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“I’m not Bella,” she said softly, the hint of danger in her tone not to be missed. “So I suggest you remove your hand and remember who and what I am.”
The mention of the woman’s name was enough, and Nico wrenched his hand from hers, a snarl falling from his lips.
Bella was his mate—had been his mate—she’d been lost to him several years earlier. Jaden wasn’t privy to all the details, but what little she did know broke her heart. The warrior had never recovered from his loss.
Nico took a step back and glared at her. “I will accompany you up to your suite.”
His tone brooked no argument. She nodded before reaching for the panel again and scanned her hand over the laser pad. A subtle trace of energy rushed along her fingers, a remnant of someone, or something, that shouldn’t be there. She had state-of-the-art security, and it would take a lot to breach it.
Jaden tensed as her hand dropped. Something was definitely up.
The door slid back silently while Nico called Security and ordered a sweep of the entire grounds. She kept an elite guard that would be able to run the command discreetly, mixing with the human populace and able to remain hidden in plain sight.
Her eyes skimmed over the humans who milled about the lobby of her resort. They had no clue of the danger or the monsters that lived amongst them, and she would do everything in her power to make sure it stayed that way.
The elevator seemed to take forever, and by the time it slid back and allowed them entrance to her suite, her nerves were humming.
An eerie quiet fell upon her, its whisper thick and unnatural. There was no energy in the air, no hint of intruders, living or dead. But the fact that she sensed absolutely nothing had her internal alarm shrieking.
It felt like she’d slipped inside a black hole, as if everything had been wiped clean. It was unnatural a
nd reeked of otherworld. Dark arts. Her eyes scanned the immediate area, but nothing was out of place. She looked at Nico, and he nodded before moving toward the left.
Inside, her jaguar shifted, and she felt the burn ripple across her flesh. She kept the temperature in her suite cool, but that did nothing to alleviate the heat suffusing her skin. The room looked untouched, and though there was no indication that things were amiss, everything inside her screamed danger.
She scented the air, but again nothing, and as she slowly made her way down the hall to her bedroom, she was careful not to make a sound.
She passed the small study where she kept a personal office, yet it was empty, in darkness, and she continued along until she reached her bedroom.
Soft light fell from the windows that ate up the entire left side of the space, the beams cutting through gloom in a flickering array of gold. Outside, azure water beckoned, and farther in the distance, the outlying jungle cradled its beach.
This was her own private view of the land she loved with all her heart, and it pissed her off that someone had dared trespass in her domain.
She kept her heartbeat steady, calm, though every instinct inside her prepared for battle. Her feet were bare of the sandals she’d worn, and they hung from her fingers as she carefully made her way into the room.
Her bed showed not a wrinkle, the maid had obviously been, and she slipped toward the small alcove that housed her large walk-in closets.
The silence hurt her ears; it weighed upon her like a physical blow, and she grimaced at the weird sensation. A slight tremor hung in the air, a foreign vibration that was somehow familiar to her.
She paused at the entrance to her closet, and even though she tried to keep calm, she felt the blood inside her veins thicken and rush through her body. Her skin was itchy, hot, and as the tattoos began to tingle along the side of her neck, she stopped, her focus shifting to the shadows that clung to the corners.
Someone was there.
Adrenaline spiked inside, she felt the power gather and pulse. Jaden pretended to turn and exit, then at the last second whirled around, the stiletto-heeled sandals hurtling through the air like deadly missiles.
She ducked as a curse fell from the darkness, and the sharp heels flew back at her, to land with a thud against the wall where her head had been seconds earlier.
“I would have guessed you too old for hide-and-seek, Castille,” she said as she retrieved her sandals and tossed them aside.
She took a step back and watched as the tall shifter fell from shadow. He looked surprised, his handsome face scowling, the eyes glittering dangerously.
She tapped the side of her neck. “The tattoos will always know you, no matter how strong the cloaking charm.” She hated the fact that her heart pounded crazily inside her and that the flesh of her cheeks darkened in reaction to the sight of him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Damn, why do I sound out of breath?
The gold of his eyes receded into twin black holes of intensity, and the clench of his jaw attested to his inner feelings. He made no attempt to hide his dislike of her.
“How the hell did you breach my security? Tank alone should have given you major problems, but the elevator doors are activated by select signatures only.”
