“What are you thinking?” he asked softly, and I opened my eyes to look at him again.
The moonlight glittered in his eyes, a sad smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. I could taste the depth of his ache, the loss we both shared each time we looked at each other.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” I said.
He reached for my face, but stopped short, just as I had, tracing the shape of my jaw a hair’s breadth from my skin. “And you will.”
“Let’s just hope the rest of our lives last more than—”
“Hey.” He touched a finger to my lips, ever so briefly. Heat sparked, but didn't ignite. “Shhh. Right now, in this moment, we have an eternity.”
His hazel eyes blazed bright, calling to my heart, to that place deep inside where my love for him burned.
There were no words for it. All I knew was that I’d never wanted his kiss as badly as I had in that moment, and I wanted him to know it. Closing my eyes, I let my influence gently touch his mind. He dropped his guard immediately, and I sent him an image of my desire, real and passionate and all-consuming. Enough to melt all the ice from the shoreline and chase away this eternal winter for good.
Ronan leaned in close and whispered against the shell of my ear. “Me too, Gray. Always.”
I nodded, offering him another smile. “I’ll spare you the rest of that vision tonight. But as soon as we get back, you’re getting the director’s cut.”
“I’d better.” Ronan laughed, but eventually, his smile faded, and he turned away to watch Sparkle and Sunshine, who were trying to outrun the frigid waves about a quarter-mile down the shore. When he turned back and caught my eye again, he said simply, “I’ve already summoned Sebastian. He’ll be here tomorrow night.”
I nodded once, grateful. I should’ve known Ronan was already on it.
“We’ll have five minutes to convince him,” he said, “so let’s make it count.”
“I always do, Vacarro.” I sent him a quick flash—a sneak peek of just what I had in store for him if we could entice Sebastian to take the deal. “Just in case you needed evidence of my commitment to breaking this damn deal.”
Ronan groaned, then glanced down at his jeans, now bulging. “And now you’ve got evidence of mine, too.”
I cracked up, wishing we could play this game all night, because I definitely would’ve won. But back in the direction of the lodge, a figure had emerged from the mist, running toward us. The breeze carried the sound of my name.
“Who is that?” Ronan asked.
“I think it’s McKenna.” I called the hounds back from their chase, and the four of us made our way back toward home.
“Gray,” McKenna said when we’d caught up, her cheeks red from the cold, her eyes bright. “Okay, don’t freak out, but we’ve got aslightproblem.”
“Define slight and define problem,” I said.
“It’s… It’s probably best if you come see for yourself.”
Twenty-Two
LIAM
Gray stood at my bedside, her face inscrutable, though her anger was quite palpable. Even my comparatively dull human senses could discern as much; her energy was so fierce, I feared my bed would ignite, with me in it.
“A concussion?” she demanded. “You got ahead injury?”
“The pain is not unbearable,” I said, which was only partially untrue. “To be fair, McKenna doesn’t believe it’s a concussion. We just have to ensure I don’t fall asleep for a prolonged period tonight, but that is merely a precaution. In most of these cases, I’m told the patient—”
Gray held up her hand, silencing me. “What happened? The short version, if you don’t mind.”
“Your sisters were sparring with the detectives, trying to learn the best techniques for defending against shifter attacks. Were you aware that most shifter communities follow complex hierarchical structures that dictate—”
“Liam. What is it about the phrase ‘short version’ that’s so unclear?”
“Right. Of course.” My cheeks warmed under her scrutiny, but I pressed on. “Detective Hobb, in his wolf form, had set up on one side of the beach, with Haley and Bex on the other. He’d been alternating between them, charging straight for them while Detective Lansky instructed the women on defensive maneuvers. On this particular turn, Lansky wanted Haley to run straight at the wolf instead of waiting for him, but as she did so, she twisted her ankle. Down she went.”
