & Fitch model. A single droplet slides down his neck, and I have to physically fight the urge to lick it up.
Holy shit, what is wrong with me?
He must notice my unabashed gawking because he gives me a funny look and asks, “Are you okay?”
To which I reply, notyes. Notno. But (drumroll)…
“Thank you.”
Thank you?Fucking idiot.
That was embarrassing,Furi grumbles.
Hey. Get out of my head.
Zadyn chuckles, reaching for the glass in front of him. My eyes find his hand, and my mind flashes to earlier.
How those same strong hands pulled me onto his lap. How they dug into my skin. How they rocked my hips just the way he wanted them. I could feel how hard he was beneath me, and that spurred meon further, knowing how badly he wanted me. And from what I could tell, he was—packing.
God damn it, Serena.
What’s got you blushing over there?Zadyn’s words echo in my mind.
Oh. Nothing. I was definitely not thinking about your dick or anything.
I’m not blushing.
I’m looking at you right now, and I can assure you—you are.
Red as the blood of my enemies,Furi tacks on.
Stop eavesdropping, damn it,I shoot back, redirecting my focus to Zadyn.
Maybe stop looking at me then.
I allow myself a single peek at him. The corner of his mouth curls up into a reckless smirk, flashing that damn dimple.
It can’t be helped, I’m afraid.
Un. Fair. He can’t say things like that to me! Not when I’m trying to be on my best behavior.
His foot grazes mine under the table—an accident, probably. But that doesn’t stop the spike of desire that rockets up my legs. I peer up at him through my lashes, devastated by his beauty.
I’m so torn between falling into this thing between us that is so clearly inevitable and fighting to keep my head above water. But he is wearing me down, and it’s only a matter of time before I go under.
I slam the door to my mind shut, worried that given one more second, he’ll be able to hear my thoughts as if I’d screamed them at him. For a moment, he looks hurt—confused.
This hot and cold act must be giving him whiplash, and if I could control it, I would. But it’s hard to think clearly around him. Shutting him out is for his own good until I know how to navigate this.
I try to participate in conversation to distract myself. But I can feel Zadyn nudging from the other side of that door.
He wants me to let him in. He’s assured me time and again that he knows me—the darkest parts and the lightest—and that he isn’t afraid. And that nothing I could do—even shoving a dagger through his heart—would break the bondbetween us.
He will always love me. Which makes this all the more difficult.
