Aelith bristles at the nickname, but he doesn’t rise to the bait. “I’m here to ensure my fated’s safety,” he says, his voice clipped. “If that means answering your questions, so be it.”
His words surprise me, but even more surprising is the faint flicker of vulnerability beneath the arrogance. Maybe—just maybe—having him on board could actually work.
Later that night,after the initial chaos has settled, Solan and I sit outside, not too far away from the bowling alley, the quiet hum of the forest surrounding us. Jamie is safely asleep, and for the first time in hours, I feel like I can breathe.
Solan sits close, his presence grounding. His hand brushes mine, and I feel the steady warmth of his emotions through our bond—love, protectiveness, a quiet determination to see this through.
“You’re thinking too much again,”he says, a teasing edge to his mental voice.
“Can you blame me? This is all….”I gesture vaguely, letting the bond carry my tangled thoughts.“A lot.”And that includes meeting Sonny, the Aussie who found himself here so long ago that it itches my brain.
Solan chuckles, the sound deep and rich.“It’s a lot. But we’ll figure it out. Together.”
I turn to him, the weight of everything we’ve been through settling heavily on my shoulders. “You really believe that?”
He cups my face gently, his golden eyes locking onto mine. “I do. Because no matter what happens, we have each other. And that’s enough for me.”
The sincerity in his voice steals my breath, and for a moment, the chaos of the day fades away. His hand on my face feels grounding, anchoring me in the present when everything else seems to be spinning out of control.
“Okay,” I say softly, leaning into his touch. “Together.”
Solan’s lips twitch, his expression softening but still carrying that signature intensity. “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” The Arnie quote is delivered with a dramatic edge, his accent adding an unintentionally charming flourish.
I blink, caught completely off-guard. “Seriously? You’re quotingPredatorat me right now?”
He grins, unapologetic. “It felt appropriate. Besides, you like when I reference Earth movies. Admit it.”
A laugh bubbles out of me, easing some of the tension coiled in my chest. “I don’t know whether to kiss you or smack you.”
“Both are acceptable,” he replies smoothly, his golden eyes sparking with mischief. His hand trails down my face to brush my jaw, his touch igniting a shiver. “Though I’d prefer the first option.”
“You’re unbelievable,” I mutter, shaking my head, though a small smile pulls at my lips.
“Unbelievably yours,” he counters, the playful tone giving way to something deeper, more serious.
And damn it if that doesn’t make my chest tighten.
Before I can reply, his expression shifts again, his gaze dipping lower as if cataloguing every inch of me. “An orgasm might help with the tension,” he says, his voice low and teasing.
“Bold of you to assume I’ve got the energy for that,” I shoot back, though the heat creeping up my neck betrays me.
“True,”he muses, his mental voice brushing against my mind like a caress.“But maybe later, when we’ve survived this madness. I can think of plenty of ways to…relax you.”
His words send a delicious pulse of anticipation down my spine, and my mind betrays me with a flash of imagery: his body beneath mine, the faint glow of his horn lighting our skin as I ri?—
Nope. Not now. I slam the mental door on that thought so fast, it could’ve singed me. “File that under ‘things to revisit when we’re not on a queen’s hit list.’”
His chuckle echoes warmly in my mind. “Filed. But for the record, you’d look stunning.”
“Shut up,” I say, though the warmth spreading in my chest makes it hard to sound annoyed.
Calythra’s voice cuts through the moment like a whip, coming through the doorway of the building we’re staying in tonight. “If you two are done flirting, some of us are trying to sleep before tomorrow’s shitshow begins.”
I stifle a groan, clambering to my feet and adjusting my jeans. “Right. Sleep.”
Solan’s smirk is pure mischief as he stands and leans in close, his voice a private murmur meant for my ears alone. “But remember, after this is over,I’ll be back.”
I groan audibly this time, unable to help the laugh that bubbles out of me. “You’re impossible.”
