She tilts her head slightly, listening.
The two of them are obviously close or he wouldn’t have joined her in bed last night without an express invitation, but whatever he did or said has driven them further apart. I need to ensure it stays that way. From this close, I can hear her pulse jump. The wound on her neck radiates heat as it tries to stitch itself back together, the fresh bruises from Revyn’s fangs covering the old scars perfectly.
She shouldn’t have trusted him, but matters of the heart are a breeding ground for poor choices. I won’t judge her for it. “How are your other injuries healing?” I ask, curious.
“Fine,” she says defensively, angling her body toward mine so as not to agitate her neck. “I don’t see how you can keep Revyn away from me when—” Her breath catches as a mirror image of herself departs from her body and returns to her seat in her place, brooding just as effectively as she had moments before.
“It’s not a perfect copy,” I admit begrudgingly, “but it will hold long enough to keep his attention.”
“Shifters use scents?—”
“And I’ve copied yours,” I assure her, gently gripping her hip to lead her away from prying eyes. Illusions don’t work on fae, and talented witches can spot illusionary magic with enough focus. “Perhaps too well.” More than a few heads turn in the copy’s direction, their attention drawn by her distinct aroma. I hadn’t wanted her to gain any more interest, but I suppose it can’t be helped.
There’s something about her magical signature that’s alluring, like a ripened fruit waiting to be plucked.
She allows me to escort her to the back of the room where Dmitri studies us curiously. I ignore him, but she doesn’t ignore her wild wolf, pausing to stare as Revyn clenches and unclenches his jaw, too focused on the illusion to see us.
“He really can’t tell the difference?” A soft undertone of hurt in her voice gives me pause.
I’ll need to uproot her affection for him and burn its core so that it cannot regrow.
“He will when he gets close enough to the illusion.” Strangers are easy to fool, but lovers are challenging even for a man of my experience. When I learn Sienna’s mannerisms, it’ll be easier to fool him.
Still, she hesitates to leave. I try to rein in my annoyance and remember what it was like to have a lover...but it was so long ago that I hardly remember their name, let alone how I felt toward them.
“What do you want?” She asks, boldly meeting my eyes. It’s refreshing to meet someone so unafraid of vampiric charms. Unafraid . . . or unaware. I’ll have to determine which is true for my lovely little wildflower.
I decide to tease her. “Whatever do you mean?” I ask, pressing my fingertips flush against the delicate groove of her hip bone. “My help comes free of charge.”
Her eyes flash brilliantly. “Liar.”
A grin splits my face. “Well, if you’re so keen on offering me something . . . I’ll bite.”
She remains unamused despite my stellar pun. I remain steadfast in my resolve. She’ll warm up to me soon enough.
“The only thing I require is your presence for the illusions to take hold; I need to be close to your magic signature, or I won’t be able to cast a proper charm.” A half-truth, but hopefully she won’t notice a little white lie.
She grabs my hand at her hip and squeezes tightly, baring her fangs in my face.
How fuckingdelightful.
“You have to bethisclose to cast an illusion?”
Leaning closer, I ghost my lips across her flushed cheek. The heat pouring off her body is decadent. “No,” I admit, “but I enjoy watching you flare up.” With a gentle touch to her cheek, I turn her head back toward her wild lover. “Does watching him burn for you make you hot?” Sienna’s body temperature continues to rise; she’s practically scalding, and it’s only been a few minutes. “How does it feel to witness the depth of his desire—not what he chooses to show you, but the parts he can hardly contain without you near?”
For me, it’s a delicious swirl of tension in the air. The sharpness of Revyn’s eyes as he watches her, the expanse of his broad chest as he fills his lungs for a mere taste of her scent, the way his heartbeat remains steady and sure, as determined to have her as he is to ensure no one else does.
A pity that his desire will go to waste.
I turn my attention back to Sienna and bask in the flutter of her heart. It trips and trills with longing for her wild mate, and I vow to savor the sensation for as long as it will last.
For all mortal love inevitably comes to an end.
“I can offer you so much more,” I whisper into Sienna’s ear. Standing behind her, I wrap my essence around us, encapsulating us inmymagic signature so that no one disturbs us. Aside from the fae, no one will sense that we’re here.
Beautifully alone.
“I’m only interested in your illusions,” Sienna counters, twisting in place to stare into my eyes. So wonderfully unafraid.
