“You’re in love with him,” Sloane said softly.
Oh man, did she have to go there? “I don’t use the L word.” My heart squeezed painfully. “I’ve never allowed myself to go there.”
“And you can’t,” Leif said softly. “Not until we know more about him. Not until you can be a hundred percent confident that you won’t… submit to him.”
“You mean fuck him?” I gave Leif a flat look. “We’re all grown-ups here. You can say it.”
Tor’s chest rumbled.
Rune bumped me with his nose. Give him time. He’ll be back. Right now, he’s hurt. Upset. But I don’t think it’s in his nature to turn his back on you or the people that mean something to you.
Thank goodness for Rune’s insightful nature. His words resonated with me. Because Jasper was an ass at times, projecting an air of coldness and cruelty, but that was probably all he’d known. All he remembered. The blood witch who’d owned him had kept him starving and gray, giving him nothing but taking whatever she needed. I’d freed him, but all I’d shown him was contempt, even though he’d saved my ass over and over.
God, I was a bitch. Why was I such a bitch?
It was time to reset our relationship. He was mad, yes, he had a right to be, and it was up to me to make it up to him in any way I could that didn’t involve removing the amulet, because if I did that…If I did that, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to trust myself with him.
I stroked Rune’s head and then kissed between his ears. “Thank you.”
Sloane drained her cup. “Okay, so we need to work on the assumption that we don’t have a way to break the null effect.” She looked to Tor. “The witches are on hand to help if things change and Jasper comes around.” She looked to me. “Pack a few things and I’ll take you back to the mansion.”
“Wren too!” He rushed over and hugged my leg.
I stroked his head. “Of course.”
“Wren get Jules to make cocoa.”
Sloane looked at her watch. “It’s almost midnight, buddy. Kitchen’s closed.”
Wren smiled sweetly at her. “Not for Wren.”
Oh boy, my mogwai had the kitchen staff wrapped around his paw.
Leif pulled me into a hug and kissed my head. “Rain check on movie night?”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tight. “Be safe. Please.”
Leif stepped back and Tor took his place.
He lifted my chin with the crook of his finger and looked deep into my eyes. “I’m sorry for snapping. I can’t change my stance on Jasper until we know more.”
“I get it. But he’s not the enemy.”
Tor stroked my jaw with his thumb. “I’ll try. But I’m not used to sharing.”
Rune and Leif coughed meaningfully at the same time.
Tor looked heavenward. “Not you guys. I can share with you guys.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I get it. Go. Keep the packs safe. I’ll see you guys in a couple of days.”
“Hello, guys, she’s not leaving the country,” Sloane said.
Tor shot her a hard glance and she held up her hands and stepped back. “Take your time, not like I have anywhere to be.”
Tor leaned in and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent, allowing the mating bond to surge up between us and pull me closer. He hugged me to his powerful chest for a long beat, and need washed through me, urging me to push up against him and nuzzle his throat. I tamped down on it, focusing instead on the warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest, this new sensation of home and safety. Crazy because Tor was danger and sex. He was authority and command, the kind of guy who’d put me over his knee and spank me, and fuck, I’d even let him. But right now, there was an overwhelming feeling of security.
He released me almost reluctantly and looked deep into my eyes, his expression serious. “Stay out of trouble.” He looked at Sloane. “If she gets hurt it’ll be on you.”
Sloane crossed her arms and flicked up her brows. “Would you like to rephrase that, Tor?”
His jaw ticked. “Just take care of her.”
Sloane smiled. “With pleasure.”
I left the guys to head upstairs to pack a bag.
“Less boots, more clothes,” Sloane called after me.
Yeah, like that was gonna happen.
Wren made a beeline for the dining hall as soon as we got into the mansion, and it wasn’t long before he’d been carried off by one of the resident ghosts. He was going to get his cocoa after all, and probably some baked treats to go with it. Wren was living the dream.
Sloane insisted on walking me all the way to the east wing. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to being back in the room where I’d been attacked by a revenant, and my face must have communicated that.
“The wards are back up,” Sloane said. “You’re safe.”
“I know. It just feels weird being back here. The cabin and the guys feel like home.”
“The coven is your home too,” she said.
“I know.”
“It’s not easy straddling two worlds.”
“It helps that these two worlds are so intertwined.” We climbed the steps that would lead us to my floor.
She slid a glance my way. “I spoke to Conah. He had some epic stories to tell about you.”
“He did?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I’m far from epic.”
“Oh? So, you didn’t ride a dragomite? You know, fire-breathing, dragon-like demon?”
Ah, that. I grinned. “Yeah…I might have done that.”
She shook her head. “Epic.”
“How is Conah getting on with the translation?”
“You can ask him yourself tomorrow. Is he always so particular about how things are filed?”
I winced. “Is the library unorganized?”
She shrugged. “We haven’t had a librarian in a decade. He spent his first few hours refiling books, then gave up. Apparently, it’s a lost cause and needs a whole new categorizing system.”
Yep, that sounded like Conah.
“He
