Lexi gulped, but she couldn’t let the knockgo unanswered, and she couldn’t let Sahira find them like this.They weren’t touching anymore, but her aunt would know somethinghad happened.
Lexi straightened her shirt and threw backher shoulders. He started to reach for her, but his hand stoppedand hovered in midair before falling to his side. They stared ateach other before Lexi edged away from him and started for thedoors.
She almost glanced at the fireplace butstopped herself before she did. It couldn’t be Orin at her door. Hewas probably growing increasingly angry at her for not returning tohim, but he was still safely tucked beneath the manor.
Or she assumed he was. When she hadn’treturned, he might have gotten pissed off enough to leave, but shedoubted he would risk capture by coming to her front doorafterward. At least she hoped he wasn’t that stupid.
•••
Cole inhaled a shuddery breath as he strained toregain control of himself. He was no longer just battling the lycanpart of himself but also the hungry dark fae. It had been over aweek since he last satisfied his dark fae urges.
He hadn’t gone this long since childhood, andhe hadn’t realized how ravenous he was until now. However, as hestared at the wall of books and willed his erection away, he triedto recall when he last fed.
He didn’t remember the woman, but that wasnothing new; he didn’t remember most of them. The rare few madereturn appearances in his bed, and it was never because he wantedmore of them, but because they ran in the same circles, likeBecca.
But as Cole recalled the last time he fed, herealized it was before meetingher. His head swiveled towatch Lexi as she glided toward the doors, and his softeningerection stirred again.
Shit, he sucked a breath in throughhis teeth and fisted his hands. His nails dug into his palms as hewilled himself to let her go.
Not only was he hungry, but every part of himcraved her, and it was only a matter of time before he had her. Hewouldnotbe denied much longer.
He rested his hand against the shelf as shevanished into the hall, but another round of knocking, and notbeing able to see her anymore, spurred him into motion.
She was at the door when he stepped into thehallway. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sahira emerging fromthe hall leading to the kitchen. She was wiping her hands on adishtowel as she walked. When her eyes met his, he saw the concernin them as she stopped a few feet away.
Lexi cracked the door open, but she didn’topen it enough for him to see who stood on the other side. However,a familiar scent caused his hackles to rise.
“Elexiandra,” Malakai purred from the otherside of the door.
Sahira stiffened, and when he glanced at heragain, he saw a hardness that had never been there before. Not evenwhen she was warning him away from Lexi had she looked so tense.Her chin jutted out as her eyes met his again.
She gave a subtle nod of her head toward thedoor. Cole didn’t need her to tell him to intervene in this, healready planned to do so, but it astounded him that she found himless of a threat to Lexi than Malakai.
He hurried to intervene.
CHAPTER 39
Lexi’s hand tightened on the door as Malakai restedhis hand on the frame and leaned toward her. His brown eyes burnedwith an intensity that made her stomach churn. A cruelmaliciousness burned in those eyes as he smiled at her.
It took everything she had not to step awayfrom him, but she managed to hold her ground. The unravelingcontrol of the dark fae prince made her a little uneasy, but Colenever made her skin crawl like Malakai did.
Malakai was smiling at her, in completecontrol of himself, and couldn’t make her one of the shadow kissed,but he was far more of a menace to her than Cole.
For one thing, Malakai wanted to marry herand rule over her life and lands. She’d rather be tied behind ahorse and dragged naked over a field of glass before being dumpedin a vat of rubbing alcohol than have such a thing happen, butstaying free of him could become the biggest battle of herlife.
She had a feeling he would make that lifemiserable until he got his way.
“Malakai,” she greeted flatly.
His eyes fell to her lips and narrowed. Shealmost touched them but stopped herself. Now that he’d drawn herattention to them, she realized how swollen Cole’s kisses had lefther mouth.
“Is there something I can help you with?” sheasked.
“I came by to speak with you about something.I thought we could take a walk.”
Lexi glanced at the sun and then the amuletat his throat.What did he do to earn it?
Knowing Malakai, it was something awful. Sheinwardly recoiled from him even as she remained standing where shewas. He unnerved her more than a child speaking in tongues, but ifshe revealed that to him, he would use it to his advantage.
