Ten minutes later, he entered the room again.Alert for him this time, she caught his footfall in the hall andlifted her head as he glided toward his chair.
His movements mesmerized her; there wassomething animalistic about him. Something primal and lethal andutterly seductive in a way that might make her a little insane.
“Any change?” she asked as he settled ontothe chair once more.
“No.”
“I’m sure he’ll wake soon.”
“I hope so.”
He picked up his book and started readingagain. She did the same, though her attention remained mostly onhim.
After a few minutes, he set the book down andturned toward her. “What do you like to do for fun, Lexi?”
She lifted her book and waved it at him.“Read.”
“What else?”
“Riding, and before the war, I’d often go forhikes with my dad. Sometimes Sahira would join us. I also like tofish.”
“Did you go to parties?”
“My father had a few here that I attended asa teen, but I never went to the Shadow Realms until your father’sinvite arrived. Once the war started, the parties stopped.”
“That they did.”
“What about you, Cole? What do you like to dofor fun?”
There was one thing the dark faelovedto do for fun, but she hoped he didn’t answer that.
“I also like to read and listen to music, andI attendedmanyparties over the years.”
“Did you travel to different ShadowRealms?”
“I did.”
She set her book in her lap as she leanedforward. “What are they like? Are they all as fantastical as theGloaming? Which realm is your favorite?”
“My favorite is the Gloaming; there’s nothinglike home. But the witches’ realm is amazing, as is the lycan’s,and there are many others inhabited by numerous, immortal species.Many of them, I would never travel to. And then there is the sirenrealm and the imps.”
Lexi propped her chin on her hand as hetalked about the different realms and all the many immortalcreatures she would never meet. The deep timbre of his voice andthe pictures he painted enthralled her.
She could listen to him talk for hours, andthough he got up to check on Brokk every hour, that was exactlywhat they did. The sun was setting when she reluctantly pulledherself away from him.
She went upstairs to clean up another guestroom in case he decided to sleep away from Brokk tonight. When shefinished, she went out to bring in the horses.
She returned to the manor and discovered himsitting at Brokk’s side. She told him about the other room, but shedoubted he would sleep in it.
“Thank you,” he said.
She bid him good night and closed thedoor.
CHAPTER 36
Cole found Lexi in the library again the next dayand settled into the chair beside her. He couldn’t stop himselffrom smiling at her as she lowered her book and beamed at him. Thatsmile warmed his heart and could light up all the realms. He baskedin its radiance.
“How is Brokk?” she asked as she set her bookdown. “I poked my head in to check on him, but you were bothsleeping.”
