“Can we just see where this leads?” she offered. “I don’t want to force anything. Why can’t we have fun with no strings attached?”
I knew that wasn’t going to work. There werealwaysstrings attached. More so with Ava and I, because we were bonded. Whatever we did would just bring us closer.
But I wasn’t going to push her. She had trauma in her past. I had to wait for her to be ready.
“If that’s what you want, I’m fine with it,” I said. “We can mess around without any promises.”
That was a lie. I was imploding on the inside. But this is what Ava wanted, and my heart craved to satisfy hers.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just haven’t dated since John… well, you know. I couldn’t trust him, but I trustyou. I don’t want to do anything to screw up what we have.”
“I don’t want to, either,” I said. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter what happens, we’ll get through this together.”
Ava placed her hand on the side of my face, then stood on her toes to kiss me. I melted into the kiss, nearly forgetting everything we’d come out here to talk about. Adrenaline coursed through my blood, and I felt the passion rise within Ava through our bond. I couldn’t help it when my hands tangled in her hair, begging for more.
Ava inhaled a deep breath, then shoved me backward, until my back was pressed against the side of the building. I drank her in like nectar from the gods, clinging to her as if she were my very life force— and she was. My tongue slid into her mouth, rolling over her tongue ring. She pressed her breasts against me like she wanted mesofucking badly.
I bet I wanted her more. It was pretty obvious.
My hands moved over her, though I was careful to avoid any areas that might make her uncomfortable. Apparently, she didn’t have the same reservations, because she grabbed my hands and placed them on her ass.
Dear ancestors.
I moaned as I squeezed her ass, and my head spun as if the balcony had dropped out from beneath our feet. When she kissed me like this, I didn’t give a damn about the labels. Ava-Marie owned half of my soul, and though it wasn’t a choice I had made, it was one I would choose a thousand times. Nothing would ever change that.
Thatwas something I could always rely on.
I just wished she didn’t rely on me. Deep down, I knew I was lying to her. I couldn’t help her with this prophecy the way she wanted. If I did, it pushed her closer to the prophecy Maddie spoke of to me. Every answer got her closer to her fate.
I realized then that the only way to save her was to stall her. The world was in danger, but damn the world, because I had to keep my pidge safe. I’d prolong this as long as I possibly could— and sabotage her if need be.
Because there was no way in hell I was letting this prophecy come true.
Chapter Two
Ava-Marie
The Darke Institute might be some people’s definition of hell. But if it was hell, I had to admit I was quite comfortable there.
And, if I was pressed to admit why, it was all because of a very handsome and very charming Mister Charlie Wahkin.
Oberi bounced at my side in his husky form as we entered our Supernatural Religions classroom on the first day of school. Charlie was already there, waiting at a desk for two people near the back of the room.
My heart stuttered when I laid eyes on him. Hot damn, the Great Spirit didn’t make them like this anymore. Those eyes. That hair. Thatbody. Someone better call a doctor, because I was in love, and that I was infatuated enough to admit it was enough to give me a heart attack.
Charlie sensed my arrival through our bond, and his whole form instantly lit up. That I could have that kind of effect on somebody made me want to glow. Charlie wanted to spend time withme.The notion that I actually made someone’s pulse race caused my head to spin.
I slipped into the seat beside him, and Oberi crawled under the desk to lay on our feet. I put my hand on the desk, but before I could take things out of my bag, Charlie grabbed it. Our matching tattoos touched as he pressed his wrist against mine. I caught the sight of my name written across his skin, and it gave me a thrill. I’d traced the scrawling of his name on my wrist over and over during break, feeling like a piece of my soul was missing and longing to be with him again. Now that we were no longer apart, everything feltright.
“Good morning,” I teased. “You’re being awfully sweet.”
“Because we’re not alone,” he said lowly. “There are more things I’d like to do than hold your hand.”
My insides whirled, thinking of the way he’d grabbed my ass the other day. “Well, seeing as how we’re in public, you’re going to have to settle for holding my hand.”
“For now.” Charlie kissed the back of my hand, and I totally swooned. A couple of people looked our way, but most ignored us. For some reason, Charlie and I had gained a reputation last semester for being attached at the hip. I couldn’t fathom why.
Ava, you’re wasting time.
