happening.
The moment was broken by a loud pounding on his bedroom door. “Louk! Open up. What happened in there?”
Phelix. Louk dropped his head and rested it against hers. “My brother.”
“Where are we?”
“My bedroom on the compound.”
She inhaled and attempted to push him away. “Get off me.” She gave a solid shove, but he remained firmly above her. “I have to get out of here before they kill me.” Desperation edged her voice and she continued her struggles.
“No one will harm you,” he insisted as he caught her hands and held them still against his chest. “Trust me.” The simple words stilled her movements—her eyes met his in a deep search for the answers.
“There were no other options, Airi.” He held her gaze and silently begged her to see the truth. “After you took the swan dive into the fire pit, I had no choice. I barely stopped you before…” His breath hitched at the memory of how close he’d come to losing her. “After that, the three men from the cave were close on our trail. There was no place else to take you without getting trapped by them.”
The banging returned. “Louk! What’s going on?”
“Do you trust me?” He held his breath in silent desperation as he waited. She looked into his eyes, into his soul, and searched.
Finally, she inclined her head. “I trust you.”
Relief exited in a gush of air, and he crushed a quick kiss against her lips. “Together. Right? We’re in this together.”
Her lips curled up in a slight smile, one that still held a mingling of doubt. “Together.”
“Louk,” the voice insisted again. “You need to open the door. Now.”
Since his bedroom was in the shape of a circle—like all rooms on the compound—with an energy ring cast by him, Phelix would have to wait until Louk got around to opening the door.
Louk pushed off the bed and extended a hand to help Airiana up. He shoved back his own doubt and turned to pull on his boots.
Airiana followed his lead without question. “Rule of engagement number six—always go into a battle prepared,” she said as she slipped her boots on and reached for her coat which he’d left on the end of the bed. Finished, she stood, shook her hair back from her face so it flowed down her back in a straight curtain of silk, squared her shoulders and gave a quick nod. “Ready.”
Pride, pure and smooth, slammed into him. She was courageous, strong and beautiful. He wouldn’t fail her.
“What happened back at the cave?” He moved to his dresser and quickly tucked the normal arsenal of weapons onto his body as he waited for her answer.
She sighed and her voice wavered softly when she spoke. “I don’t know.” She paused and shifted her feet against the carpet. “One second I was with you and then the darkness invaded and pulled me under. I couldn’t fight it, couldn’t resist the commands that were filling me and forcing me to…jump.”
He paused to look at her. Her lips were pulled tight, her hands shoved deep into her pockets as she stared absently at the carpet.
“You scared the shit out me, sweet cheeks,” he said with forced lightness. “Don’t do it again.”
She looked at him and after a moment, smiled. “Right. I’ll try not to.”
He turned back to the dresser and picked up the throwing stars. He turned them over in his hand and contemplated. They were cold in his palm, the tiny blades sharpened to lethal spirals of death.
“What brought you here, Airi?”
He heard her sigh, a deep pressing release, but she didn’t pretend to misinterpret the question. “Doubt. Questions. A search for answers as to why I never felt like I belonged with the Shifters. Why I always questioned their words, doubted their beliefs. Why I was always so alone. A quest to find what the energy was pushing me to search for.”
“And did you find it?”
Silence. “Well, I found you. So, yeah, I think so… Louk?” She waited until he turned to face her. “Why
The moment was broken by a loud pounding on his bedroom door. “Louk! Open up. What happened in there?”
Phelix. Louk dropped his head and rested it against hers. “My brother.”
“Where are we?”
“My bedroom on the compound.”
She inhaled and attempted to push him away. “Get off me.” She gave a solid shove, but he remained firmly above her. “I have to get out of here before they kill me.” Desperation edged her voice and she continued her struggles.
“No one will harm you,” he insisted as he caught her hands and held them still against his chest. “Trust me.” The simple words stilled her movements—her eyes met his in a deep search for the answers.
“There were no other options, Airi.” He held her gaze and silently begged her to see the truth. “After you took the swan dive into the fire pit, I had no choice. I barely stopped you before…” His breath hitched at the memory of how close he’d come to losing her. “After that, the three men from the cave were close on our trail. There was no place else to take you without getting trapped by them.”
The banging returned. “Louk! What’s going on?”
“Do you trust me?” He held his breath in silent desperation as he waited. She looked into his eyes, into his soul, and searched.
Finally, she inclined her head. “I trust you.”
Relief exited in a gush of air, and he crushed a quick kiss against her lips. “Together. Right? We’re in this together.”
Her lips curled up in a slight smile, one that still held a mingling of doubt. “Together.”
“Louk,” the voice insisted again. “You need to open the door. Now.”
Since his bedroom was in the shape of a circle—like all rooms on the compound—with an energy ring cast by him, Phelix would have to wait until Louk got around to opening the door.
Louk pushed off the bed and extended a hand to help Airiana up. He shoved back his own doubt and turned to pull on his boots.
Airiana followed his lead without question. “Rule of engagement number six—always go into a battle prepared,” she said as she slipped her boots on and reached for her coat which he’d left on the end of the bed. Finished, she stood, shook her hair back from her face so it flowed down her back in a straight curtain of silk, squared her shoulders and gave a quick nod. “Ready.”
Pride, pure and smooth, slammed into him. She was courageous, strong and beautiful. He wouldn’t fail her.
“What happened back at the cave?” He moved to his dresser and quickly tucked the normal arsenal of weapons onto his body as he waited for her answer.
She sighed and her voice wavered softly when she spoke. “I don’t know.” She paused and shifted her feet against the carpet. “One second I was with you and then the darkness invaded and pulled me under. I couldn’t fight it, couldn’t resist the commands that were filling me and forcing me to…jump.”
He paused to look at her. Her lips were pulled tight, her hands shoved deep into her pockets as she stared absently at the carpet.
“You scared the shit out me, sweet cheeks,” he said with forced lightness. “Don’t do it again.”
She looked at him and after a moment, smiled. “Right. I’ll try not to.”
He turned back to the dresser and picked up the throwing stars. He turned them over in his hand and contemplated. They were cold in his palm, the tiny blades sharpened to lethal spirals of death.
“What brought you here, Airi?”
He heard her sigh, a deep pressing release, but she didn’t pretend to misinterpret the question. “Doubt. Questions. A search for answers as to why I never felt like I belonged with the Shifters. Why I always questioned their words, doubted their beliefs. Why I was always so alone. A quest to find what the energy was pushing me to search for.”
“And did you find it?”
Silence. “Well, I found you. So, yeah, I think so… Louk?” She waited until he turned to face her. “Why
Similar Books
