snorted with disgust. “He was an ass. He completely controlled her. I don’t think there was any physical abuse, but he did a number on her head. It took her years to get over his death.”
Ayden wanted to ask more about Liam, but Kalissa’s footsteps, followed by the click of the upstairs bedroom door where they’d placed Willow stopped him. Uneasiness had settled over her when the subject had come up at the diner. There was no need to add to her uncertainty. “I gotta go. Talk to you soon.”
Zach laughed and muttered something about Ayden being chickenshit because Lis was coming back into the room. Ignoring his cousin, he said a final goodbye and hung up the phone. He slid the cell into his jeans pocket as she descended the spiral staircase in the far corner of the living room.
“How is she?” Ayden asked when Kalissa came off the last step.
Her violet eyes lifted to meet his gaze from across the room. “Resting. I don’t think anything’s actually broken as she feared.”
“That’s good.” Silence filled the space between them. Nervousness rolled off her and coiled around him. He wanted go to her, wrap her in his arms, and make the storm brewing inside her go away.
A forced smile pulled at her lips as she walked farther into the living room. “She should be back to herself by morning.” She stilled in front of the sofa when he moved toward her.
“I thought you hadn’t been to the cabin in years.”
“It’s been about two years.”
He motioned for her to sit. After she hesitantly complied, he lowered himself into the seat next to her.
“Willow’s half human. My mom raised her. She stays here when no one is around.” She answered his unasked question.
The cabin was clean and free of static energy, surprising him since he’d assumed no one had visited it in years. “It must be nice to not have to clean the cobwebs out of the corners.”
A soft laugh bubbled out of her sensual lips, warming his heart. “Yes, it is. I’m glad Willow is here to take care of things, especially after…”
“Mom’s and Dad’s deaths” went unsaid. Her pain was all too familiar to him and cut to the core. He’d also lost his parents, and the grief was still raw.
Her emotions were starting to run rampant again, bouncing from nervousness to desire. He had to reinforce his shields.
She took a deep breath in, like she was gathering strength from the air. “Willow told me that there’s been more demon activity recently.”
“And you believe they’re looking for the Sinew?”
“Yeah. Did you get ahold of Noah?”
“Zach said he was being held captive by his wife.” Ayden laughed out loud. “Did you know they’re trying to conceive?”
Her violet eyes met his and she smiled. “At their age?”
“Well, they are immortal,” he teased. “Cassia will be four in a couple of months. Grams thinks it’d be nice to have another baby in the house.”
Her smile widened. “She always said she wanted a houseload of children.”
Nodding, he recalled his grandmother saying that but never knew why they’d only had two: Zach’s mom, Lynzee, and Ayden’s dad, Todd.
“How long have they been trying?” she asked.
“A couple months,” he answered and then changed the subject back to her unanswered question, the reason he’d called Noah in the first place. “Zach said Jacen and Lydia called this morning. They are tying up some loose ends and won’t be here for another two days.”
Kalissa froze . For the love of the gods, she was still trying to get used to the idea of spending the night alone with him, but two days? How was she going to keep her distance for two days? Especially since he could pick up on her emotions.
“Lis? Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she lied, not caring if he knew she was being untruthful. “What are we going to do until they get here?” she whispered.
He was quiet for a few minutes before answering. “Whatever we do, we need to be on guard just in
Ayden wanted to ask more about Liam, but Kalissa’s footsteps, followed by the click of the upstairs bedroom door where they’d placed Willow stopped him. Uneasiness had settled over her when the subject had come up at the diner. There was no need to add to her uncertainty. “I gotta go. Talk to you soon.”
Zach laughed and muttered something about Ayden being chickenshit because Lis was coming back into the room. Ignoring his cousin, he said a final goodbye and hung up the phone. He slid the cell into his jeans pocket as she descended the spiral staircase in the far corner of the living room.
“How is she?” Ayden asked when Kalissa came off the last step.
Her violet eyes lifted to meet his gaze from across the room. “Resting. I don’t think anything’s actually broken as she feared.”
“That’s good.” Silence filled the space between them. Nervousness rolled off her and coiled around him. He wanted go to her, wrap her in his arms, and make the storm brewing inside her go away.
A forced smile pulled at her lips as she walked farther into the living room. “She should be back to herself by morning.” She stilled in front of the sofa when he moved toward her.
“I thought you hadn’t been to the cabin in years.”
“It’s been about two years.”
He motioned for her to sit. After she hesitantly complied, he lowered himself into the seat next to her.
“Willow’s half human. My mom raised her. She stays here when no one is around.” She answered his unasked question.
The cabin was clean and free of static energy, surprising him since he’d assumed no one had visited it in years. “It must be nice to not have to clean the cobwebs out of the corners.”
A soft laugh bubbled out of her sensual lips, warming his heart. “Yes, it is. I’m glad Willow is here to take care of things, especially after…”
“Mom’s and Dad’s deaths” went unsaid. Her pain was all too familiar to him and cut to the core. He’d also lost his parents, and the grief was still raw.
Her emotions were starting to run rampant again, bouncing from nervousness to desire. He had to reinforce his shields.
She took a deep breath in, like she was gathering strength from the air. “Willow told me that there’s been more demon activity recently.”
“And you believe they’re looking for the Sinew?”
“Yeah. Did you get ahold of Noah?”
“Zach said he was being held captive by his wife.” Ayden laughed out loud. “Did you know they’re trying to conceive?”
Her violet eyes met his and she smiled. “At their age?”
“Well, they are immortal,” he teased. “Cassia will be four in a couple of months. Grams thinks it’d be nice to have another baby in the house.”
Her smile widened. “She always said she wanted a houseload of children.”
Nodding, he recalled his grandmother saying that but never knew why they’d only had two: Zach’s mom, Lynzee, and Ayden’s dad, Todd.
“How long have they been trying?” she asked.
“A couple months,” he answered and then changed the subject back to her unanswered question, the reason he’d called Noah in the first place. “Zach said Jacen and Lydia called this morning. They are tying up some loose ends and won’t be here for another two days.”
Kalissa froze . For the love of the gods, she was still trying to get used to the idea of spending the night alone with him, but two days? How was she going to keep her distance for two days? Especially since he could pick up on her emotions.
“Lis? Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she lied, not caring if he knew she was being untruthful. “What are we going to do until they get here?” she whispered.
He was quiet for a few minutes before answering. “Whatever we do, we need to be on guard just in
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