No.
Bad girl.
No thinking about packages.
While I battled inner turmoil, Rían must have located a cache and retrieved a tee and sweatpants. Neither fit him. The tee cut off at his navel, a perfect crop top. The elastic cuffs on his ankles strained against his calves. But all the interesting bits were covered, sadly, which I suppose was the point.
“I almost lost my mind. I thought you had been captured.” He prowled toward me, bare feet slapping the pavement. “Then I noticed Sloane was missing too, and I knew she would be with you. That’s when it hit me that, bond or no bond, she would cut ties with the clan and run with you if you asked her. The temptation to yank on our connection, to force her to submit, made me so furious with myself that the corner of Vine Street and Terry Boulevard is now flat from where my dragon ripped out of my skin.”
“I’m sorry I put you through that.”
And I would miss window-shopping at the frilly boutiques turned pancakes. Thankfully, the four stores in that area had been closed since the Walshes’ arrival.
“How I react isn’t your fault. It’s mine. I own that. I’m not trying to blame you. I want to, I don’t know, warn you? I’m unraveling, Ana. It’s so much harder than I thought it would be to control myself where you’re concerned.” He heaved a sigh. “I’m not sure how yet, but I’m certain Liam had something to do with this. I’m considering murdering him. I do have Fayne as a backup, and she’s much less annoying.”
“The unraveling is why we’re on an airstrip?”
“I had to get you alone. I couldn’t handle sharing you just yet.”
“That’s oddly flattering.” I ventured closer. “Just so we’re clear, the eating-me thing is off the table.”
“Let’s shelve that discussion for when I have two brain cells to rub together.” His mouth pulled to one side. “Can I hold you for a minute? Would that be okay?”
“Yeah,” I said hoarsely and stepped into his open arms.
“There’s something I want to show you.” He bent his legs, hooked his hands under my knees, and lifted me until I straddled his waist. “I think you’ll like it.”
“Hmm.” I linked my arms behind his neck. “That’s a line if I ever heard one.”
A soft chuckle moved through his chest, and his expression lightened even more.
“You saved my life,” he said after a few minutes. “I wouldn’t have come out of that lake if not for you.”
“You wouldn’t have gone into the lake if not for me, so that makes us square.”
“No one blames you for what happened, Ana. This is all new to you. No one expects you to get it right on the first try. Not even on the hundredth try. I’m the one with experience. I should havesensed the surge in your power quicker and cut our connection before we burned out.” Warmth filled his expression. “It’s a good lesson for you to learn, where your limits lie, and a good refresher for me. Now that I know what to pay attention to, I’ll be prepared for the next time.”
“Next time, huh? You’re brave to volunteer again.”
“I liked it.” A blush dusted his cheeks. “How it felt having part of you inside me.”
Heat crept up my nape until my entire face burned like I had given myself a ghost chili facial. “Me too.”
Awkwardness kept us quiet until he leapt over a fallen tree in our path, jostling out more words.
“We’re lowering the wards in three days.” He readjusted my weight. “That’s another reason I wanted to have a private moment to talk.” He cut me a look. “There have been too many incidents lately to justify keeping Brentwood on lockdown. We need phones operational again. We’re spread too thin to allow trained enforcers to continue playing messengers.”
As he stepped off the path, I began wondering where this side quest would end, but it was nice being held. Even if it gave me flashbacks to my day as a dachshund. Too bad I couldn’t burrow into him and blame it on the magic.
“Will your clan be safe?”
“We can protect our people. We have measures in place now. We’ve finished sweeping properties for surveillance equipment and any other nasty surprises. The spy is still a concern, but we should be good to resume business as usual.”
“Welcoming the humans back gives the clan an extra layer of protection too.”
There were few hard and fast rules in the paranormal world but keeping humans in the dark about the existence of supernatural creatures was universal. There were simply too many of them and too few of us to win a fight if it came downto it. Especially since so many factions would rather die than work with an enemy. Even if the original cause of their animosity was lost to time. True immortals nursed centuries-long grudges, personal ones, making them even more invested in stoking the fires of resentment.
“Normally, I would say yes, but Sartori proved he’s willing to endanger humans if it helps push his agenda. The Nelson pride wouldn’t have kidnapped your friends at Pampered Pooches otherwise.”
