His shadows curled around us, swallowing me into darkness before I could process what was happening. The shift was seamless, like slipping into another dimension, and I wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
A soft gasp left me as I took in the dark space he had created. A void of darkness, sure, but it wasn’t scary. It was quiet, actually peaceful, with a warmth nestled on the edges of us.
“We’re in the shadows, trouble. Are you scared?” he asked, his fog gray eyes turning a little brighter. “If you are, I’ll take us out.”
I turned to him, my heart beating a little faster. “I’m not scared.”
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear you say that.” Dex’s lips curled in the faintest of smiles as his fingers interlaced with mine. “Dance with me.”
“Dance?” I barely had time to process before he pulled me close, one hand settling at my waist.
“Yes.Dance.Have you ever danced before?”
I shook my head. My heart beat erratically in my chest, echoing against my skull.
“Let’s start off easy. Relax with me.” He began to hum, and a deep melody resonated through the darkness. It was a sound that I couldn’t help but sway to.
Slowly, he moved us, guiding me effortlessly. His shadows moved in sync with us, slipping over our forms in a non-threatening manner.
For a moment, there was nothing buthim: Dex; my mate. His touch, his presence, his coppery blood-like scent…all of it was around me. His shadows embraced me like they knew me, andthey did know me.They were a part of him.
“I wanted a moment with just you,” he admitted, his voice a rough whisper. “No anxiety, no expectations.Just you and me.”
“I’m glad you brought me here.” My chest ached at the rawness of his confession. “I like it.”
He smiled, and love poured through the matebond from him. “For so long, my darkness was just that.Darkness. But you—you’re my light, Pandora. You make this life we live bearable. You make me feel…whole.Sane. Worthy.”
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Instead, I leaned in, resting my forehead against his. “You were never broken to begin with, you know?”
His breath hitched, and for the first time, I saw something vulnerable flicker in his usually sharp gaze. “But I was. You’re the other half of my soul. I’ve needed you for so long. I didn’t realize how badly I did until the day I met you. It wasn’t until the day the matebond snapped in place that I truly realized why I was so infatuated by you.”
“Dex…” My heart was about to burst from the amount of love I felt from him and for him.
“I love you, trouble.” He closed the space between us, pressing the softest kiss to my lips, his humming vibrating through me as he did.
Then, he pulled back and continued to sway with me to the melody.
His shadows moved gracefully, and it was a rare moment of peace for us: dancing in the dark with nothing but his humming filling the space. Our blood and caramel scents swirled together as he moved us around the shadows.
The darkness didn’t seem so empty anymore.
36
PANDORA
Ironwood’s grating voice echoed through the ceremonial magic classroom. “Magic isnota tool to be wielded recklessly, nor a weapon to be brandished in petty squabbles. Those who treat this subject as a joke will find themselves woefully unprepared for the consequences of their ignorance once they graduate.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes as he scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Bram and Skel. I could already hear Skel and Bram whispering under their breaths, their irritation palpable even before they started cussing.
“He’s a fucking idiot,” Skel muttered from the other side of Bram, his voice just low enough that only we could hear.
Jenni, seated next to me, sighed heavily. “Yeah, I don’t like him either.”
“No kidding. Firewood was the one who tried to kill Pandora,” Bram shot back, scooting closer to me. “It wasn’t a petty squabble. Bitch deserved to die for what she did.”
Ironwood stayed oblivious or maybe he was just indifferent to the growing hostility from us, and he turned his attention back to the class. “Now, I require a volunteer for today’s ceremonial demonstration. Gravesend, please come forward.”
My stomach twisted. I hadnodesire to be anywhere near Ironwood. “Does it have to be me?”
