Egan scans the area with his eyes a little scrunched.
“You think Harlow would have just walked into a trap?” Modeus’ doubt rings clear in his tone.
“Possibly, if he was with someone he trusted. Someone in his inner circle.” My mind starts piecing possibilities together. It’s apparent everyone knew Harlow might not have been on top of his game in January. What if someone lured him out here and trapped him? They may have hoped that everyone would assume what I initially did—that he did this himself because he was lost in grief. The fact that I was hand fed information about how fucked up he got around this time and then allowed to come to my own conclusion makes me feel like I’m on the right track. I already admitted Harlow giving up never would have even crossed my mind if it weren’t for Salvador planting the thought in my head.
“I don’t know,” Modeus says slowly.
He’s probably having a hard time wrapping his head around someone being able to trick Harlow. It is a leap, and I may be wrong, but it’s a fuck ton better explanation than Harlow just letting himself turn to stone.
“There aren’t very many witches in the club that I know of,” Modeus muses. “Do you know of any who live in the territory, specifically any who would have ties to someone close to Harlow?”
“There are a few smaller covens, but none of them come to mind when I consider who would be involved in something like this.” I realize I’m creating doubt about my own theory, but if I want to get to the bottom of this, I need to be honest with myself. “It’s something though. This shouldn’t be here, and that means we may be onto something,” I add. Maybe I am being too eager, but I can’t help it.
It’s not that I would feel better if I knew someone had a hand in his death, but it would give me something to focus my anger on. I don’t want to be mad at Harlow for leaving me, but I can’t deny feeling abandoned and hurt.
Modeus wraps his arm around my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out,” he tells me with conviction, but he’s not making any promises that I’ll be any more at ease with what we discover.
A snapping sound draws my attention from the ground, and I look up to see Egan. He points at his chest, then at the sky, before making a circling motion with his finger after pointing back down at the ground.
“He’s going to have a look around from above,” Modeus interprets.
“I got that too.” I lean against him a little more. “When he gets done, we can find something to put the stone in. That way, you can have your shirt back.” I look up at Modeus. It’s hard enough that Egan doesn’t seem to own a shirt.
Having all their skin on display is distracting in the best possible way. It’s making me question how well I really know myself. I never thought I was a person who avoided the truth, even if it was something that I might not like, but the only other explanation for why I’m thinking about how good he looks and how divine he smells is that I’m allowing my desire to rule me, which isn’t like me either.
However, I can’t deny that being around him and Egan is making me think of the things they could do to me, possibly at the same time. Add in the fact that I fell asleep on the couch last night instead of getting in a bed between the two of them, and I’m feeling the missed opportunity keenly.
Modeus blinks slowly, and when he opens his eyes, I swear the intense shade of blue is brighter and more vibrant. Using the hand not curled around my back, he runs his palm over his neck and chest, bumping over his abdomen and lingering at the waistband of his pants. “Is there a reason you want me to cover up, princess?”
I pull away from Modeus, even though I really don’t want to, but I feel guilty for my thoughts, considering where we are and what we’re doing. Staying focused and on task shouldn’t be hard right now. There’s a metric ton of shit I need to deal with.
“Bad timing,” Modeus mutters, reading me as easily as we both read Egan.
“Sorry,” I say just above a whisper. He’s reacting to me, but then I push him away as if he’s doing something wrong. I’m a mess.
“Don’t apologize.” He strokes his thumb along my cheek after cupping my jaw. “We’re allowed this, so please don’t run from us.”
I almost get defensive at his implication, but when I open my mouth, words don’t come. Instead, I place my hand over his on my jaw and give his fingers a soft, hopefully reassuring squeeze. “That’s the last thing I want to do. I’m just…” Words fail me again, but Modeus seems to understand when he pulls me in and lets me bury my face in his chest.
A few seconds pass, where I stay firmly rooted in place, before I feel the breeze stirring my hair and clothes, and I know Egan is nearby. I stroke my hand over Modeus’ mating marks before pulling away to see if my fallen has anything to share.
His eyes search my face briefly before his hands, which are hanging at his sides, widen a small bit, and he turns his palms back and forth a few times. He didn’t find anything.
“Let’s check out the house again. The last time we were here, I was looking for Harlow, so I could have overlooked something.”
CHAPTER13
Modeus
I didn’t thinkthe house would yield any results, but it was worth checking. Lore’s been quiet since we left. I felt the moment she recoiled from me like a blow to my chest. The fact that she was feeling guilty for her thoughts didn’t make it any easier to deal with, though it should have.
I felt rejected in the moment, which is something I’ve never experienced. Even when she didn’t know I existed, I didn’t allow myself to feel spurned. I saw us as inevitable and understood I was learning how to care for her, but this evening proved I still have more to learn.
“I’m going to bed,” Lore announces in a small voice. She could fool someone into thinking she was delicate, but I know the truth. I’ve always seen her for what she truly is—fiercely strong and capable of anything. When she peers up at me from under her lashes, it’s as good as a dragon exposing its soft underbelly. She’s vulnerable and feeling needy, which she doesn’t understand because it’s not something she’s accustomed to experiencing.
I rise to my feet without asking if I can accompany her, then Egan appears from wherever he was exploring, and we trail up the stairs after her.
The sun will be up soon, but the tall windows are all covered for the day, so the expansive room is dim. Lore strips off her shirt and tosses it to the floor before she reaches the bed, and her panties don’t last much longer.
