His chest rose and fell, fast and shallow. “Fuck, Cora, what the fuck?”
I licked my lips, and he tracked the movement. “I know what I want, Cora, and if you don’t stop thinking your filthy thoughts, I’ll forget the boundaries and take it.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why wasn’t this easier? I closed my eyes and reined in the need.
He made a strangled sound, part protest, part exasperation, before grabbing a towel off the rack and handing it to me.
“Go use the shower in my room. Now, Cora, before I forget my promise.”
My stomach flipped hard, and for a moment I was tempted to hold my ground, to see what happened when Tor snapped, but the moment was fleeting. I’d asked for these boundaries and I needed to set the precedent.
I turned away quickly and left the room. I needed to put distance between us before I threw caution to the wind and changed my mind.
Shower and then the hunt. Time to burn off this pent-up tension.
Chapter Eighteen
Leif drove me to the meeting spot for the hunt in silence. Normally I’d be fine with silence, but this was a silence pregnant with tension. He was stewing on something. It thrummed between us, down the threads that bound us, and left an icky feeling in my chest.
“Leif?”
His grip on the wheel tightened. “I know. I’m just trying to find the right words. I don’t want to argue.”
Oh boy. “Just say what’s on your mind.”
He sighed and pulled the car onto the side of the road. “Jasper.”
My turn to sigh. “I know.”
“Do you?” He frowned. “I mean what do you actually know about him?”
His question threw me, because aside from the fact that Jasper had been a prisoner to a blood witch when Fee and I had freed him, not much.
“What is a malevolent spirit anyway?” Leif asked. “Was he human once? Is he something else?” He took my hand. “I know you care about him. Probably more than you care for us, but do you know him?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand, cutting me off.
“No, hear me out. What we have is new. It’s…complicated. The whole bond thing versus all these emotions.” He made swirly motions with his hand. “But I can tell you one thing for certain. I’m falling for you, Cora. And that’s nothing to do with the fucking mating bond. It’s different. It’s here.” He touched his chest. “Not here.” He touched his solar plexus. “Tor, Rune, and I will protect you, honor your wishes, and make sure the seal remains intact. You can count on us to do that. You know what we are and who we are, but you don’t know who or what Jasper really is. You need to be wary.”
I knew this. But unfortunately it didn’t stop me from wanting or caring about his stupid malevolent ass. “I have the amulet. It’s fine. The seal is safe. He can’t do anything intimate without my permission.”
“And you won’t give him permission?” Leif tipped his head to the side slightly, studying me intensely.
The kiss Jasper and I’d shared in the shower filled my mind. I pushed it away. “No.”
“Okay. But promise me that if anything changes, if you feel you might slip, you’ll speak to me.” He grazed my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I’ll never judge you, Cora. Our feelings aren’t always in our control. Tor might not understand your dynamic with Jasper, but Rune and I do, and we want to help.” He smiled. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think Jasper’s evil, but there are too many unknowns surrounding his existence for us to take risks. Just…Guard your heart.” He started the engine again. “And have fun on the hunt tonight.” He peeled back onto the road. “But save some energy for later; it’s my turn in your bed tonight…” He wiggled his eyebrows.
I ignored the skip in my pulse because we were talking about movie night, nothing more. Leif nights were movie nights. We usually fell asleep watching some golden oldie. He gave the best hugs.
I sat back in my seat. “Make sure we have snacks.”
“Popcorn and chocolate-covered raisins?”
“You know it. And some cheese strings for Wren.”
“I stocked up.”
He steered the car off the road, onto a dirt track, and then into a field. A campfire flickered in the distance and several figures milled around it.
“Base camp,” Leif said. “The ladies like toasting marshmallows and drinking fruity cider after the hunt.”
A figure detached itself from the throng and hurried over. The moon peeked out from behind a cloud to light up Halle’s golden locks.
“Have fun,” Leif sing-songed.
God, he was cute, sexy, and funny. A surge of love filled me.
I leaned across the seat on impulse and pecked him on the cheek. “See you later.”
He gripped my nape as I pulled back and looked deep into my eyes. “I like you, Cora. A lot. Don’t get eaten by feywarg.”
“Yoo-hoo, Leif!” Astrid called from somewhere outside the Rover.
I returned Leif’s gaze with a serious one of my own. “I like you too, Leif. A lot. Don’t get eaten by Astrid.”
He groaned as I slipped away and out of the Rover. Astrid shot me a cold glare before reaching for the car door, but the engine flared to life and Leif reversed the Rover before her fingers could touch metal.
I caught the twitch of his mouth before he turned the vehicle and drove away.
Astrid spun on her heel to face me, hands on hips. “You can’t stop him, you know. You can’t poison him against me. All you’re doing is delaying the inevitable.”
“What?” Halle said. “When he finally snaps and tells you to fuck off?”
Astrid ground her teeth. “You don’t belong here,” she said to me. “You never will.”
I pressed my hand to my chest, plastering a look of hurt and
