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They shared a glance that spoke volumes in one of those silent conversations that couples have. You know, the ones that make single folks roll their eyes or sigh wistfully.
“Actually,” Cairo began, his British accent making everything sound more important, “as much as I’d love to clink glasses and down something sinfully expensive, there’s work to be done. The djinn realm is akin to a deck of cards tossed in the air—chaotic, unpredictable, and in dire need of sorting.”
“Ah, the never-ending buzzkill of responsibility,” I said, though the seriousness in his amber eyes anchored my levity. “So, what’s the game plan, Aladdin?”
Cairo’s lips twitched. “Well, for starters, I’m aiming to change the ancient laws forbidding djinn from mingling with humans. It’s time for a new era—one where love doesn’t come with an instruction manual written by power-hungry ifrits.”
“Ha! Take that, Zayn.” I raised an imaginary toast to progress.
Poppy laced her fingers through Cairo’s, her smile soft yet fierce. “He’s going to need all the help he can get. But together, we’ll light up the path to change.”
“Blazing trails and breaking rules—I’d expect nothing less from you two.” I nodded. “Just don’t forget us mere mortals when you’re rewriting history, okay?”
“Impossible,” Cairo assured me.
“Damn straight,” I grinned, feeling the ember of my own newfound power glow beneath my skin. “In that case, go forth and conquer, lovebirds. Just save me a dance at the victory party.”
“We’ll stop by tomorrow before we head back into the djinn realm,” Poppy promised, and I smiled. Love and law—complicated for humans, a minefield for djinn. But hey, if anyone could navigate that mess, it was Cairo, with Poppy at his side.
I glanced up as they left, hoping to cajole the rest of the team into going out with me for drinks—only to find that Riker’s stance was rigid, a statue carved from frustration, his eyes locked on Niko—a predator singling out his prey. The air between them crackled with an unspoken challenge, and even though the battle was done, it felt like a new one was simmering just beneath the surface.
“Guess this is where I check out,” Riker’s voice rolled through the office, low and controlled. He shot a final, piercing glare at Niko before pivoting on his heel, his departure as silent and forceful as a storm retreating into the night. It was clear that “other places” meant anywhere but here, anywhere but close to Niko.
Maybe anywhere but close to me.
God. I might have saved Cairo and Poppy, but I’d made a huge mess of my own life in the last few days, hadn’t I?
“Looks like the party’s winding down,” Helen said, her voice slicing through the tension left in Riker’s wake. She exchanged a knowing look with Elijah, whose normally stoned expression gave way to a hint of weariness. They were both covered in a fine layer of dust.
“We’re off to dreamland,” Elijah chimed in, his arm looping around Helen’s waist with practiced ease. “But don’t expect us to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning.”
“Speak for yourself,” Helen retorted. “I’ll be fabulous, as always.” And with that, they sauntered toward the door.
“Rest up, you two,” I called after them. “We’ve got more monsters to hunt, and I need my sidekicks sharp.”
“Sidekicks?” Helen’s laughter echoed back to me. “Honey, if anything, you’re the sidekick in this duo.”
“Right. My mistake,” I grinned at the empty space they left behind, the familiar banter a soothing balm to the day’s madness. “What about you?” I asked Niko.
He didn’t respond immediately, instead moving toward me and pulling me to standing in his arms.
His kiss was a slow burn, not the kind that screams through your veins in an explosive burst, but one that simmers, promising a heat that could either warm you right through or scorch you to ashes. Niko’s lips were a perfect contradiction, gentle and yet demanding in a way that had my knees wobbling. His hand cradled my cheek, and for a moment, I forgot I was supposed to be a tough-as-nails supernatural bounty hunter, not some swoony heroine in a paranormal romance.
“Sorry, Tesora,” he murmured against my lips, his breath fanning warmth across my flushed skin. “I’ve got to go play cleanup crew at my office.” His voice held that husky note that could make me forget my own name, let alone the array of supernatural critters I usually chased down. “Besides, I think you have some things you need to work out before we spend much more time together.”
“Sure,” I managed, my voice sounding like it belonged to a teenager who’d just spoken to her crush for the first time.
Professional, Tessa. Very professional.
But as he pulled away, leaving me feeling bereft, the heat didn’t dissipate. It bloomed inside me, a wildflower of fiery power that spread its tendrils through my veins with rebellious glee.
Oh boy. This wasn’t the afterglow of a knee-buckling kiss; this was something else entirely—the burgeoning fire power that I had somehow caught from Cairo.
The same power that could turn me into a human torch if I wasn’t careful.
Control. I needed control. I tried to douse the internal flames with a mental image of a cold Irish sea. But the fire within me laughed at the attempt, crackling with mirth.
“Everything all right?” Niko’s brows knitted together in concern, his werewolf senses probably picking up on my inner turmoil.
