Before I can overthink, I call her name.
Hazel pauses at the last step, folding her arms over her chest. She looks like she’s already hit her quota for annoyance today, so I go straight to the point.
“How do you feel about the human real?”
She tilts her head in confusion. “It’s fine.”
Wrong answer because…ew.
“Come with me.” I offer my hand, but instead of taking it, she just stares at it like she doesn’t know what to do. “I have to go there for work, and I’d rather not suffer alone.”
Please say yes.
Hazel takes a minute to think, still staring at my hand like it might bite her.
Should I be worried she’s acting like we’ve never held hands before?
Did I hallucinate about all the progress we’ve made?
That’s when I see it. She’s not wearing gloves.
Fuck. That makes sense. Every time we’ve touched each other, there’s always been a barrier between us.
Except the time I kissed her neck…
Yeah… that probably didn’t help. Maybe that’s why she’s acting weird. She thinks I’m going to pull something like that again.
Before I can assure her I’ll keep a respectful distance the whole time, Hazel slides her bare hand into mine.
Holy shit.
She touched me. without gloves. Willingly.
Don’t faint. Don’t you dare faint.
With one move, Hazel turned the tables on me, and now I’m the one staring at her like it’s my first time holding a woman’s hand.
Get it together, man.
“Dean?”
“Yeah?”
“Breathe.”
“You breathe!”
Idiot. Absolute idiot.
Hazel rolls her eyes with a huff that sounds suspiciously like a laugh, and suddenly, my heartbeat isn’t the only thing filling my ears.
Before I can embarrass myself any further, I pull Hazel closer, guiding her hands to my chest. I hold her there as my shadows rise around us, curling and climbing around us until we’re blanketed in complete darkness.
The dizziness from teleporting only lasts for a few seconds, but it’s not for everyone. I’m relieved when Hazel doesn’t even flinch.
I knew my mate was resilient.
Knowing she doesn’t hate teleporting makes it a little easier to ask her to hop between realms with me. There are so many places I want to show her.
