He turned toward me slowly until our faces were just inches apart. "You think so?"
"I do," I whispered back before closing the gap between us with a kiss. I pulled back, looking up into his eyes, which had shifted back to their normal color. “I know you are.You’ve shown me as much when you literally abandoned everything just to keep me safe.”
His lips twitched beneath his scruff. “I might have had other motivations for doing so.”
I laughed, shoving his chest playfully. “Well, you don’t see me complaining, do you, big man?”
He ran his fingers through my curls and breathed a heavy sigh of what sounded like relief. At least I hope it was. “Alright, you win for tonight. Let’s get back in there before Thane starts tormenting your mate with his weird-ass music.”
14
The next fewdays were spent going over our strategy for my hearing. It would be me, Bastian, Gareth, War, Thane, and Faust heading to Sol City.
Serenity put up a big stink about wanting to come, but August laid down the law and said fuck no. I agreed with him. I wasn't even a prime target here; she was. I was just collateral damage. I was just in the way.
The plan was for Thane to place a temporary shield around me. Something that would make me invulnerable to magic. It wouldn’t last long, and it would take a lot of Thane’s energy to hold it, but it did make me feel a bit better about going into the heart of the city again.
Bastian and I talked about the details of the case, going over his strategy for getting the charges dropped. According to him, we had enough evidence for reasonable doubt, and he fully believed I would walk free.
As we packed our bags for the trip, Bastian pulled me aside. "I know I've said it before, but I want you to know thatwhatever happens in there, I'm here for you. Serenity’s family is my family; none of us are letting anyone lock you in another cell.”
I smiled softly at him. "I can’t stress enough how much I appreciate this. Seriously. I feel like I’m going to crap my pants and barf at the same time.” His brows went up, and I laughed nervously. “But I definitely feel better knowing you guys will be there.”
”If anyone can get the charges dropped, it’s Bastian,” Serenity said. She was sitting on Faust’s lap while he finger-combed her hair, and she was smiling at her warlock. “He has a way with words, so I’m sure he will weave something magical to convince them all that you were framed.”
”You give me too much credit, my love,” Bastian said smoothly.
I laughed, shaking my head, and I continued packing, setting aside a nice blouse and dress pants for tomorrow’s hearing.
As we all tucked in for the night after hours of card games, calming wildflower tea, and some news channel surfing, I tossed and turned, sandwiched between Thane and War. Gareth slept in wolf form across our feet.
Tomorrow was the day of reckoning, and all I wanted to do was get it over with so I could come back to this refuge that I was growing to think of as my new home away from home.
The drive feltlike an eternity as nerves buzzed within us about what was going to happen. When Thane's powerful magic shield surrounded me at last, though, a sense of calm washed over me.
I sat in the front seat while Thane drove. War was on a motorcycle behind us, while Gareth, Bastian, and Faust rode in a car behind him. We wound through the snowy mountains, and I rolled down the window, trying to breathe in as much crisp air as I possibly could before we reached the city.
I knew I was worrying too much, imagining them slapping those cuffs back on me and dragging me away to the jailhouse, kicking and screaming. That wasn’t going to happen. Not again.
We reached the city after about two hours of driving due to the slick roads. The sounds of the city were deafening after two weeks out in the middle of nowhere. I immediately felt my anxiety stirring up and wanted nothing more than to turn back around and run for the hills.
When we got to the courthouse, we pulled up in front, where there was a pathway made with caution tape between a gaggle of reporters. Thane helped me out of the car, and I took his hand gratefully. I wasn’t even sure I could stand up on my own at this point.
The guys immediately circled me, shielding me from prying eyes and cameras. Faust and War led the way, Faust with his hand on a concealed weapon and War looking like he was seconds away from creating another massacre. People shied away from them as they passed, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
As expected, everything was chaotic inside; people were talking loudly into their phones while others rushed around trying to get anything done before the hearing began.
I was a bundle of nerves and excused myself to use the restroom before heading inside the courtroom. The guys didn’t like losing sight of me for even a second, but they agreed to stand outside the bathroom doors and wait.
I stood in front of the fluorescent-lit mirrors, staring at myself, trying to hype myself up to appear calm, confident, and innocent. Instead, my bright-green eyes just looked seconds away from bursting into tears, and my hair chose today of all days to rebel against me.
"Today’s the big day,” came a smooth, sultry voice that echoed around the room.
I went still. Ice coated my insides as I spun around, frantically scanning the empty bathroom. There were ten stalls, but they were all vacant. I went to each one and kicked in the door.
Nothing. Empty.
“Over here, dear,” the voice called out again, and I spun on my heels, feeling my teeth elongate and my nails turn into claws in a partial shift.
