PAIN.
It smacked me right in the face—a violent, blindingbang.
My hands flew up on instinct, fingers digging into my temples as if I could massage out the misery.
A sandpaper tongue licked my wrist as I drew my legs up and buried my face against my knees. I turned to look at the pitch-black panther. His glowing eyes were luminescent in the gloomy cabin, gleaming brighter than the pinprick stars glittering in the ceiling.
“I’m okay.” I trembled as fresh agony scraped through me. “I’m fine.”
He tried to push past me to get to Lucien, but I kicked out a leg and stopped him.
“Don’t disturb him. I’m okay.”
He sneezed in frustration but slowly dropped to his belly. Rubbing his silky side with my foot, I gave him a grateful smile before drawing my leg back up and pressing my face into the cradle I made of my own body—trying to disappear, to slip into sleep so I could hide.
Beside me, Lucien let out a low, broken sigh.
The frantic edge of his warmth dulled as his breathing finally evened out. His grip loosened on the armrest, hinting he’d slipped into unconsciousness. As his tension bled free, he leaned slightly toward me as if seeking whatever pain relief I offered.
I scowled at the unfairness of it.
I soothed him, yet he didn’t soothe me.
Why did I have such a power over him when he was obviously definitely not...human.
Fear pooled low in my gut.
HadSnowflake Corp meddled in his past?
Had they done something tome?
Because I shouldn’t have this kind of influence over another person.
Which meant something was going on that was far, far bigger than either of us and...I should tell him.
I should tell him who I was, where I came from, and why I was running away.
I should tell him what I’d overheard the other girls whisper.
I should tell him absolutely everything so he couldn’t accuse me of betraying him because things had the habit of spontaneously catching fire whenever he got emotional and I really didn’t fancy being burned at the stake.
I glanced at him again.
Whatever relief he’d found seemed to have worn off already. Heat wafted off him as if he held back the fire through sheer force of will, even while asleep.
I was jealous.
I wanted to escape too.
But sleep refused to come as questions flooded me instead.
How had he arranged all of this?
Where the hell were the Gaoligong Mountains?
And what exactly was he planning to do to me once he got me there?
Chapter Twenty-Five
