After getting Valeria to spill some beans on some of her past romances — one of which involved a very famous emperor and the other an Old Hollywood actor!!! — Eden was in an especially good mood when they set off for the training centre. Her eyes lit up as they walked into the training room and she caught sight of Noah up at the weight machines. When she took in the scene before her this weird, ugly little pang echoed across her chest. He was standing talking to Mark and Natalie, and Natalie was pressed against Noah’s side, her hand on his arm. That alone made her want to rip the Neith off him and give her a beatdown, but as her eyes narrowed on the woman, she watched as Natalie slid her a hand down Noah’s back, the piece of paper in it disappearing into Noah’s back pocket. Natalie patted his ass. And Eden saw red. She felt her feet take off beneath her before her mind had even processed what she was doing. All she could think about was reaching the Neith and letting her know what was what. A strong hand clamped around her wrist, whirling her around to a stop. Val held her still, her beautiful face for once tight and serious; her voice authoritative and ancient as she commanded her in a low voice, “Stop. Noah is not interested in the silly Neith, so do not make a scene, Eden. Things are going well for you. You attack a Neith and that will undo everything we have done here.”
“You should listen to her,” Shona said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Her mocking eyes roamed over Eden insolently. “It’s not like Noah is worth it. He’s famous for screwing around with the Neith, Edie. He’s taken loads of phone numbers since he’s been here. He’s never had a proper girlfriend, and after all these years, I doubt he’s going to start now with a fledgling, virgin Ankh.” Pain. Hurt. It rippled over Eden, stunning her momentarily. The reminder of Noah’s past glued her mouth shut and she felt awash in humiliation that she had a let a guy kill her savvy. Rescue came in the form of the ancient warrior at her side. Val stepped toe to toe with the Neith, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Eden watched with satisfaction as Shona blanched. “I do not know who you are little girl but I’ll remind you that you’re not talking to one of your peers; you are insulting Cyrus of Persepolis’ child, and in the presence of one of your elders. You ever talk to the Princep’s daughter with such disrespect again and I will hand you your ass. Are we clear?” Shona nodded shakily, the fear and realisation of what she’d just done colliding in her gaze. “I didn’t mean to insult you, Valeria.”
“Insult Eden, you insult me.”
“I apologise.” Her mouth twisted as if she had swallowed something bitter. “To both of you.” Eden almost laughed at how fast Shona skittered away but she was still reeling from her reaction to Shona’s putdown.
“What a repugnant child,” Valeria sighed.
“You’re pretty scary when you want to be.”
“Eden.” Her mentor turned her to face her. “Don’t listen to a word she said. Noah loves you.” Eden glanced over her shoulder and saw him staring at them, a crease of concern between his brows. He lifted his hand in a wave and she returned it before glancing away. Did he? Love her that is?
He hadn’t actually said those words yet.
**
“Hey, you’re awful quiet.” Noah nudged her, that spark of worry that had been gnawing at him since this afternoon suddenly growing a little bigger. Eden had been acting weird for hours. “Do you not like it?” He picked up the CD he’d bought her. After borrowing Tobe’s copy of
“No, I love it.” She smiled up at him, but the cute dimple in her right cheek didn’t flash at him teasingly, and he was sure he saw something dark in the depths of her gorgeous eyes.
Growing more concerned by the minute, Noah slid closer to her on Tobe’s bed, brushing her hair off her face so she couldn’t hide behind it. “So what’s wrong?” He let his fingers linger against her cheek, drawing them down across her soft skin. At the feel of her shiver, Noah felt his blood heat. It was weird. He couldn’t stop touching her. And he wanted to be around her all the time, talk to her, touch her, kiss her. As his blood quickened, Noah drew a breath, trying to tamp down the mass of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him whenever he was with her. The last week things had changed all over again for him. Now that Eden was his, he wanted to make her his in every way possible. He wanted to lay her back on the bed and take everything she was willing to give.
Strangely, the thought that he would be the only guy she’d ever been with, filled that possessive streak he’d never even known he had until he met her, with this euphoric caveman feeling that he would never admit to owning.
So, Eden being distant with him… was causing him a little panic.
“Nothing.” She shook her head, looking back down at the CD.
“Come on.” He frowned, trying to work out what could have happened between now and yesterday to put her in a mood. It was difficult to tell with Eden because she could start worrying about something that happened six months ago if she let it get under her skin. “Is it the first kill comedown?”
Eden frowned. “The what?”
“You know… it’s such a high after your first kill but you’ve not had a hunt since. It can sometimes feel like your crashing after a buzz. If so… we could patrol tonight?” They’d been sending out patrols in twos and fours every night just to make sure they’d definitely cleared Edinburgh of soul eaters. So far… so good.
But Eden shook her head at him. “No, it’s not that. But you go on patrol if you want.” OK, now he knew something was up. Eden turning down some action? “Just tell me what’s wrong?” He tried to keep the chick-like anxiety out of his voice.
“It’s stupid.” She shrugged, trying to blow him off. “I feel like a chick just thinking about it.” He smiled. They were so alike in so many ways. “Uh… hate to tell you this, baby, but you are a chick.”
She blinked. “Baby?”
“What?”
“You called me baby. You’ve never done that before.”
Unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, Noah shifted uncomfortably. “Do you not want me to?” He was completely confused. This whole relationship thing was new to him anyway but to be in one with Eden, the most unpredictable female on the planet…
“No, it’s not that,” she reassured sliding away from him to lean back against Tobe’s headboard.
“It’s just… it’s stupid but… um… I saw you with Natalie today and she was putting what I can only imagine was her phone number into the ass pocket of your jeans.” Realisation dawned, and watching Eden look anywhere but at him filled Noah with a massive sense of relief. Yeah, OK, Natalie had been trying to get him in the sack since she’d met him. And that afternoon hadn’t actually been her boldest move. Noah had almost jammed a fork in her hand at the restaurant last week when her other hand descended under the table and began wandering in inappropriate places. Come to think of it, Noah had kind of hoped Eden’s attitude that night had meant she was jealous. Now that he was proved right… well… he knew he shouldn’t enjoy it, but it was nice knowing she felt just as off-balance by what was going on between them as he did. He grinned, shrugging. “Look it was just her number and I crumpled it up and put it in the trash as soon as I could.”
Eden glared at him for grinning so he tried to force his lips to stop and was amused even more by how difficult he found it.
“But she’s not the first one, right? There are others? There have been others.” It suddenly wasn’t so funny anymore. Noah sighed heavily. He should have known his past would come back to bite him on the ass. “Look, I’m not gonna lie, I have a rep with the Neith for not exactly being a one woman guy. But that’s over now.”
He was astonished when her blue-green eyes flashed at him with anger and anxiety. “Is it?” That earlier panic returned tenfold and Noah slid up next to her, terrified that this was actually going to be a problem. He cupped her face between his hands, trembling like a teenage boy on his first date. “You came into my life and changed everything. You changed me, Eden. You’ve brought me down to earth and I needed that. I love being Ankh, I do, it’s a massive part of who I am, but before you… that’s
