Then he flits. Rude, but also, really fucking worrying...
“Convince him, Sai.”Kane’s eyes lock with mine, before they dart to his brother to make his words clearer. Then aloud:“I’ll accompany Julien.”
“Go easy on him, mate,” I murmur, floor still my throne. “He’s struggling. He’ll pretend he’s fine, but he’s not. Not this time.”
Kane nods, then the shadows take him.
Leaving just Zeek and me.
I sigh, jump up from the floor, and knock Zeek’s shoulder with my knuckles before parking myself on his desk corner. I’m facing him, but he just stares at the screen. At least it’s actually on this time.
“Come on, man. It’ll be fine.” I lean back on my palms, smirk tugging at my mouth. “The wall’s gagging for round two.”
From the corner of his eye, he glares at me, then that narrowed silver gaze snaps back to his precious screen.
“That’s all I get?” I huff. “No come back? No insult? I’m honestly disappointed.” I hop off and turn. “Whatever’s on that screen must be—”
My mouth falls open. Zeek clocks it the same second.
“It’s not what it looks like,” he blurts, all certainty gone.
Oh, it’sexactlywhat it looks like.
“My, my, my… and you called me a perv.”
My gaze skims across a dozen little screens, all angles of the atrium. But only one that really matters, and it’s huge, front and centre, locked on a stunning redhead.
Our girl. Our bond.
She’s perched on a planting bench, chatting with Kace, twirling a curl of hair around her finger.
“You absolutefreak.” I grin, proud as hell.
“You’re going to tell the others, aren’t you?” he murmurs.
“You fucking know it.” I give his shoulder a reassuring pat.
He exhales slowly, then his voice dips. “I just feel so… restless. If I can’t see her, or feel her, I just… I can’t… I feel like I’m losing it, man.”
Fuck. He’s being serious with me, which means this is worse than we thought.
“Listen, I get it.” I ease onto the arm of his chair, both of us staring at the girl of our dreams. She’s smiling at something, Kacey I think, and the sharp tug of jealousy that causes is crazy. “We all do.”
“I never thought this would be possible, Sai. After everything I’ve done, everythingwe’vedone, who would have thought we’d be given a bond? Nevermind one like her?”
“Hey now, don’t go all ‘woe is me’ Kane speciality.”
From the corner of my eye, I see Zeek’s lip twitch. Then he sighs. “Part of me thinks the Goddesses are playing a trick on us. That any second, she’ll be ripped away.”
“Well, it’s a good job I don’t believe in that shit,” I toss out.
Zeek huffs a laugh, but he’s sinking. I see it.
He hasn’t been himself these past few weeks. Sharper, meaner, snapping at shit he’d usually let slide. He puts on the good little Lord act for our girl, but the rest of us? We see right through it.
“Mate, you’ve got to remember, we’ve spent more time with her than you. Those first few days at the club, after we met her?” I let out a sharp whistle. “Hell.”
He finally glances away from the screen, and I nod to drive that point home.
