“What’s wrong with you?” Jasper sounded genuinely perplexed. “Are you addicted to danger?”
I sighed. “No, are you?”
“How can I keep you safe if you keep doing shit like this. First the Order with their fucked-up fae assassins and their revenants, then, when I think, it’s okay, she’s anchor now, she’ll be safe, we find out there are original vamps out for your blood, literally, and now you join The Elites.” His tone went up a notch. “This doesn’t work, Cora. Not at all.”
“Not much choice.” I peered up at him. “You know it.”
“There’s always a choice. You could walk away with me. Take that damn amulet off and let me keep you safe.”
His tone had dropped to intimate, almost yearning, and part of me wanted to lean into him. To let him do the hard work of keeping the shit at bay, but it was a teeny part, the part that was wiped out from the Calling.
“That’s not who I am.”
“I know.” He ground his teeth. “Believe me, I fucking know. You infuriate me.”
“Back at you.”
I knew he wouldn’t stay away for too long. My survival was his, but it was more than that. It was the softness in his eyes when he looked at me. It was the yearning. Did he have feelings for me too? No, he was evil. Malevolent. He was something else. Something no one understood. Not even him.
“You’re also a liar,” Jasper said.
“What?”
“You do want me, Cora. You can’t hide that from me, and I’m not going anywhere. I can be just as stubborn as you.”
Why did that make my blood fizz? “I figured. But the amulet stays on.”
I couldn’t risk giving into my intense desires around him. Not with the seal at stake.
“For now.” He smirked, leaned in, and kissed my temple. “I’ll see you later, Cora.”
He misted away and I stared at the spot where he’d been, throat going dry despite the recent drink, because this was the first time Jasper had said goodbye before leaving and I wasn’t sure what the heck to make of that.
“Okay, so we have a plan,” Sloane said to me. “Patrols occur at night, and nighttimes are dangerous for you because of the vamp issue. Being off grounds will pose a threat, but you’ll be with us. We’ll keep you safe.”
Tor’s jaw ticked. “One of us will come with you when not on night patrol.”
“You’ll also be assigned a gargoyle,” Anna said. “For when the wolves are busy on patrol.”
“It seems like overkill.” I shrugged. “I can take care of myself.”
“Yes, you can,” Tor said. “But if these vamps do come for you, you’ll need all the backup you can get.”
Sloane’s jaw tightened. “I won’t lose another witch.”
She was thinking about Brie.
My heart sank. I was taking Brie’s place. Her friend’s place. “I’m so sorry.”
She inclined her head. “Yeah, so am I.”
“It’s customary for gargoyles to accompany select witches off the grounds,” Anna continued. “The elders are all assigned one. Bador is mine. He’s the best. I’d be happy to share him with you.”
I’d never seen Bador in action, but I’d seen his son Lauris fight a revenant to save my ass.
But it was more than that. His story, the shunning he had to endure, pissed me the fuck off.
He deserved a chance to prove himself. “I want Lauris.”
Anna looked stunned. “Lauris is a novice. He hasn’t had any training.”
“Which makes it more impressive that he saved my life from the revenant that attacked me on my balcony.”
“I vote Lauris too,” Tor said. “He’s a bright, determined young man and he’s already proven himself.”
Anna pursed her lips. “The gargoyles won’t be happy with this.”
Urgh. Who gave a shit? “Because he’s half human? Or because the anchor is choosing him over all the purebreds?” I tipped my head to the side. “Maybe it’s time they pulled their pompous heads out of their asses and gave him a chance to reach his full potential.”
“You really believe in him?” Sloane was studying me with an unreadable expression.
“I believe that he’ll put his ass on the line for me without a second thought, and I believe he’ll fight dirty to win. I believe he deserves a shot.”
Anna sighed. “From what I hear he did test highly in the gargoyle trials. His progress has been suppressed because of his heritage. He’s been punished because of it. I agree with you. He deserves a shot, but the others won’t be happy about this.”
I grinned at her. “And that’s where your mojo comes in.”
She bit back a smile. “Very well. I’ll speak to Bador and contact you to let you know the outcome.”
“We patrol tonight,” Sloane said.
Tor looked worried. “So do the tri-packs. Varga activity has increased over the past few weeks. They’re splitting up and entering our territories at several points at the same time.” He frowned at Anna. “Just to be clear, no Lauris means no anchor on patrol.”
Sloane pressed her lips together. “Missing a patrol isn’t an option. The Order will know we’re down an Elite, which means chances of revenant activity are higher than usual right now.” She locked gazes with Tor. “Worst-case scenario, I’ll keep her safe. I give you my word.”
Tor’s jaw flexed, and for a moment I thought he’d tell her to piss off, but then he nodded. “Fine. I’ll hold you to that. Now if you’re done monopolizing my mate, we have some business of our own to discuss.”
And why did I get the impression I was in for a verbal dressing down?
He strode toward the exit, morphing into wolf form as he reached the door, then turned to look at me with his huge dark head and piercing gray eyes.
Come on, you can ride me.
His
