Louie scowls, fangs flashing.
“Tell your smug little nightmare noodles to fuck off, Ezra.”
The shadows writhe, their movements dripping with cruel laughter. Some drape themselves around Aurora’s waist, making an exaggerated show of slinking through her flames, while others stretch luxuriously along her thigh, practically rolling in her heat.
“Oh, they’re enjoying this,” I murmur, running a hand along Aurora’s jaw, where a shadow has taken up residence.
The little bastards are basking in her.
“Buncha dicks,” Louie grumbles, crossing her arms.
I agree.
“I suppose we have more questions than answers. I really think we should see Iain as soon as possible. Aurora, once you calm yourself, we can leave. I don’t think this town is ready for a fiery goddess casually driving down Main Street in the middle of a workday.”
Aurora swats at my shoulder as I pull her into my lap.
My shadows go absolutely wild. The moment I settle her against me, they rush in—sliding along her arms, brushing her ribs, humming something old and satisfied against her skin.
I nuzzle into her neck, breathing in her calming honeysuckle scent. One of my shadows snakes forward, curling against her pulse point, pressing into her warmth.
I angle my head, brushing soft kisses along her neck as she rolls her hips just enough to make me ache.
The shadows slink around her thighs, vibrating with unbridled delirium.
Filthy little fuckers.
“Such a naughty little lupine,” I growl softly in her ear.
Her antlers recede, her hellfire dims, and my shadows—still so goddamn pleased with themselves—tighten their hold around us, savoring the moment.
I nip at her ear, my voice dark with promise.
“Save those filthy thoughts for tonight, darling. Something tells me after dealing with Iain, we’ll need an outlet.”
My shadows ripple with thrilled anticipation. They curl around her, smug and twitchy and already half in love.
Traitors. Every damn one of them.
As if I wasn’t the first to fall.
Aurora
My rage simmers, controlled but far from quelled. That soul-eating bitch better pray we never meet.
I inhale deeply, searching for some sunlit slice of peace, when Emme slithers forward.
A purr vibrates at the back of my mind, whispering delightful things we could do to Vesna. I can feel the vampire’s blood dripping from my hands, her black heartthump-thumpingin my palm.
Maybe that ancient war cunt taking up space in my skull isn’t all bad.
She mentioned the Vermilion Maw last night, when she first woke up in my head. I didn’t think much of it at the time. But when Ezra said it a few minutes ago, I felt her attention shift.
Now she’s smirking, that cruel little curl in the dark that makes me want to punch my own frontal lobe.
Once my fiery form fully recedes, the three of us pile into my car and set off for Iain’s house once again. I turn the radio on and hum along to “Control” by Halsey to distract myself from the thought of dealing with that asshole wrakh again.
After a week alone in my own head, it’s kind of nice having my shadow monster boyfriend tracking my every move, his stare memorizing what a week without me tried to erase.
