It diffuses the situation instantly, everyone scattering with her declaration as if she’d claimed I was contagious. It’s highly effective, and even more frustrating. I can’t get a good read on if people respect Carina, or listen to her out of fear.
The distinction matters, but she’s well-versed in the part she plays, and I don’t have a single moment alone to question anyone. I get that she has to stick to me like glue; it’s the only way Raiden would have let me out of the castle without one of them. I also wholeheartedly understand that she takes her role of protection detail seriously. But seeing as she has ulterior motives, even though I’ve enjoyed spending time with her, I can’t shake the feeling of someone breathing down my neck.
No matter my paranoia where my sister-in-law is concerned, I have to admit that maybe... my guys aren’t the exception to the rule. I’ve had limited exposure to shifters, and those that I’ve encountered before recent weeks have been assholes.
“How about lunch?” she asks, linking her arm in mine and sauntering out of the building back onto the busy streets of the city. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
All I can muster is a nod, lost in my head. Carina picks up on my need for space and leaves me to my thoughts as she navigates us through the streets to a café. A bell chimes overhead as we enter and take our place in line, the place thoroughly packed. Biting the inside of my cheek, I count to three, and the sharp sting helps jolt me out of my reverie.
“So, I have to ask. What’s going on between you and Torin? Because anyone with a functioning libido could feel the sexual tension in that gym.”
She blushes, bright red cheeks and the whole nine yards as she refuses to meet my eye, but leans in close to lower the chance of anyone overhearing our conversation. “He’s like me; wants the whole fated fairytale. I want someone that looks at me like I'm their whole fucking world, Amara. The same way my brother and his friends look at you. Hell, their voices even take on a dreamy lilt whenever you come up in conversation.”
Scrubbing a hand over her face, she groans. “Stone is legendary in his apathy, yet I walked in on him looking two seconds away from bending you over that pool table and going to town. You have not one, butthreepeople that think the sun shines out your ass. I’m jealous as fuck, even if I’m super happy for you. You deserve it, especially after what you went through. But Torin and me?” Reluctantly, she shakes her head slightly. “Neither of us want to settle.”
I snag her upper arm when she starts to walk away, ready to abandon the line in order to escape this conversation. “Don't throw away what could be an amazing thing you both clearly want to sit around pining over someone that doesn't even know you exist.”
She blows out a heavy breath, but doesn’t yank her arm out of my grip. “If we were to give it a try and our marks don't show up, I think it might crush us both, and it'll change everything. Worse, what if he's cool with it, then one of our mark-mates shows up down the line? I’m not okay being demoted to side chick or dumped because a tattoo hath decreed where his dick belongs.”
My chest tightens. “If that happens, you deal with how to proceed together. But if you sit around looking for problems, you're guaranteed to find them. In the meantime, you'll miss out on what could be something amazing, even if it doesn't last forever.”
Gnawing on her bottom lip, she slowly dips her head, but I take the hint and drop the topic. I’ve planted the seed in her brain to consider, and really, that’s all I can do.Shoulddo. Carina’s life is her own to do with as she pleases, whether or not she wants to take any of my input into consideration.
A small eternity later, we finally reach the counter, and Carina orders her lunch, turning to me as she pulls out a wad of cash.
“Just a water, thanks.”
She frowns. “We’ve walked, like, ten miles today. How the fuck aren’t you starving?”
Not wanting to get into it in the middle of the café, I simply shrug. “Exercise makes me nauseous. Why people like it, I’ll never understand.”
Begrudgingly accepting I’m not going to bend to her desire to feed me, she pays the cashier, moving to the side to wait for her order. A few minutes later she takes her tray and guides us to a tiny outdoor table. The chairs are wrought iron, biting into the back of my bare thighs from the summer sun, and the tray takes up the entire table.
While she dives into her sandwich, she shoots me frequent glances, finally blurting out with her mouth still full, “Are they starving you up there? No clothes of your own was red flag number one, but if they’re monitoring what you eat, I’m going to classify that as red flags two through twenty-seven, because that’s fucked up.”
Grabbing my water bottle off the tray, I lift it to my ear as I open it slowly, triple checking I can hear the breaking of the seal over the city chatter surrounding us. “No, I just won’t eat anything unless it comes from a sealed package, or I watch it being made.”
She chokes down her mouthful of food. “Shit; Jack. I totally forgot, I’m so sorry. I can grab-”
A shrill cry cuts her off a moment before Avery swoops down, dropping a brown paper bag in front of me and circling around to land on my shoulder. Her talons bite into my skin, but the jean jacket helps absorb the worst of it. Turning to her with a broad grin, I scratch under her chin.
“Hey there, pretty girl. I was wondering when you’d come home.”
Carina is leaning back in her chair with wide eyes. “Holy fuck, the she-beast isn’t feasting on your retinas.”
Scrunching up my face in confusion, I open the bag. “Why would she?”
Dumping out the contents onto the table, I burst into laughter. An individual bag of chips and a Lunchable; it’s so simple, but it means a hell of a lot. Taped to the latter is a note.
––––––––
Hope you’re havinga good time, feel free to text if you need me to save you. I know Carina can be... a lot. See you this evening, mo stór.
-Stone
––––––––
When I look up, Carinahas an envious look on her face, but she quickly masks it with a smug smirk. “Because Avery hates everyone except Raiden and Stone; even me. Yet she’s perched on your shoulder like a well trained pet instead of a trigger happy psycho. Usually she drops off her bundle and takes a swipe at her target or steals something from them in exchange. You might not be sure that you belong here, but that murderous falcon gave you the best seal of approval you could ask for second to a mate mark.”
