Hunter pulled his face back abruptly as he realised what she was holding. “Gemma! Really?Mice?You know I hate those things!” He shuddered, pulling his face in disgust.
“And this is your chance to get over it.” She lifted the small pink baby closer to his face. “Look at it! How can you hate something so freakin’ cute!” she screeched adoringly.
Hunter pretended to gag. “You just keep those things far away from me, or I’ll feed them to the owls,” he warned.
Grayson was still standing by the door, quietly watching the spectacle with his hands in his pockets. I could feel his eyes on me, making me squirm in my seat. Inevitably, my traitorous eyes looked to him. I got caught in his gaze, his eyes keeping mine captured for an uncomfortably long time. When I finally broke the spell he had over me and looked away, my whole body was tingling. I had thought that time away from him would dull whatever was happening between us, but boy, was I wrong. I felt flushed and flustered from just one look. Feelings of wanting to get away and wanting him closer, warred in me. I could almost see the strange tether between us, pulling at my chest.
As if he felt the tug too, Grayson sauntered over to us and took a seat next to me. “Need any help?”
Gemma answered. “Sure. You can feedthislittle guy.” She shifted the small box and the third syringe over to him.
He gently took the third baby out of the box and studied the way Gemma and I fed our little mice, intently, before trying it himself.
He frowned. “He’s not swallowing it down.”
“Oh, that’s because Ava hasn’t worked her magic on him yet.” Gemma grinned from ear to ear.
I placed my pink mouse back in the box. “Here, let me have a look.”
Grayson placed the baby in my palm. He seemed weaker than the other two. I could feel him slipping away. I warmed him between my two hands, closed my eyes to focus on that spark of life in the centre of my chest, and gently blew over his face. I did it two more times, feeling his tiny body start to warm. “Now, it is up to you, little one, if you want to continue this life or move on to the next. But if you ask me, I’d stay. Gem here will spoil you rotten.”
Gemma giggled excitedly as the little mouse shifted in my hands.
“Good choice.” I smiled, satisfied. I handed him back to Grayson.
“By the way, it only works when she does it,” Gemma muttered to Grayson.
I watched, awestruck by how gently Grayson was handling the little baby in his big hands. He had a crease between his brow as he carefully concentrated. With a few more tries, the baby was drinking.
“You’re staring, Princess.”
I quickly shifted my eyes away from his face to Gemma, who was battling to keep the smile from her mouth as she pulled her eyes wide at me. I had a feeling she was enjoying it too much to save me.
“I’m just making sure you don’t hurt the poor mouse with those burly fingers of yours.” I tried to cover.
“You didn’t complain about myburlyfingers when I took care ofyou,” he arched a brow at me, challengingly.
I looked away, embarrassed. He had a way of making me eat my words.
Gemma placed the pink bundle she had back into the box and stood from the table. “I’m gonna go cut up one of Hunter’s shirts for the mice’snest. I’ll be right back.” She smiled at me apologetically when I glared at her obvious ruse to leave me and Grayson alone. Hunter was already upstairs.
I sighed. Gemma was probably right. I couldn’t hide from him forever. They were planning on staying at the cabin for at least another three months, until winter was over.
“You’re avoiding me,” Grayson stated. “And I don’t like it,” he almost hissed, his jaw clenching. He didn’t look at me, which was a good thing. Otherwise, he would have noticed my flailing for something to say and failing miserably.
Gods, this man made me nervous, and I wasn’t always sure of which reason it was.
“Are you going to tell me why?” he pressed.
I thought for a while on what to say, my mind in turmoil and eventually settled on, “I don’t know you, Grayson. And you don’t know me. You kidnapped me. I…” My voice broke. “This is not right. It’s not normal.” I was deathly afraid of falling for a man whose life was shrouded in mystery and darkness. A killer. A man who kidnapped me and was keeping me against my will. I had no idea what he was capable of. It would be ludicrous not to take a step back.
He studied my face. Something like disappointment or hurt crossed his eyes before he looked away. “I expected someone like you to not care what society deems right or normal.”
I winced, the words hitting me right in the chest.
I placed the little mouse back into the makeshift nest, ready to escape to my room. But Grayson did the same and stood with me, blocking my way.He stepped closer to me and lifted my chin. “Maybe I should lock you in that room again, so you have nowhere to run.” His voice was soft, but his eyes had changed into something dark.
“Grayson…” I was at a loss for words as my stomach dropped. Would he do that?
