“How did you find me?” I ask, my lips dragging against his, and he stills. “Rion?” I ask as his eyelids shutter, and my spine stiffens. My body aches and I groan as I force myself to sit up so I can face him head-on. “How did you know where I would be? Did Thorne tell you where we were going?” I ask, voicing the most obvious answer, but the way his eyes crinkle and he avoids my gaze tells me that’s not it. “Rion,” I repeat, more urgency in my tone this time, and his gaze shifts, but it’s not to meet mine.
I follow his line of sight to my wrist, where the amethyst bracelet sits against my skin. Instinctively, I lift my arm, and that’s when his eyes find mine, guilt dancing in his amber orbs.
“My bracelet,” I breathe, and he rubs his lips together. “Tell me it’s not tracking me.”
He clears his throat. “That would make me a liar.”
I gape at him. “What the hell, Rion?”
“I needed to know you were safe,” he murmurs with a shrug. “I told you I would protect you. This was part of it. I couldn’t live with the idea of not knowing where you were after last time. I felt like I lost half of my life with you gone,” he explains as I blink down at the bracelet.
Disbelief churns through my veins, but I’m definitely not as mad as I should be. I definitely shouldn’t feel butterflies in my stomach over the fact that he was being protective and caring of me. Surely there are better ways to display those traits. He’s as psychotic as Ocean—no wonder they’re besties now.
“I deserved to know,” I grumble, and he nods.
“I couldn’t risk you saying no,” he admits, capturing my cheek in his giant palm, and I melt into his touch.
Apparently, I’m screwed.
I’ve gone from living my life alone, the only person ever caring an ounce for me being Walker, who had ulterior motives all along, to being addicted to three men who have insane ways of showing they care.
Rion inches closer, my heart racing wildly in my chest as he peppers my face with sweet and delicate kisses, but as his mouth claims mine, I’m acutely aware that there’s promise in his touch, silently edging us toward a more sinful embrace. But before either of us can make a decision like that, thumping comes from the door, jolting us both.
“Get your asses out here. I have a solution to our problem,” Ocean hollers, and my breath lurches in my chest.
“Is Thorne with you?” Rion asks, and I can sense her grimace as her voice cuts through the door.
“No.”
“Then which problem are you on about?” he retorts, his eyebrows gathering in confusion.
“The vampire one,” she replies, and I’m overwhelmed with confusion. Does she mean the dead one or the contained one?
“Which one?” Rion asks, seemingly thinking the same as me.
Before either of us can react, the door opens and Ocean peeks her head through the gap with her eyes squeezed shut as she breathes.
“The one you like.”
“What do you know?” I rush out, rising to my feet and reaching for a towel, and her face scrunches up further as she keeps her eyes clamped shut.
“I’m not having this conversation when you’re both naked.”
“How do you know we’re both naked? Were you peeking?” Rion teases, and she fakes a barfing sound.
“Elodie, get the pup under control. I’ve got a spell to do.”
30
ELODIE
My feet can't carry me fast enough as I run barefoot outside. Dusk settles and casts an array of purples and pinks across the sky. Rion and Ocean are hot on my tail as I swing around to the back of the Institute building to where the basement door awaits.
Screeching to a halt, I turn to Rion, who holds the door key high. I consider taking it from him, but instead, I take a step back to allow him to open the door, knowing it’s the quicker option. The second I hear the latch click, my patience evaporates and I storm ahead, racing to the bottom of the cold stone steps, only to have to press my back against the wall to let Rion unlock this door too.
I probably should have just used my angry magic to knock the wood out of place again, but I’m glad I opted against it when the door swings open and it takes a moment for the room to come into view. Blinking, I struggle to see in the darkness until Rion hits the lights, illuminating the space, along with a rocking Kael in the far corner of the room.
His hands curl into fists as he launches to his feet, a scowl cutting across his face. “Stay back,” he warns, backing up against the wall behind him.
