“My shadows and the new wards would have stopped you. No tackle necessary…unless that’s something you’re into.”
I scoffed but couldn’t fight a small smile. He was teasing me. I’d take that over yelling and threatening punishment any day. “You don’t stop, do you?”
“Just being honest.” He winked.
We watched the ocean and the setting sun in a peaceful silence. Our hearts beat softly and in tune, that detail didn’t evade me, but rather than send me into a spiral, it was comfortable. Definitely less frightening than I built it up to be. Kaiden’s shadows retracted, but a few lingered around my legs, brushing lightly against me like they couldn’t help themselves.
“Give me a week.” His voice caught me off-guard and I turned to him with eyes slightly widened in surprise. “The rest of this week to figure out how to keep you safe. Please.”
“I can’t be your prisoner,” I told him.
He sighed, and true remorse shone in his eyes. Enough light reflected off the ocean that I could still make out the creases around his mouth as he frowned.
“I’m sorry I made you feel like that for even a second,” he whispered. “But it really is too dangerous right now.”
A little of his honesty and desperation leaked through the bond. I knew he believed that—but when would it end? Wouldn’t we always be in danger? Him a faction heir, and me the last nightmare. Hewastrying. I could at least meet him halfway.
“One week,” I agreed. “At the end of spring break, whether you’ve figured it out or not, I’m going back to class.” He stiffenedand I added, “But I’m open to finding ways of doing it safely.” I wasn’t a complete idiot. Someone was actively trying to kill me.
He relaxed. “I ask for nothing more.”
Yeah right. “Really? Nothing?” My head tilted.Bullshit.
His grin was slow and seductive. “Not yet. But you’ll fall for my charm soon enough.”
I laughed, but deep inside I worried he might be right.
Ezra was staring at me. I blinked my bleary eyes until they cleared and revealed what I thought I’d hallucinated. The lean, bleach blond stood on my side of the bed with a dirty grin and a blaring cellphone in his hand that he ignored.
“Looks like things are working out better than I thought.” His grin widened as the arm around my waist tightened.
Kaiden pulled me against him, his hand flat and warm on my bare stomach. At some point in the night, all the pillows I shoved between us so this exact situationwouldn’thappen, ended up on the floor, and my ass found its way against Kaiden’s dick. I blushed as I realized it was an early riser.
“Go away,” Kaiden grumbled, burying his face in my hair. “It’s not my morning to make breakfast.”
Gods, he was asnuggler. Ezra chuckled at my futile attempts to break free. Every morning. I woke every morning with some part of Kaiden touching my body: my very overheated and very aware body. Damn, this bond and its endless campaign to click us together like a horny set of Legos. As I wiggled my way to the side of the bed, the cellphone in Ezra’s hand began to screech.
“That would be Rani. Again,” he sighed and shoved the phone at me with a grimace. “It’s for you.”
Crap. They mentioned something about her being on arampage to find me. My heart twisted. I’d never had a friend care like that. I wanted to ease her panic, I did, but I still avoided calling her back these past couple days. What if I couldn’t sell the story? I couldn’t explain to a human why I was hiding or that magical beings were trying to kill me…because I was also a magical being.
“Just stick to the plan, princess. It will be fine.” A rumpled Kaiden sat up and stretched, his muscles bunching and flexing as his arms rose.
I took the phone from Ezra, if only so I wouldn’t be caught staring. One deep breath, and then I answered.
“Tell me where she is or so help me—”
“It’s me.”
Silence. And then…
“Eryn! Where thehellhave you been?”
I held the phone far from my ear, but we all heard her. She was a wound-up mix of pissed-off and hysterical. My guilt grew with each question she shouted down the line until I thought I’d sink under it.
“I’m so sorry, Rani,” I whispered. “I should have called you the moment I felt better. I’ve been sleeping off this bug for the past few days.”
Her ranting stopped, and I glanced over at Ezra who gave me a thumbs up.
