V's sigh was full of annoyance, and I tried my hardest not to smile. “Okay, and what’s a bond rune? Why haven’t I ever seen it before? I had no idea you were bonded.”
“Because I hadn’t been a lucky Fae with a bond mate until this moment.” Her eyebrow rose in question, and my smirk grew. “It’s your rune, love. It means we’re a perfect match in the Fae sense. Mates,” I elaborated, gaze sliding down her body.
She noticed and covered her breasts with a scowl. “For the Season?”
“For forever.”
Her body stiffened. “What?”
Unable to prolong the inevitable, I carefully redirected, “As reluctant as I am to clothe you, we should probably wake your friend so we can do what we must before taking on that blasted Mistress Chaos.”
She glared at me as if remembering I’d been the entire reason she couldn’t find her outfit. And I was. “About that, where the fuck did you put my clothes?”
I snapped my fingers and clothes appeared on her. A tragedy, really. These were different from the ones she wore before. Any excuse to dress her in an outfit that appealed to me I’d be daft not to take.
She was in a tight pair of shorts and corset top, her hair up in double buns but stray bits falling around her delicate nape and framing the sides of her face. Her skin was still shimmering the way only a Siren’s would, and it was, simply put, mesmerizing.
“This isn’t what—Why am I not wearing any panties?”
I put a finger against her lips, hushing her. “You’ll thank me when the heat gets to you again. Less to trouble ourselves with.”
Rolling her eyes in that cute way of hers, V got off the bed and tried to find the door. The darkness in this room was magic-caused, which meant her vampire eyes wouldn’t assist her. It was simple to turn on the lights, but watching her stumble her way around brought a sneaky grin to my face.
“Where the fuck is the door, Cash?” she finally growled after deciding I was to blame for it.
Make no mistake, I was.
Pretending I didn’t have the ability to summon the lights, I went to her and put an arm around her waist. “Let me help you, dove. Wouldn’t want my lovelymateto hurt her pretty face in a stumble.”
She clicked her tongue in agitation but clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her safe. It was an effort to lead her to the door, when taking her back to the bed was so very tempting. Especially when I already knew the taste of her mouth and of that devil flower between her legs, and after how quickly she melted under my touch.
But I was a gentleman, so I led her out of the room to where her friend was kept.
Chapter 4
Love & Regrets
Phillip
I’d been a bastard for weeks, and all because of jealousy.Again.When it came to V, I struggled to control myself. If I didn’t get my act together, I’d lose her. The thought of it had quieted me for weeks, afraid of saying anything that might hurt her. But it’d only made the distance between us worse.
Sloan was leaned against the door, glaring at me. “When she’s back, you’ll say sorry, or I’ll inject you with the serum and beat you to a bloody pulp myself, mate. You’re acting like an immature child.”
I raked a hand through my hair, unable to argue. “I’ll make things right with her. You have my word.”
“She just lost her friend. Another one. Maybe you’ve forgotten that at one time she loved him, probably still does, but I haven’t. And he went out of his bloody way to protect her and everything she was fighting for,” Sloan went on, his tone somber. He’d been the one to discover Nigel’s body and deliver the final letter the wolf wrote to her. “You’ve been a proper dick.”
I hung my head in shame, jaw clenched. “I don’t have any excuses, but the thought that she’d…for him. A Dark Fae who’d been there when her parents died. After all he’s done? After everything he is? What is she thinking? He’s put a spell on her, Sloan. Nothing else makes sense.”
The thought of V looking at that kotzbrocken the same way she did me…
Fuck.
My eyes cut back up to Sloan, but he wasn’t giving me an inch. “I think you need to seriously consider what loving someone means to you, mate. I know it’s been a while since Giselle, but for fuck’s sake…this is ridiculous. What does love even look like to you?”
His muscles bulged as if he was fighting himself. Pushing off the wall, he came over and stood in front of me. His piercing blue eyes took hold of mine.
He was one of few I trusted to give it to me straight. We shared a history, and now we shared our Liebling. I wouldn’t like what he had to say, but I needed to hear it.
