My head snaps up. “You do, really?”
“A guy doesn’t just fake his death for no reason.”
“Yeah, I was kinda out of options.”
“Well, now you’re not alone.” The conviction in his voice makes something warm bloom in my chest. “I don’t know the first thing about helping you control your powers, but I know someone who may be able to help. We’ll figure something out. I’m going to see this through and ensure you have nothing to fear, from our department or anything else.”
Harper holds out his hand for me to shake, his golden eyes watching me intently. I stare at his offered hand, then back at his face. There’s something so open and honest in his expression now, so different from the suspicious, rigid cop I met just days ago. My experiences with his Chief of Police and his history with another necromancer made us both wary and clouded our judgment, but we’re getting past that. I’m getting to know the real Ethan Harper. He’s a good man.
“Okay,” I say quietly as I reach out and take his hand.
His hand feels warm and strong as it wraps around mine, and a small jolt of electricity runs up my arm at the contact. Our eyes lock, and suddenly I’m hyper-aware of everything about him—the way his golden eyes seem to darken as they focus on me, the heat radiating from his body, that forest-after-rain scent that’s uniquely him.
It’s almost romantic, like we’re at the end of a date, and the realization makes my heart pound so hard I’m sure his wolf ears can hear it.
We’re not even shaking hands anymore. We’re holding on, neither of us willing to let go first. I swallow hard, my mouth suddenly dry. His gaze drops to my lips for just a second, and that’s all it takes.
Screw it.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I take a step forward, closing what little distance remains between us. I lean forward, tilting my face up toward his. My eyes start to flutter closed as I feel the warmth of his breath mingling with mine…
And then suddenly, the warmth is gone.
Harper steps back, abruptly breaking our connection as his hand slides from mine and cold night air rushes into the space between us. The loss is so jarring that for a moment I can’t process what just happened.
“We should, uh—” He clears his throat, looking anywhere but at me. “We should get back to the hotel.”
He walks ahead without another word. I stare after him, face burning hot with embarrassment. What the hell just happened? Did I imagine the tension between us?
No. The way he looked at me, the lingering handshake, the electricity between us… It was all real. So why did he pull away? He’s the one who said we were meant to be together. Why is my supposed mate so confusing?
When the Past Comes Back to Haunt You
Harper
“Not a morning person?” I ask.
Dodger gives me a stony look and pointedly puts in his headphones, ignoring me as we walk to get breakfast.
It’s going to be a long day. That always seems to be the case around him.
But this time, it’s my own damn fault.
I’ve chosen Moonbeam Bakery for breakfast, a place known for its levitating pancake stacks, these gravity-defying flapjacks topped with star-shaped butter that actually twinkles. It’s the kind of place that makes Concordia special, the kind of experience someone who’s been trapped inside hiding out deserves to enjoy.
I thought Dodger might appreciate the whimsy, but when we arrive, he barely glances at the menu before jabbing his finger at the first item listed. “I’ll get this to go,” he says flatly. “I’d rather eat in my room.”
Then he heads outside while I handle ordering.
Things had been going so well after the carnival last night. The way his eyes lit up at the magical concert and the music in the air, the slight curve of his lips that he tried to hide when Iwon the music box for him. And then the happy song it played. I swear I heard that song in my dreams.
Then I ruined everything.
When he leaned in for that kiss at the end of the night, I backed away. The rational part of my brain insists I did the right thing. The whole ‘mates’ revelation had clearly thrown him for a loop and seemed to freak him out. He’s also afraid for his safety and trying to gain control over his abilities.
