I nodded, my heart thudding faster in my chest at the thought of her. “Yes, we did. Even found a weasel skull.”
“Oh.” His brows shot up. “Nebula’s not going to love that.”
“Yeah, he didn’t.” I winced.
“We got word that there’s now a drake scale warding the academy again, so thereshouldn’tbe any more random outsider attacks,” he told me as he glanced around Death’s sandstone manor with calmness. Though, I could see the tension in his eyes. “Not to say that there won’t be, though. Rowan Clearwater also apologized for how long it took. It’s apparently a huge process now to get them because scales are being stolen at a rapid rate.”
“Where do they keep them?” I frowned. “Surely, somewhere secure.”
“Yeah. Locked up in Apex Penitentiary is one place, and the other is in a safe room in the Supernatural Council’s Headquarters in Fate Hollow.” Hunter shrugged. “It’s not good, but we don’t have the time or energy to worry about that. We need to focus on Dark Veil and this dark magic epidemic.”
“No kidding,” I muttered, running a hand down my face. “We have to keep her safe.”
“I know,” he agreed. “She’s so angry, now. At almost everything. I feel it in the bond.”
“I do, too.” The matebond flared with desire from Pandora, but there was a sinking seed of rage within it, too.
“She wants to fight back,” he said. “Against Dark Veil and against Sybil Shaw.”
“I don’t blame her.” I shuddered as pleasure exploded through the matebond, and my dick throbbed in response. “Seems like they’re having a good time.”
Hunter’s lips cracked into a smile. “Yeah, it does.Figures.”
Fates, all I wanted was to protect Pandora. If she wanted to stand against Dark Veil and fight, I’d be right by her side.
4
DEXTER
As soon as my shadows dissipated, I pinned Pandora against the wall in her room. "You smell like Bram, which is hot, but...I’d rather you smell like me right now."
“Dex, what?—”
I slammed my lips over hers, swallowing any protests she might’ve had. I devoured her mouth with my tongue, loving the taste of her.
She melted against me, her hands sliding up my chest and tangling in my hair as she gave herself to me. I felt her desire through the bond, blooming hot and needy.
It was so hot that she just let me devour her the way I needed to.
Breaking apart only slightly, I slid my nose down her neck and inhaled the spicy bourbon scent mixed in with her caramel one. My blood-like scent was mixed in now, too.
The scents of all her mates from the pendant she wore around her neck invaded my nose, but mine and Bram’s scents were stronger on her skin than the others right now.
“Are you okay, trouble?” I bit down on my lip, staring into her big red eyes. “Really?”
Her breath hitched, but she nodded. “I’m okay, Dex.”
“The shadow?” My voice broke, but I searched her gaze for the truth. I knew she was scared of shadow magic, and I didn’t know how to help her cope with having her own. I felt fucking useless. Iwantedto help her, but I didn’t want to scare her, either.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again. “I don’t know. I haven’t tried to use it...I can feel it, though. I know it’s there.”
“I’ll be with you every step of the way, okay?” I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand between us, keeping eye contact with her as I licked my mark embedded into her palm. “Because this marks you as mine, and I’m never letting you go. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she replied in her soft, raspy voice.
“Fuck,” I moaned from the pure devotion in her tone.
She loved me.
