“Goodnight, Ember.” After a long look, he went into his room and closed the door.
I stared at the door for a second before I walked away. I'd been dating Kel for weeks. Shouldn't I know if I was going to fall in love with him by now? I thought I did know. I said I was close. Didn't that mean I knew I was falling in love? And yet, when I was presented with a chance to make the leap, I paused. I made excuses.
Keltyr was amazing. I had to be falling for him. Maybe I should fuck him. Sex might be just what I needed to get my heart in gear. But what if it didn't work? What if I had sex with him and didn't fall in love? Then Rath, Xae, and Kel would be disappointed. I was nearly to the stairs, lost to my thoughts, when a hand grabbed me and pulled me into a bedroom.
Flailing in shock, adrenaline kicking in, I shoved at my aggressor. Except then he shoved me against the door, using me to shut it, and covered my mouth with his. Eyes open, I stared in shock at the face that was pressed up against mine. Jath?
I shoved him away. “What the fuck?”
Jath came right back, pinning me with his body. “You are haunting me, Ember. I need to fuck you. Just let me fuck you so I can get you out of my mind. Then I'll never bother you again.”
“Oh, go fuckyourself, Jathalion!” I shoved him again.
He didn't budge.
“Suck me off then. Give me that much at least. I know you want to. Come on, suck my cock, Ember.”
“Oh, my fucking Goddess!” I screeched. “Are you insane? What iswrongwith you? I'm not sucking your dick.”
“I'll reciprocate,” Jath's voice dropped and so did his hands. He squeezed my ass. “Your lovers won't know if you don't tell them. No one has to know.”
“That's called cheating.”
“You have two lovers and are searching for more.”
“Which is why rules are so important. Following the rules we decided on together is how I give them my loyalty. As much as I want you, I love them. And I will never do anything to hurt them.” I shoved him again. “Get off me, you asshole!”
Jath stepped back at last, holding his hands up. “Fine. Leave. But you're going to think about me all night. When you figure out that you need me too, you know where to find me.”
“Fuck you, Jath!” I yanked the door open and stormed out of his bedroom.
As I climbed the stairs to my floor, my hand could barely grip the railing, it was shaking so badly.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Autumn arrived. The weather was that nice crisp, cool temperature without being freezing. The Wraith Lords loved to train in such conditions. You could work for hours without breaking a sweat. And they especially liked to play in it.
“Run, Ember!” one of my teammates shouted.
I had just learned the sport of handball, a game in which two teams battled for control of an oblong ball. The goal was to get the ball to one end of the playing field, but the way was guarded by the opposing team who could do anything to get the ball away from you. You could kick the ball, but mostly, the thing was carried and thrown from man to man in a bid to outmaneuver your opponents. I was currently the one cradling the ball under my arm, as I'd been taught in the ten minutes previous to the start of the game. I wasn't clear on all the rules, but I knew I was supposed to run to the white line ahead of me. If I made it across, my team would win that round. Or a point. Or something. It would be good.
So, I ran.
Around me, my bigger teammates cleared the path and kept the other team away from me. Or tried to. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nex barrel into Darsen, sending the Varraen man tumbling ass over piehole. With a vicious grin, the Tytra Lord rushed me. I summoned Air and jumped over his head.
“No fair!” Nex shouted from where he crash-landed. “You can't use magic.”
“No one said that!” I shouted as I floated back to the ground. “I thought we could do anything.”
“No penalty!” Pavis said. “He didn't know.”
“Run, Ember!” Xaedren said from beside me.
I ran.
Xae kept pace with me, intent on making sure another Nex-situation didn't happen now that I couldn't use magic to evade. I was ten feet away from the line. Six. Four.
A blur came from my right, and I jumped instinctively. This time, I didn't use Air, but I didn't have to. I soared over the Lord and dove past the line. Rolling into the landing, I popped up and held the ball aloft.
