She made a gargled squeak, and Benedict blinked at her for a long moment before his eyes widened. “Beatrice! I…uh…” He drew back and all but slammed the door closed.
She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on drawing a few deep breaths to cool her heated face. It wasn’t like she hadn’tseen a shirtless man before. This was the Fae Realm, and she lived in a Summer Court. Some of the male fae simply walked around shirtless all the time.
But she’d never felt such a jolt inside her at the sight. Then again, she’d never been in a fated mate bond with any of those fae.
It was just the magic messing with her head. Everything would go back to normal once they broke this bond.
Which would only happen by pledging their undying hatred for each other. Something she found increasingly difficult to contemplate.
After only a few seconds, the door opened again, and Benedict stumbled out, now wearing a rumpled shirt, his blond hair still far too handsomely tousled in a way that sent her pulse thrumming faster and her fingers itching to straighten the strands.
“Beatrice.” Benedict halted behind the couch, facing her.
“Benedict.” She met his gaze, but after coming all this way, she couldn’t dredge up anything to say.
“What are you doing here? It’s late.” Benedict braced his hands on the back of the couch. “You should go home. It isn’t safe to be wandering alone at this time of night.”
She waved a hand. “I’ll be fine. Basil is working late.”
Not to mention, Munch was currently in Brigid’s tower handling Primrose business for her, but Beatrice wasn’t going to tell Benedict that, even if he was now a part of the League. Just because someone was a part of the League didn’t mean that the person learned all of the Primrose’s secrets. Even Beatrice didn’t know all of them or even most of them. Such as exactly what Munch was handling or who most of the people in the League even were.
“Oh, all right. That’s good.” Benedict raked a hand through his hair, tousling it further.
For a long moment, the two of them simply stood there, looking at each other, both seemingly at a loss for words.
What was there to say after what had gone down the previous night?
Benedict clasped his hands behind his back, rocking back on his heels. “I understand why you were so furious when you thought I was going to trap the Primrose. The Primrose is your sister.”
“Yes, she is.” Beatrice tangled her fingers in the swishy fabric of her skirts. “Sorry for the things I said.”
“You were under the impression I was threatening your sister.” Benedict shifted, as if prepared to step around the couch between them. “I find that level of loyalty admirable.”
Of course he would. His family turned on him the moment they realized their own actions had put them at jeopardy.
“Your family’s disloyalty isn’t your fault.” Beatrice walked closer.
Benedict took a step back, keeping the space between them. “No, but it will have consequences for me as well. You’ll likely get the assistant librarian position.”
“Or Rosaline might get it. She’s been far more dutiful than either of us.” Beatrice took another step, but Benedict stepped backward yet again. So strange since he’d been the one to flirt the past weeks.
“You’ll get it. I know you will.” Benedict’s blue eyes were sad, his mouth in a flat line.
“Benedict…”
“We’re going to end the mate bond in less than a week.” Benedict held his hands out between them, the gold of the mark on his hand flashing in the low light.
“What if we didn’t?—”
“We have to.” Benedict’s tone rang firmly, no room for argument. “Even once this is all over, I’m still going to bedisowned and disgraced by my family’s actions. I don’t even know if I’ll be allowed to keep my apprentice librarian position, and even if I do, I’ll likely be sent to a far-flung, out-of-the-way outpost library to serve there rather than here at the Great Library.”
“You don’t—” Beatrice tried again.
Yet again, Benedict cut her off. “You should go. Please.”
She gritted her teeth at the repeated interruptions. He was too stuck in his own head to listen to a word she had to say. She refused to be a yapping dog that he dismissed as an annoyance.
“Fine. I’ll leave. But don’t say I didn’t try.” She spun on her heel and marched from the room before Benedict had a chance to get in another word.
