My cheeks warmed as I lowered my gaze and took a step closer to Rune’s side with my hand naturally grabbing onto his cape, seeking some semblance of the safety he gave me.
It was awful how I clung to him when I was a grown woman. The way I was acting wasn’t me, and I knew it. But I couldn’t stop it, and it only worsened.
What happened to my bravery before I threw myself at my killer?
Where did it go?
I wanted it back. Ineededit because I was tired of shaking like a leaf and jumping at every little sound.
Rune shifted, and his arm came around me and tucked me to his side as he grabbed the bags of my things and ditched the cart.
How he could hold all the plastic bags in one hand and arm was beyond me.
Then again, he was a god. What couldn’t he do?
He led me toward the exit, and I kept my eyes lowered, unable to make myself raise them.
Maybe I was tired. Maybe I really needed to sleep for a bit.
Something crashed in the store behind us right as we walked out and were about to step into the downpour. It was muffled with a metal thud and glass breaking.
My heart picked up, and the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood.
I glanced over my shoulder with wide eyes, praying we hadn’t been found again.
Realization dawned on me as I remembered the others weren’t with Rune and me and were still somewhere in the store.
“Rune?” I said with a tremor in my voice. His arm tightened around me, bringing my gaze to him. We stopped at the second set of sliding doors to go into the night. They glided open automatically. It was still pouring down with lightning zigzagging through the sky, turning it different shades of purple. “Where are the others?”
When we didn’t go through the open door, it slid back shut, muffling the storm a tiny bit.
Rune sighed and cursed under his breath like he was irritated with them. He squeezed me to his side as he turned us so he was glaring at the inside of the store. The door behind us opened again, sensing us. The rain was louder now that it was open.
“They’re inside,” he answered, his words a low growl.
I gazed inside the store, waiting for Rune to say more. But he didn’t.
I looked up at him, my eyebrows pinching together.
“What are they doing? Are they okay?” I tried to keep my voice calm, but it sounded off and the words forced.
From Rune’s irritated look mixed with exhaustion, I could tell he knew what that crash was. And that we weren’t under attack. Which helped ease the tightness in my chest.
Thunder clapped, jolting me as my heart flew up to my throat, and my pulse roared in my ears.
Rune guided me back into the store so we weren’t standing around by the exits, allowing him to stare in one direction, waiting for something. My eyes bounced from him to the area he watched, searching for the answer to what the hell was happening.
He must’ve felt my eyes on him because he looked at me, sending my heart racing and butterflies flapping in my stomach. His gaze was sharp and still gave the vibe that he could see inside me and into my very soul.
I’d never felt so exposed like I did with Rune’s blue eyes on me. And I wondered what he always thought when he looked at me like this.
But I wasn’t connecting the link to find out.
“They’re okay,elskan mín, but it looks like we’re having one more person coming with us.”
I drew my eyebrows together and parted my lips as I was about to ask what the hell he was saying when I heard Harper’s husky voice as she argued with someone.
ChapterTen
