Chapter 14
Carter
Ann “lingering” was far from innocent. But, could I blame her for not trusting me? Not really. Did I still want her to fucking leave so I could be alone with Lola? Yes.
I couldn’t blame my sudden cravings for her on the voices or her pheromones anymore. No, that was exclusively on me. Maybe it had always been the case. Maybe I’ve been fooling myself the whole time. Not that the voices weren’t bringing me to the edges of insanity, but maybe my desire for her had been what had spurred them on.
No matter who was to blame, it still left me to pieces. Craving not only her blood, but her body. Her missing soul. Her sinful mind.
She had called me depraved. Maybe as a joke, maybe she was serious.
But damn, did it feel good to be.
“What are you looking for?” I asked, sliding just behind her as she skimmed through the pages of a hand-bound book, a frown on her face. I glanced over her shoulder, reading a few lines. A list of anti-Immortal activity in the state of Arizona since the beginning of the war.Fuck.
Well, I was doing a shit job at distracting her.
“Trying to figure out what the prison is used for,” she mused, turning a page.
I slid my hand on her hip, pulling her closer to me. She tensed, but, for some reason, didn’t try to push me away.Progress.
“It’s a prison,” I said against her temple. “I’m guessing it’s to keep people as prisoners.”
She turned her face to the side, giving me a narrowed side-glare. “Well, thank you for your insights, Captain Obvious. Don’t you have better things to do than saying stupid shit?”
Fucking brat.
I forced my expression to remain neutral, burying her comment in the back of my head. She was worried and hurt by her mates’ absence. I couldn’t let her know howbadDimitri’s situation had become. Not now. Not until I knew more and formed a plan to go get him back. To go and get answers from Arc and his Warlock—who was, conveniently, also Lola’s mate.
“Not really,” I answered, brushing the tip of my nose against her cheekbone. “I did everything I had to do.” And that damn ghost wasn’t budging, not giving me access toanyother Astral’s related books. I’d have to go and finish reading that Journal at some point.
“Go home if you’re done. I’m staying a little longer before I go back to the apartment.” Her tone was final.
And yet, I grinned, eyes dipping to her mouth as my hand reached out to her chin to lift her face higher toward mine. Her gaze widened, drifting from my eyes to my lips.
“Stop that,” she said, her voice wavering.
I froze. “What?”
“Smiling. It freaks me out.”
Oh.
After a second of shock, I burst out laughing. “Stop it!” she repeated.
“You’ll have to get used to it, you know?”
Her frown deepened. She still didn’t try to escape my proximity. “Why?”
“Because as much of an ass I’ve been to you before, the voices aregone. Maybe only temporarily, yes, but you make my mind quiet. It feels good.Ifeel good, for the first time since I can even remember.”
Would feel even better if that damn Damocles sword wasn’t hanging over our heads. I didn’t know what Arc was up to, but if he could refrain from being some sort of evil monster trying to kill off one of us and let me find my new dynamic with Lola in peace, that’d be great.
Get more information by potentially invading Arc’s mind a couple more times. Get them all back here. Fix it. That was my to-do list.
“Now I want to make it up to you,” I said when she didn’t answer anything, eyes searching mine.
“You don’toweme anything, it’s—”
