I raise an eyebrow at her, and even through the fog of nausea and dread, the look I give her says she isn’t leaving this cabin without it.
She smiles. The tension in her shoulders eases just enough, and she bends down, placing her lips against mine. The kiss starts soft, her mouth warm and familiar, tasting like the mint tea she drank this morning. My hand slides to the back of her neck and I hold her there, deepening it just enough to feel her breath catch, to feel her tail curl gently around my wrist.
When she pulls back, she strokes my cheek with her thumb. “I love you,” she says.
“I love you too, baby.”
She walks to the door, grabs her tote bag from the hook, and looks back at me. “I’ll come back to check on you.” I nod, and then she’s gone.
The moment the door closes, the softness drains from my body. I stare down at my hands, thinking, planning. My fingers twitch and blue-gold sparks crackle across my palms without me calling them. I flex them and the magic dances and flickers across my knuckles, restless, pushing against my skin.
“What are you really trying to tell me?” I murmur, frowning at the sparks.
There’s no way that can be my future. Losing her and our cub. Watching my mate bleed out on the grass in front of theGlen while I stood there like a ghost who couldn’t even hold her hand.
The Glen is going to open. That much is clear. But how? When? And why now?
Eric’s voice floats through my mind.You can change this. Come to the Glen and open it. I’ll be waiting for you.
I close my fist and the sparks die. Calling on Eric and fishing for information would be the obvious move, but I’m not doing it. Whatever Eric showed me last night, whatever he claims he can help me change—there’s an ulterior motive sitting underneath it.
I wait a few more minutes, then slide out of bed and walk to the window. Mara is already crossing the grounds below. She reaches the edge of the courtyard and looks back toward our window and blows me a kiss.
I grin. I love this woman so much it scares me.
I trace the claim mark with my thumb and close my eyes. The warmth spreads through me, and for just a moment I let myself feel nothing but her.
I groan and tear the air open. Blue-gold light splits along a clean vertical line, and the portal opens onto the second floor of the Conjuring Hall. I step through.
Tiana is sitting on the sofa. She’s alone, which is odd because Kiara and Samara are usually glued to her hip.
The portal closes behind me with a soft hiss, and I stand there, irritated. I was hoping to find my mother here, not her.
The memory slams into me. Tiana standing at the edge of the forest with her hand pressed over her mouth, horror in her eyes as she watched Mara’s body hit the ground. And then she turned and ran into the trees like a coward.
It hasn’t happened yet. But knowing it doesn’t stop the anger from flooding through me, hot and bitter.
Tiana looks up at me, confused. “Aaron?”
“Where’s Ma?” I ask.
“She’s downstairs with Amir, Kade, and Damon.”
I furrow my brow. “Huh?” I turn away from her, heading for the stairs. I can’t look at her right now. The future that hasn’t happened yet is sitting behind my eyes every time I see her face—and I don’t trust myself not to say what I’m really thinking.
“What’s wrong?” she calls after me.
“Nothing.” I keep walking.
“Wait!” I stop at the top of the stairs but I don’t turn to face her. The air shifts behind me, a low hum settling over the room. A quieting spell.
I turn around. “What are you doing?”
Tiana shrugs. “You know it won’t matter if Amir’s close enough. He can still hear us, but Mom, Kade, and Damon can’t.”
“Then why bother?” I snap, my voice irritated.
“Because it buys us a little time.” She holds my gaze. “I know you’re talking to Eric.”
