I reached out. Tugged a few sticks from her hair and smoothed it out so she didn’t look like such a hot, freshly-fucked mess—as much as I appreciated the look.
It was a small thing, that touch. Barely anything really. But damn, my fingers were on fire.
Frustration simmered in my blood. Just this once, I wanted the damn bond to be more. To actually mean what all the fairytales said. Mates, in every sense of the word. True partners. Lovers. Friends. The whole kit-n-caboodle, right down to the cheesy framed photos and matching monogrammed bath towels.
No idea if regular couples did that kinda shit, but if so, I was fucking in.
She pursed her lips. Shot me a look that I wanted to memorize for the rest of my immortal life, that perfect mix of sass and sweetness.
“You okay?” she asked. “You look a little… pensive. More than usual, I mean.”
I forced a smile. Nodded. Turned away from her before I did something even more stupid—more dangerous—than touching her damn hair.
“Hey, will you do me a favor?” she asked. When I turned back to face her, she held out her hand and said, “Will you stay on the ground with me? Just for a little while?”
I probably shoulda left her, right then. Gestured to the sky, my duty, and taken off, keeping an eye on the path ahead, staying far above it all.
But one look into those green eyes, and my stone heart was as good as melted goo.
I took her hand, so tiny in mine, doing my best to ignore the fire shooting up my veins as we walked on in peaceful silence. Every few minutes, a light breeze would blow her hair, and the silky strands would tickle my arm, and Jax got so far ahead of us I lost sight of him completely.
We caught up with him not long after in a clearing at the base of a sheer rock face, a freshwater stream cutting through the middle. It was a good place to stop, so we set up camp and made a fire. Haley wasn’t hungry for dinner—just wanted to crash.
I waited until she was tucked safely into her tent. Waited until Jax gave me the look—thewhat the hell did I do?look.
Then, with no more warning than a low growl, I slammed the fucker against the rock, hand around his neck, his feet dangling a good foot off the ground.
“Ease off,” he said, more annoyed than frightened. “This shit between me and Haley has nothing to do with you.”
I lifted my eyebrows. Pounded a fist into my chest, then into his, indicating our tattoos. The oath.
“You think I’d let a woman—a witch—come before my oath?” he shot back. “Saint may be a rotten fuck, Hudson, but I willalwayshonor my oath. You should fucking know that by now.”
Ididknow that, and his loyalty to our bond wasn’t what I’d meant at all, the dumb fuck.
I pointed at the tent, then back to my chest, then his.
Haley was one of us—that’s what I’d meant. She didn’t need no tattoo or blood oath to prove it. It justwas.
Eventually, the asshole got my meaning. I saw it rise in his eye like the moon, and I let him drop, shooting him one last warning glare, just to drive the point home.
“I won’t hurt her,” he said, his voice soft with a hint of regret. “Not again. You have my word.”
I nodded, which was about all I could give him just then.
“Are you taking first watch?” he asked, rubbing his neck. He was lucky I hadn’t broken it.
I shook my head and pointed at him.
Tonight, I was puttinghimon perimeter watch.
Me? I’d be keeping watch over that tent and the witch inside it, making damn sure she didn’t end up with any more hurt in her eyes than the sonofabitch had already put there.
26
HALEY
After a night with little sleep followed by hours of hiking in uncomfortable silence, Jax and I finally made it to the top of the White Cliffs of Oshen.
