“I could tell the first time you two were in a room together that she had already wrapped you around her little finger.” He patted my shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. She’s had a lifetime of practice being adorable. You didn’t stand a chance, really.” He wiped the amusement off his face. “But thank you. For telling me.”
As the last pastel swatches faded from the sky, blanketing the woods in darkness, I nestled in closer.
“Are you ready to go?” He sounded hopeful I would change my mind. “We could stay a little longer.”
“Okay.” I let him hold me, wishing I had kept my mouth shut. “Just a little longer.”
nine
The rideback to Brentwood was magical. We flew so high, I imagined I could reach up and palm a star. Faint regrets lingered that I had blown my chance to have Rían to myself for an entire night, but there was so much more at stake than the reason I gave for going home early.
Rían and I had our actual feelings for one another to sort out before we put ourselves in a situation that, after a romantic evening spent under the stars, all but guaranteed that I would end the night peeling off his crop top and playing the xylophone on his abs. As hard as it was to kiss the fantasy goodbye—not that I’m admitting I gave those gray sweatpants a lingering farewell glance—I had to go about this the right way. For all our sakes.
As I told Rían earlier, Goldie wasn’t an obstacle to me being with him.Butshe necessitated handling this situation with care. Convinced we were destined for sisterhood, I didn’t want to let her down, but I also couldn’t make decisions based on her happiness.
Big talk for someone dreaming of licking her brother’s scars.
No. Bad Ana. Focus.
Priorities. Yes. Those. I had to get them in order.
Sloane almost died choosing me over her alpha, and her future was a consideration too. She was already a Walsh, thankfully, and that gave her security. But Rían had been right to make me aware she was loyal to me above any other claim on her. That included her new clan, and that made her my responsibility.
Then there was my own predicament. Wish dragon or not, I was in danger without a clan to protect me. I couldn’t bear being a Sartori any longer. I had granted Carmichael one last favor in letting his challenge unfurl without cleaving our bond. Now it was time to cut ties with my past and forge my own path.
No sooner had Rían’s claws touched down than Liam burst through the park gate to greet us.
Beside him, Sloane sprinted with a donut in her hand. Weird that it had lasted this long. They must have been in town when they spotted Rían flying overhead and came running clutching their leftovers.
“Thank God you’re back.” Liam tossed Rían sweatpants and a tee. “I was worried sick.”
Sloane, whose attention drifted a tad close to naked Rían for my comfort, caught me glaring and held up her hands in acan you blame me for peekinggesture.
Yes,I responded with murder—or at least light maiming—in my eyes.I can, and I will.
While she and I argued wordlessly, Rían pulled on the clothes. As rare as his transformations must be, he wasn’t any more modest than the average shifter. Unlike me. This outfit hugged his frame in all the right places, but I almost missed his crop top. Though I might have been lamenting the loss of the slice of pale skin exposed between his tee’s hem and the top of his sweats more.
“Ana.” Liam zeroed in on me. “You?—”
Sloane shoved the donut in his mouth. Like all the way in. It was tickling his tonsils in there.
“I did that for your own good.” She slapped a hand over his lower face. “That buys you time to think before you speak because if you say the wrong thing, yet again, I will murder you.”
“Question.” I waved my arm over my head. “Could you always talk back to Mercer like this and chose not to or…?”
“Mercer would have smacked the taste out of my mouth if I had tried, so I’m not one hundred percent sure. Liam knows you would kick his ass if he stepped out of line with me, so I’m more confident in telling him exactly how I feel at all times about all things.”
Choking down the wad of dough, Liam opened his mouth only for Sloane to cram another donut in.
“That one’s a tad linty.” She patted his shoulder. “I stuck it in my pocket when you weren’t looking.” She skipped over to me, riding her sugar high, and linked her arm through mine. “Let’s get home before he finishes chewing. I had a third in the event of an emergency, but it had chocolate glaze, and I’m weak.”
“That’s valid.” I linked my free elbow through Rían’s. “I assume Goldie is with Fayne?”
“Yup.” Sloane wiggled her fingers goodbye at Liam. “Fayne told her she had more training to do on the obstacle course, so she didn’t put up a fuss. I strung some white Christmas lights from last year’s Merry Crittermas open house to keep it nice and bright, so she’s good to go.”
“Well, now I feel silly.” I stroked my thumb up the inside of his wrist. “I wasted your beautiful gesture.”
“Ooh.” Sloane clung on even tighter. “What kind of gesture are we talking about here?”
