“Sebastian—”
“I know, Grace,” he says. “I know. But I’m not ready, all right? I need?—”
He doesn’t get a chance to finish his thought. A heavy knock pounds against the door.
“What?” Sebastian snaps.
The person knocking doesn’t respond. They only keep knocking and knocking and?—
Sebastian growls and climbs out of bed. He slides into a pair of slacks and glances to make sure I’m covered.
“What do you want, Cora?” he asks before he’s even opened the door. Once he has, I still can’t see her from my position in the bed. I can only hope that means she doesn’t see me either.
Everyone knows we’re having sex, but still…
“We have three weeks until the next full moon,” she says. “As much as I know you two would like to fuck for that entire time, I’d appreciate alittlehelp here. I’m fine, by the way. Nice of you to check on me, Sebastian. Only one ofyour oldest friends, risking her life to do this for you. And what do I get? A fucking punch to the face and a week of silence. Real. Nice.”
“Hells,” Sebastian mutters. He rubs his hand over his face again. Part of me expects him to yell, to shove her out of his doorway. Instead, he releases a heavy breath. “Tonight, all right? We’ll talk about it tonight. Grace has an idea that might help.”
“Is she here?” she asks. Even without seeing her face, I can feel the accusation in her question.
“None of your business,” Sebastian says.
He’s already started to shut the door, but Cora is quick to catch it.
“In case you’ve forgotten,” she says. “Everyoneis counting on you. If this fails, if you choose her over them, you’re dooming your entire species.Again.”
The door slams. Sebastian crosses the room, kicking out of his pants when he reaches the bed. He presses a hand over his mouth, and without saying a word, I can tell he’s moments from breaking.
Cora isn’t wrong. Wedoneed to figure out a plan, but maybe, it’s okay to put off the world for another half hour.
“Need a sex break?” I ask.
“Is that a human thing?” he asks. He lowers his hand, mouth tilting into a mischievous smirk. Even if it’s temporary, I feel a stroke of pride.
“Sure, why not?” I say. I flip the covers back, revealing the full length of my naked body.
Sebastian swallows, eyes falling to my center. He strokes himself as he crawls onto the bed. He touches the soft spot between my legs before notching his cock there, and with one hard thrust, he presses into me. We groan in unison, and I wrap my legs around his waist, anchoring him to me.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispers as he moves. “You’re mine. You feel that, right? You’re mine, and I’ll keep you safe.”
Before I can respond, his mouth is on mine, tongue claiming every inch of it, until I’m not sure where he ends and I begin.
That night,I lie in Sebastian’s bed with the covers tucked to my chin. He left over an hour ago to meet with Cora and Oskar, and though he invited me to join, I decided to stay. I already know the next few weeks will be crammed with hard training and endless brainstorming sessions. Before anything else, Sebastian and Cora need to get on the same page.
Ididask him to pass my idea onto Cora though. If she thinks my dad’s belongings might strengthen my magic for the ritual, I want to try. Sebastian and I have spent the past months as enemies, so it’s thrilling to imagine what we might accomplish asallies. I’m pathetically eager to contribute something more than my witch blood, and this feels like the perfect opportunity.
For now, I’m happy to snuggle in his bed and watchLegally Blondefor the millionth time. I’ve almost drifted to sleep when a heavy knock comes at the door.
I groan and pause the movie. Much as I’m tempted to ignore Beatrice, who’s standing guard in the hallway, it feels like a jerk move. I straighten my clothes as I cross the room, only to startle when I open the door. It’s not Beatrice. Oskar stands in the doorway, and he offers his standard, soft smile.
“Oh,” I say, raising my brows. I glance at the empty space around him. “Where’s Beatrice?”
“I relieved her shortly after the meeting,” he says. He pauses, craning to peer in Sebastian’s room. “Are you ready?”
“I didn’t realize the meeting was over,” I say. Then, “Ready for what?”
“Apologies. I assumed Sebastian told you,” he says. “We’re to collect your father’s belongings in the human world.”
