Page 96 of Cryptic Dreams
“Now who’s beingdaft?” I snap my teeth at her as my gentle breeze rolls her eyes. “Our bond—”
“Paints a target on your pretty head.” Getting angry isn’t the best plan but it’s out of my control. Just like every other emotion this female pulls from me. “Youhave become my sole focus, my true purpose, and in embracing and solidifying our mating I’ve made you an unwilling pawn in a game that has no option but to end violently. If I lose you—”
“Hey,” Zephyr whispers as she reaches up and cups my cheek. “I’m right here, Wraith. I’m not going anywhere. We’re stronger together, you said that too, and we will take on Atticus and the Counsel, and anything else that comes up as a unified front. Our bond makes us unstoppable, remember?”
I shake my head and look away. “After what happened at the meeting… Zephyr, there are things that I fear even I can’t protect you from, and I cannot handle that.”
“I had a feeling that’s what this was about.”
I just grunt in response because my mate has once again managed to bend me to her will, forcing me to voice my feelings as I do her.
“That was an isolated incident that we can avoid moving forward. Nothing like that is going to happen again and even though we didn’t care for the repercussions, it’ll be helpful.”
It already has been helpful, but my mate knows that just as she knows I don’t care for the way she’s been able to begin sifting through my sire’s bullshit existence for information. Nor do I care for the headaches she’s experienced as a result of it.
“Wraith, honey.” Zephyr gently turns my face toward hers again and smiles brightly as I scowl. “I love that you want to keep me out of the Uprising and far away from any of the crap that comes with it, but you’re my mate. I’m with you in every way possible, in everything—good or bad—life throws our way. Fate is really to blame for all of this and unless you want to reject me and our bond—”
“Never,” I growl as I put us nose to nose.
“Then you’re just going to have to talk to me about your feelings and let me help you work through them. If you do that, then it keeps focus where it needs to be: on each other, and taking out your bastard sire.”
Sighing in defeat because arguing with her is pointless, I press a quick kiss to her lips and nod. “Stubborn female.”
“Asshole male.”
“Cheeky,” I huff out a small laugh and kiss her again. “I do love when you use profanity, though. Really drives your point home.”
Zephyr grins and wraps her arms around my neck. “I love you.”
“I love you, my gentle breeze. And I pray you keep reminding yourself of that since I’m sure this won’t be the only conversation we have about my ridiculous feelings and reluctance to share them.”
Instead of using words, my mate promptly ends our discussion with an indecent kiss, and just as my cock begins to swell inside her core, an urgent knock comes from the other side of the bedroom door before it’s thrown open.
“We’ve got… uh,” Declan says as he cuts himself off. His dark green eyes scan our position in the bed, my naked arse and scowl, my very naked mate underneath me who is now blushing and giggling uncomfortably. Declan’s stare moves around the room, landing on the discarded toys, the dim lighting, the St. Andrew’s cross behind me before connecting with mine. “I thought you’d left, my lady.”
Zephyr shakes her head as I roll my eyes. “Clearly she has not.”
“Clearly.” Declan gives us a curt nod, completely unfazed—and a little curious if I’m hearing his thoughts correctly—as he continues. “I have an update from Lydia. It’s urgent.”
“Right then,” I say with a sigh as I reluctantly dislodge my cock from my love, reach for my dressing gown to cover Zephyr, then plant a kiss on her lips before standing to my full height. “Business, love. Afraid it can’t wait.”
“Orion should be here soon, anyway.” My mate sits up and wraps herself in my robe before turning to Declan. “Going to Plasma?”
My right hand shakes his head. “It’s being watched. We’ll meet at our secondary location.”
“Which is where?”
“No where you need to worry about,” I grunt before shooting a look to both of them. “I will fill you in later, love, but for now you need to run along and clean yourself up so I don’t catch any more flack from your cousins over the way we spend our time.”
Zephyr pales a bit at that, mainly because Orion and Aries have taken to teasing her relentlessly about hermate’s proclivities,then quickly gets to her feet and scurries toward the attached en suite.
“You’ve found them?” I lower my voice as I round the bed and open the wardrobe. “The last two?”
Declan nods as he walks toward me with a file in hand. “When the others started disappearing, these two went into hiding. Made it to the Georgia Florida border by the time Lydia found them.”
I slide on a pair of trousers before taking the folder and leafing through it. “With enough custom ammo to take out half the city.”
“Exactly.”
