That checked out. It basically just confirmed that Avery’s mother was behind the shifter kidnappings. But if the goddess knew more, he needed to find out. “What do you mean by that?” Felix asked.
“I cannot say more.”
“The statues?”
“Nope.”
“Helpful.” Felix's face fell.
“I try.” She shrugged, the rocks cracking as she did.
But Avery wasn’t done with the questions. “Why did you choose Felix?”
“He has a nice ass,” the goddess said candidly.
Felix blinked. Really? That was all he had going for him?
The goddess laughed. “No, I’m just kidding. He’s your fate. It was written long before you were born. You will change your fellow shifters.”
Fate. As if he had never had a choice at all. It didn’t matter now. He was glad it had let him here. To Avery. The other stuff he could really do without, but Avery, he could not live without. But to be honest, the gods’ affairs were of no concern to him, whether there were many or one, or where his god had gone. All that mattered was Avery and undoing the steaming shit pile the gods had left for them.
He took a deep inhale, focusing on what he could control. The shifters in his den hated witches as much as they had before he had met Avery. But they didn’t have a choice anymore; he would shove Avery’s love down their throats, and theywouldchange their minds. At least about her. For the other witches, he wasn’t so sure.
The goddess cleared her throat. “I’ll leave you with a final riddle.” She paused for dramatic effect. “The council sucks, don’t trust them.”
Avery gave out a disappointed huff. “That’s a terrible riddle.”
“I will still be here watching.” The rocks cracked as the goddess smiled. “Specifically, I will be keeping an eye on you both because you are absolute freaks in the sheets.”
“Ugh, gross,” Avery said. Heat crawled up Felix’s neck. A literal divine being was commenting on their sex life. Outstanding.
And with that, the face faded into the cave wall, leaving only bare rocks. The cave was plunged into darkness once again, theonly light coming from the ripples as they moved. The silence felt louder than the goddess’s voice.
Felix’s heartbeat thundered in his ears, but Avery touched his arm, and it was enough to bring him back to the here and now. Her hands tangled in his, sending shivers up his spine. Somehow in the last hour, her touch had become even more divine. More intense. He would never get sick of it.
“My mate.” He moved his hand to cup her face. “My marks look good on you.”
They really did. The way they moved over her soft skin utterly mesmerized him. How was it possible that she looked even more attractive now? A primal urge surged through him, his monster satisfied with what they had done.Mine.The word echoed through him.
“Do you think they grow every time we do it?”
Felix hiked Avery out of the water so she was straddling him, their noses almost touching. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Avery giggled as Felix pushed them against the rock wall and buried his face in the crook of her neck, her intoxicating cinnamon scent filling his head with desire. He wanted to bite her and mark her again, keep her where no one could ever reach her but him. But if he knew anything about Avery, she was not a bird to be caged, not on this island, and certainly not by him. He would follow her into hell if that was where she led him.
But he had to make one request. “Let’s go back to the den tonight,” he murmured against her neck, not caring if he sounded desperate anymore. He just wanted her safe. She was far too good for this world. Far too good for him. Did it make him a terrible person to love her? He didn’t care. Call him selfish, but fuck, he would hide her away if it meant no one would lay eyes on her again.
Mine.
Avery stiffened in his grasp, and Felix lowered her into the water, the cold rushing between them. “What is it?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know.
“It’s just…” she started, and his heart sank.
Had she already changed her mind? After everything, would she reject him here and now? The seconds stretched out far too long.
She chewed her lip. “Getting off this island is all I ever wanted. But I’m also scared to leave my world behind, and to enter a den of shifters who quite clearly would want to murder me.”
“I would never let anyone hurt you,” he said, brushing her wet hair away from her face. The shifters would accept her, or he would tear them apart limb by limb until they did.
