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I clenched my fists at my sides to fight the same urge. Maddox wasn’t my mate. I didn’t deserve to reach for him the same way. Glancing around, I wondered if anyone in the Pack would become his future lover.
My cheeks heated with rage as I thought about it. Maddox and I had gone through so much together. I would have trusted him with my life. Yet, it wasn’t the bond that I wanted to believe it could be. The thought left an ache in me.
I dropped my hold on the small animals I’d summoned and let them return to the earth. Unfortunately, the life didn’t flood back into Ness’s landscaping. The grass remained brown and dull. Her hedges weren’t coming back any time soon.
Cerri heaved a sigh, shoved her plate into my hand and went over to touch the dead hedges. Both of us held our breath. She’d mentioned that her new power over living things had been touchy lately. This might not work…which meant that Ness was about to take that glare out on me soon.
To my relief, lush greenery bloomed across the dull gray bush. Cerri’s shoulders dropped away from her ears as she turned with a bright smile on her face. It revealed the sharp teeth at the corners of her mouth. If I didn’t know better, I would have said she looked like an elf…or a fae.
When I turned back to Ness, I found her looking between me and Maddox like she knew something I didn’t. I thought she would still be angry, but a smile reached the corners of her mouth. Before I could ask her what she knew, Maddox came over and scooped me up.
I yelped as I tried to keep Cerri’s plate upright. She jumped over and plucked it out of my hand right before I dropped it.
“You’re not allowed to hold food anymore,” she mumbled.
Maddox carried me out of the party without any pretense. My friends waved as I disappeared around the corner of the house. I wished I could understand their smiles. This had been a stressful afternoon for me. What on earth could they be so happy about?
Instead of fighting Maddox, I slumped over his shoulder. “Are we heading out to hunt for the soul-torn shifter?”
Maddox grunted. “Hell no. You’re done for the day.”
I kicked. “We should get back out there! This isn’t going to wait around for us.”
Maddox opened the passenger door of his SUV with one hand before gently setting me down in the passenger seat. Once my ass hit the cushion, he leaned in close, blocking my path so that all I could see was the blue-fire light in his eyes still. I clenched my fists again, fighting the desire to cup his face in the palms of my hands.
“You damn near died again. You’re not leaving my sight.”
I pouted. “You can’t fight me. I can do whatever I want.”
His eyes narrowed, lips twisting to the side. “I’m tapped for the day. If you run out, I have no choice but to follow. Are you really going to put me in harm’s way if I’m exhausted?”
“Well…no, but…” I couldn’t think of abut.
Maddox was right. I wasn’t going to risk his safety. Though, the urgency of our situation sat on my mind. I didn’t know if anything would be able to distract me from my duties tonight.
“Good,” he said before leaning in and planting a quick kiss on my forehead.
My entire mind went blank right before a hundred emotions surged into a crashing wave all at once. Cheeks heating, I ducked my head while Maddox gently closed the door beside me. He got into the driver’s seat and declared that he was taking me home.
When I realized that home meant the house in the mountains, I asked if we could stop and pick up Potato. I expected him to protest, but he gave a nod and turned to head back to my house.
Inside, I paused in the middle of packing an overnight bag. Potato looked up at me, her head crooked in question. Still, Perse never appeared. The whole time, I’d been waiting to hear her familiar voice or feel her chilling ghost presence.
Nothing happened.
Maybe staying at Maddox’s was for the best. That way, I wouldn’t be reminded of everything at stake every time I turned a corner. Though Perse was already dead, I still worried for her. I wanted my friend back.
