Every brush of his mouth sends a shiver through me, chasing away the cold, replacing it with something fierce and bright that blooms in my chest.
He tastes like wind and heat and everything I didn’t know I crave.
My fingers find the back of his neck, clutching him closer as if the world might fall apart if I let go.
The snow, the cold, the night around us all fade until there’s only this. Only him.
A flash of bright light behind my closed lids makes me wince, and Becks rips his mouth from mine.
I stare wide-eyed at him. Almost not believing what just happened.
But he’s not looking back. His gaze is trained on something to the side, and when I follow it, I see headlights shining through the trees as a car makes its way toward us.
A spike of fear shoots through me.
We haven’t seen another person the entire time we’ve been here.
Without looking away from the oncoming vehicle, Becks lowers me to my feet.
The snow seeps through my socks, making me gasp lightly, but Becks still doesn’t look at me. Instead, he just issues a command.
“Get inside.”
Nineteen
BECKS
I’m on high alert as the headlights near, but in the back of my mind I can’t stop thinking, Damn, she tastes good.
Another small shudder works its way through me as I fight to regain control. It’s not until the scent of ash hits the air that I’m able to clear my mind, readying myself for whatever new threat is about to descend on us.
I reach for my magic, feeling it rush to the surface, heating me from the inside out. It would only take the simplest of thought to form a fireball or send a gust of wind strong enough to overturn the car.
It could be nothing. Just someone lost. But after the multiple attacks, I’m not taking any chances. I won’t let Haven get hurt.
I won’t let her be taken from me, my inner beast growls, that part of me that’s all creature.
I’ve never taken my dragon form in the human world, choosing to stay hidden from people unprepared for the existence of the supernatural. But as the car nears, the beast inside me stirs, battering the cage I’ve locked it in, demanding to be set free.
The car rolls forward slowly, snow crunching beneath the tires before it finally parks in front of the cabin.
Off to the side, I can see everything. I don’t like that I’m not positioned between Haven and whoever’s here, but it’s smarter to stay concealed until I know who it is.
Gritting my teeth, I will myself to stay in control, but even so, scales flash over my forearms and chest. The smell of ash and smoke grows thicker, and for a moment I think that for the first time in my life I may not be able to control my shift.
What’s happening? I don’t even know if this is a real threat yet.
The car windows are tinted, making it impossible to tell who exactly is inside. Still, I make out four figures before the engine cuts and the lights die, plunging everything into darkness.
The driver’s door starts to open. I’m prepared to rush whoever it is, my body vibrating with tension, ready to be unleashed, when a familiar dark head comes into view.
I immediately douse the flames I hadn’t even realized were engulfing my hands as I stomp forward.
“What are you doing here?” I ask by way of a greeting. “We agreed we wouldn’t meet up for another week.”
Talon’s head jerks in my direction. He opens his mouth to say something, but then his brow furrows and he tilts his head.
“I feel like there’s a much more interesting question we should be asking ourselves right now.” He arches an eyebrow as he takes me in, shirtless and barefoot in the snow.
