The red in her cheeks grows deeper. “Dirk! You can’t fly around spying on people all the time!”
“It’s literally what I get a paycheck for,” I remind her, curling one brow high.
“When you’re investigating crimes. In the human world, we have laws about this.”
“Well,” I say with a snort, “all laws have nuance, Louanna. And in the elemental world, there’s almost nothing you can get in trouble for if it’s done in pursuit of your mate. Even murder.” I let that sink in for a moment.
“Murder?” Her brows go straight to the top o’ her forehead.
“Yep,” I confirm with a pop of the P. “Elemental mate bonds are undeniable. For one of us to pursue someone when a mate bond has been identified is a capital crime in my culture, punishable by death. It’s typical for a mate to deliver that punishment.”
Lou opens her mouth as if she’ll start asking me questions. I can almost see her mind spinning around what I’ve jest shared. Sylphs are secretive, living often solitary lives in a singular haven on the opposite side of the world. Not many have experience living in a haven with one. Which is why me and Minnie dog showing up to hunt criminals is always an invigorating experience. I love to surprise monsters.
I can’t wait to keep surprising my two.
“Let’s go, Louanna. I want to tell him how I feel right now.”
Her eyes go wide and she sputters in shock as I pull her off the branch, depressing my gem at the same time. We disappear into the wind, gusting after him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CONNALL
Coming doesn’t relieve the frustration building and churning in my belly. It’s against every shifter instinct I have not to pursue Lou. Within our shared mind space, my wolf grumbles and rolls onto his side. Usually, he likes to be let out during a run so he can stretch his legs and keep his senses sharp. But since Lou arrived, he’s morose, pitiful and irritated that I’m not actively pursuing her.
I’m sorry, buddy. I’ll figure this out soon,I promise him. I’ve been considering for a few weeks what I’d tell a client in this exact situation. And while it’s true I wouldn’t encourage a friend to enter a love triangle, I’d encourage good communication.
If I knew Lou was my mate, it’d be easier. But I haven’t had a chance to get that close to her, so I can’t be sure. Plus, if she were mine, she wouldn’t pursue Dirk…right?
Or maybe she doesn’t take it very far with Dirk because sheismine.
But then, if she’s mine, and she’s dating Dirk, then what?
I’ve been considering all of that, doing what I tell my clients to do and looking at all the angles. Trying to be rational. Attempting to infuse logic into an emotionally fraught situation.
And I can only see one way through it.
I’m going to ask her on a date. I’ll say I know Dirk is interested, but it’s unclear to me what’s going on there. If she doesn’t want to go, she’ll tell me. But the thing is, I can’t be her therapist like he’s asked me to several times. It’s a conflict of interest. Even if she wanted that, it would be hard for me to be purely professional with a woman I’m interested in romantically. She’d distract me with that sharp wit and soft looking skin.
The truth is, I ache to know what she smells like, to bury my face just below her ear and kiss and suck until I find a spot that makes her squirm. A mental image of her straddling my lap in my office chair, smiling up at me, rushes to the forefront of my mind.
And just like that, I’m fucking hard again. I’ve literally blown through every toy in my closet trying to fuck my way out of being obsessed with Lou.
It’s no good. That alone is enough to make me suspect my attraction to her is more than a passing fancy. I don’t want a fling with her. I don’t want something casual.
I wanttimewith her—a lot of time. I want to know her favorite ice cream, how she feels about living in a monster haven. I need to learn how she takes her coffee. I want all those small moments that collectively form the soul-deep knowledge of another person.
Pumping my legs, I move from my usual jog to a full-on sprint. Can I burn the need away if I run fast enough?
I’m gonna find out.
I barrel forward until the trees are a blur, ferns whipping at my legs and sides. Brown and green swirl together as I struggle to focus on patrolling, which is what I’m supposed to be doing. Soul-sucking thralls often congregate outside of Ever’s wards, and while the wards protect us, we like to stay alert for anythingsneaking through. I’ve never actually found anything dangerous when I patrol, which makes it easier for my mind to wander.
Long minutes pass, my heart rate speeding up to help me push through, but it’s no use. I can’t get her out of my mind, and I’m still hard.
Irritated, I return to Shifter Hollow and head for Biergarten to sit on the porch and grab a mead. Stalking inside, I pray for the sweat to dry fast as I head for the bar. One of my clients is behind the wide wood countertop. She smiles and gives me a wry look.
“Book?”
