“Yes, but I’d like to hear it again.”
As I pulled the USB stick out of the port, the room behind me darkened. A thin tendril crept up my leg before wrapping around my waist.
“If you open your mouth,” Grayson said to James, “I will only be too happy to make your life a nightmare.”
“No,” I replied. “We don’t have time for that, bubba. We’re going to be late. You’ll have to address your murderous tendencies towards him later.”
“Promise?” Gray asked as he got up from the chair.
“It’s between you two and I’m not playing referee,” I said, swiping the coffee cup and making my way out of the room.
“I take back that you’re my favourite,” James muttered under his breath, following me.
I jabbed the button for the lift and we stepped into it. Gray wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into him. The way he looked at me made my knees weak and my mouth run dry. His lips brushed against mine gently, and when he pulled away, he rested his head against mine.
“I am so proud of you,” he whispered, making my heart swell. “Good luck with the presentation.”
James mumbled from my left, “Do I get a good luck kiss?”
Gray straightened up, narrowing his eyes. “What?”
“Nothing.” And then he added under his breath, “Daddy.”
I choked on my laughter and bit on my bottom lip to save myself. “Stop,” I hissed, but the smile made my cheeks ache.
Moments like this made it seem like I had everything in hand. The control was mine again, and I was mastering the new facets of my life while balancing them with what I’d grown up with.
Thankfully, we reached the ground floor, and James and I fell into step with each other as Gray walked behind us. I checked my watch to see it was closer to quarter to eight, but I was sure Gareth wouldn’t be too pissed at our lack of punctuality.
James pushed open the door to the large lecture theatre at the back of the institute that was built for these purposes. Several floors of colleagues gathered to see what we’d come up with so far. I rubbed my palms against my jeans, pushing the nerves aside. I’d presented in front of more people than this. As we walked into the theatre, the din fell away to nothing. Dozens of eyes shifted towards us.
Not us.
Me.
The weight of the stares transferred and transformed into a block of lead that settled in my stomach and forced my feet to stick to the ground.
Gray’s palm was flat against the small of my back and for the first time since we’d descended from Elysia, I couldn’t keep my emotions under control. Pure panic flooded my system and as Gareth pushed himself out of his seat and down the aisle, my aura appeared around me. Gasps sounded from the room and my tastebuds turned sour. Every muscle in my body was paralysed.
“Breathe, Quen,” Gray said through gritted teeth.
“They know,” I choked out. Every whisper was magnified, transmitting the fresh piece of gossip across the space.
Gareth’s steps were tentative, but my gaze flicked away from my boss and searched the crowd before finding Hunter. He sat with the rest of his research team, features pinched and arms folded across his chest.
“Quentin,” Gareth said, stopping in front of me and bowing his head. The way he said my name had lost the fatherly, caring nature it once held. Instead, he breathed my name like a prayer filled with reverie and awe.
“Don’t do that,” I snapped.
Gareth’s head whipped up, and his face crumpled. “Sorry.”
My nails dug into the soft flesh of my palm as I realised he thought he’d upset me. Gareth was a devout believer in the Gods. That was why he was chosen to lead this project. Snapping at him made him metaphorically drop to his knees for repentance.
“I wish you’d have told us sooner,” he said. “We could have—"
“What?” I asked. “You hired me to do a job and I’ve been doing it. How did you find out?”
Gareth looked uncertain.
