Her grandmother spun away, but not before Scotty saw a tear fall. A tear. In all of Scotty’s years, she’d never seen Harvester cry.
“G-ma?” Scotty pushed to her feet, alarmed by how shaky her legs were. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“When themordaemons take immortality from someone, it drains their life force too. My Grace plugged the drain. But now that it’s gone…”
“I’m dying.” Scotty caught herself on the back of a chair as a wave of nausea crashed over her. “I am, aren’t I?” she croaked. “How much time do I have?” When Harvester didn’t answer, Scotty’s blood congealed in her veins. “G-ma?”
Very slowly, Harvester turned to her, her face pale and streaked with tears. “Days, darling. You only have days.”
Chapter 29
When Scotty finally left Harvester, her first instinct was to go to her mom.
Scotty had always been a daddy’s girl, and as Aleka liked to say, Scotty was their father’smini-me. To be fair, Aleka was their mother’s.
From the moment Scotty could talk, she’d followed Ares around, asking questions about battle tactics, weapons, and combat. Then she’d try to impress him by setting up intricate battle plans using plastic army men. Or set traps around the house and island—balloons filled with glitter that would explode on the victim…fun stuff like that. The violet fur dye that splashed all over one of the Ramreels had not been met with humor, however. But Aresdidgive her points for creativity.
And while Scotty practiced swordplay and setting traps, Aleka helped their mom cook and assisted with her veterinary work. They had tea parties and took field trips to museums.So boring!
But even though Scotty preferred hanging out with her father, it was her mother she wanted when she was sick or hurt. It was her mother’s hugs and soup that made things better.
Unfortunately, comfort food and cuddles wouldn’t fix Scotty’s mortality problem. More importantly, she didn’t want her parents to know about it. They’d freak. Justifiably, yes, but there would be crying—and terror—and then her mom would be searching for a hellhound to bond with Scotty. Ugh. No. A hellhound was a last resort.
She’d have to come up with another plan, though. And fast.Harvester gave her twelve hours to solve her problem. If she failed, G-ma was going straight to Ares and Cara.
But the solution was obvious.
She’d have to bond with either Mace or Blade.
And then she’d lose the other.
Somehow, she kept herself from crying as she messaged them, asking them to meet her in the pavilion in their backyard. She’d always loved the outdoor space, lit with strings of fairy lights and decorated with hanging and potted plants, some of them from the demon realm. The octagonal space offered a great view of the pool and the manicured garden paths across the acres of land that made up the complex.
She used to wonder why Stryke, who spent ninety-nine percent of his life indoors and hated water, had created such beautiful surroundings. Especially when the buildings were sterile and industrial, given character only by all the males who had lived here over the years.
But recently, she’d visited the new StryTech complex in downtown Sydney, and the amenities put this place to shame. Coffee shops, grocery stores, food carts, and even hair salons. Turned out Stryke knew the importance of keeping his employees happy. Who would have thought?
She waited impatiently in the pavilion, her stomach churning when Mace and Blade started down the path. They were both in sweats and T-shirts, Mace in flip-flops and Blade barefoot.
“Is everything okay?” Blade hurried up the steps. “How’s Harvester?”
“She’s fine,” she said, and they both seemed relieved, if confused about why they were here. “This is about earlier.”
Now, they looked nervous. She could relate. Her anxiety had her playing with her hair, chewing on her lip, and she even caught herself pacing in circles around the firepit at the center of the pavilion.
“Did you make a decision?” Mace asked quietly.
She shook her head, still pacing. “You guys asked me to choose. But choose what? What are we talking about here? Casual dating and sex? A permanent relationship? Or—?”
“A bond,” Blade said. “We know each other too well, and we’ve been together too long to waste time.” He gestured to Mace. “He might feel differently, but I want a mate.”
I want that too.
She wanted to say that. Wanted to say it to both of them. But where did Mace stand? Maybe she wouldn’t be forced to make a choice after all.
Mace’s gaze burned into hers, and she knew his answer wouldn’t make this any easier. “I’m in line with Blade on this. When I know I want something, I want it all, and I want itnow. You know me. Instant gratification.”
Her heart swelled with the purest kind of happiness. So much love filled her…to the point of hurting. Because the truth was that she would only be able to have half of what she wanted.
