I’m halfway down the stairs when Dean walks in, grumbling under his breath. I know he had a meeting with his head Reaper, Vista, and she has a way of pissing him off that I almost admire.
Dean rolls the sleeves of his black shirt to his elbows as he walks toward me with a swagger that belongs on a runway.
My heart skips a beat when his soft brown eyes find me, and a wide smile takes over his face. The crinkles at the corners make him look warm and relaxed… like he’s genuinely happy to see me.
For a second, panic locks my lungs when I catch myself smiling back before I smooth my expression.
“Good morning, my beautiful, talented mate.” his smile tilts into a smirk, and I know he caught me. “Off to the training fields?”
I roll my eyes at the theatrics.
His gaze lingers on my hair that’s still damp from my shower, and something sparks in his eyes. When he keeps smiling like a creep, I sidestep him, but before I can get far, Dean calls my name.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Something in his voice makes me hesitate, but I nod anyway.
“How long do you have to soak in?”
“Excuse me?”
“I was just wondering how long you have to stay in the water to… you know, recharge your siren powers.”
What the fuck…
“Wait a minute. So you’re the idiot who told everyone all those bullshit theories about sirens?” I hiss.
His eyes widen before he spins and bolts upstairs.
And this is why I thought the Fates were playing a prank on me. Who pairs someone like me with a man who acts like a child high on sugar?
He’s one of the strongest beings in existence, the fucking Grim Reaper, and he giggles like a little shit while spouting nonsense facts about my kind.
That’s Dean Blackburn for you.
Dean stops at the top of the stairs and turns, the glint in his eyes making me narrow mine. What’s he up to now?
“Does this mean you don’t turn blue if you stay out of the water for too long?”
“I will kill you!” I growl like a feral animal.
I’m seething as his Divine seeps out, dark smoke spilling down the stairs, creeping toward me like they’re on a mission. I don’t step back. I’d never admit it out loud, but something about his essence calms me. Maybe it’s the mate bond, but I’ve never felt the need to shield myself from him.
The shadows circle me, brushing over my arms with a feather-light touch. Goosebumps rise across my skin, but I know better than to let Dean see it. His ego is already unbearable without him finding out that his presence affects me.
One tendril slithers before my face, and I narrow my eyes as if reminding it to behave.
“You look adorable when you’re pissed.” His shadows flick my nose, retreating faster than I can pull my dagger on their host. Dean takes off, his loud, carefree laughter echoing through the halls behind him.
I’m breathing fire as I watch him escape. I don’t know why this idiot insists on provoking me. It’s like he enjoys watching me squirm because I never know how to react.
Everyone in the kingdom knows what happens when someone invades my space.I’ve broken enough fingers to send the message across, but none of it matters anymore. Now, there’s a buffoon in my life who’s not afraid to cross a few boundaries… even if it means I’ll stab him.
I set a boundary two years ago when I first got here, and everyone respected it. And now, even if I wanted to rise above my fear and discomfort and let people in, I wouldn’t know how. It feelswrong.My default reaction to feeling awkward or even slightly out of place is violence or sharp words, and unfortunately for me, Dean is immune to both.
For the first fifteen years of my life, the only touch I knew made my skin crawl and bile rise in my throat. Then Anxo, the Horseman of Conquer, found me and offered me a place in his kingdom, in his family… one that didn’t flinch from affection.
They hug and kiss freely, welcome every stray act of love like it’s second nature to them. Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m broken because I’ve never craved that comfort.
