“What gave us away?”
Our witty banter? The way we constantly tormented each other? Unerringly pushing buttons in that way only friends with a long history can. Or was it how this was only the most recent example of how I’d stuck my neck out for Caroline?
“Friendships for people like us are a double-edged sword,” Anton said.
“What does that mean?”
People like us? I’d never considered Anton and myself in the same category.
Of Liam’s enforcers, he was the one I had the hardest time getting a handle on. Sometimes hot. Sometimes cold. But always testing me. As if to see what I would do.
“Just that when you love as deeply and completely as we do, you have to be careful that love doesn’t lead to your destruction.”
It felt like he’d just handed me the key to unlocking the mystery that was him.
Something had happened to Anton. Something traumatic and awful that involved a person he loved utterly and completely.
It was another layer to the complex man that I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to see.
“Be sure to keep that in mind, Lena,” Anton murmured.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the slight turn of Caroline’s head that showed she was listening to our conversation.
“I’d say it’s worth it in this case,” I murmured.
Caroline shifted, her gaze meeting mine.
“Because it was my choice. No matter what comes later, I won’t regret it,” I finished fiercely.
So don’t try to protect me or leave me out of this, I added silently.
Anton’s expression was inscrutable when I finally looked back at him. He was too intelligent to have missed the meaning behind my words.
“I hope that you don’t,” he murmured.
I wouldn’t. I was sure of that.
I went back to staring out the window, the rest of the flight passing quietly. Connor kept his eyes closed while Deborah occupied herself with a book. An hour or two later Anton left to sit beside Daniel.
Thomas spent most of the flight reviewing paperwork. It was surreal to see my sire hard at work. To get a glimpse of the person he was outside of just being the vampire who made me. Someone who ran not only the city and his territory but a business empire.
The wolves kept mostly to themselves, not saying much. Probably for fear of the vampires overhearing.
I watched the sky outside the window. There wasn’t much to see at night. Just clouds. And an endless black that somehow felt comforting.
Hours passed in what felt like a blink of an eye.
Soon the landing gear was lowering and we began our descent.
“You okay?” Deborah asked.
I stared at her, the words taking longer than they should have to make sense. “Of course. I just got lost in thought.”
Thankfully, Deborah wasn’t able to distinguish lie from truth.
She tucked the book she’d been reading into her backpack. “I’m excited for this. First official trip with my new House. It’s going to be fun.”
Fun. Not the word I’d use.
