A tear slipped from Avery’s face, and Felix gently thumbed it away. “I just want to say goodbye to everything I have known, before we run away.”
As much as it pained him to see her cry, his heart soared instead. Shedidwant to come with him. He was so happy that he wanted to start purring. Instead, he pulled her into a hug. The way she breathed against him was a feeling he would never tire of. Their hearts beat as one, as she fit perfectly beneath him.
Carefully, she kissed the crook of his neck, and he didn’t even flinch. He never had craved someone’s touch as much as he did hers. Never thought that a witch would be the one to undo the damage one of her kind had inflicted in the first place. How ironic that things that hurt the worst could sometimes be the greatest source of love.
“Felix,” she said breathlessly, but not because she was overcome by emotion, but because he was literally restricting her breathing.
“Sorry,” he said, loosening his grip only marginally. “I can’t help it.”
He didn’t know who started laughing first. But just for that moment, everything was perfect.
The tide waslow enough now for them to walk on the rocks rather than swim back through his most treacherous enemy, the sea. His hatred for deep waters had now overtaken witches. The beach was a close third, because not only did you wake up with sand everywhere, even in your crack, but it was also close to the ocean.
The grains of silver sand crunched beneath their feet as they trudged along it. The wind howled loud enough that it set his teeth on edge, almost as if it were trying to warn them of something. He would prefer it to be quiet, so he could actually hear if danger was approaching.
They only had to stay on this godforsaken island long enough for Avery to say goodbye.
His shadows did their best to protect them from the bite of the wind, clothing them from head to toe. The only person who was allowed to bite Avery was him.
“How are we going to get off the island?” she asked, raising her voice so it wasn’t drowned out.
“I have my ways,” he said, walking backward to face her and wiggling his eyebrows.
Avery snorted. “I’ve tried to get off the island at least a hundred times, but I’ve never actually made it through the wards.”
“But you’ve also never had a handsome shifter by your side to break them.” He winked.
She rolled her eyes. “My savior.”
“I have an idea. But you might not like it.”
Before he could even open his mouth to explain, the sound of wingbeats cut him off. Dread snaked through him as he looked up to the sky. The fucking dragon. Its large body descended downward with alarming speed. He bet his left nut it was Wren. But that wasn’t all; more creatures descended from the clouds—a pegasus, and a couple of griffins.Fuck.
There was no time to run. Any one of those creatures could catch him. The dragon alone would make a roast dinner out of him.
Shadows pooled at his feet, but he didn’t bother hiding them. If they were descending with so many, they already knew. His tail whipped behind him, adrenaline pumping through his body. All his senses sharpened, ready for a fight he definitely couldn’t win. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t try, though.
The little witch’s hand shook as he took it into his, gripping it tightly. Her fingers trembled against his, pulse hammering so fast he could feel it through her palm. But she didn’t let go, even as her sister’s dragon hit the beach with a thump. The impact shook the ground. Sand exploded outward, the wind whipping it around.
The unit descended all around them, encasing them in a circle as he pulled Avery into him. Over the hill, a handful of enforcers’ rifles glinted. Yep, they were fucked. He was strong, but he couldn’t take down an entire unit out in the open.
Calmly, Wren jumped off her dragon as it bowed its head for her. He didn’t know why, but the very movement made the blood boil in his veins, seeing its blind obedience to a witch. Felix still had far to go before he didn’t meet every witch with visceral hatred.
“Shifter,” Wren hissed, holding her rifle up.
“Guilty,” Felix said, a feral smile pulling at his lips. He made sure his fangs showed.
“Step away from it,” Wren said, not talking to him.
Avery let go of his hand.
Thirty-Three
Avery
Avery movedin front of him. There wasn’t a chance in hell she could do anything to protect him, but it was the thought that counted. Never in a million fucking years did she think she would be lying down to be a sacrifice for a shifter, but here she was.
Wren didn’t take her eyes off the shifter, her gaze fixed on the threat. “I’m not asking, Avery. Move away from it now.”
