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A deep sadness made itself known, cracking through the walls in my heart. I hated this. Everything about it.
“Sunday, are you coming?” Caleb’s voice was hesitant, tentative, and unlike the domineering man I’d come to know.
Taking a steadying breath, I pushed away thoughts of Alek and forced myself back into this moment. “Show me the fucking garden, Caleb.”
His lips twitched, but he wisely remained silent. He offered me his arm, but I flinched away, not trusting myself to touch him.
“Suit yourself. The terrain is uneven. Be careful.”
“I’ve been walking almost my whole life. I’m certain I’ll manage just fine.”
He led me around the cottage to the back, where a small iron fence did nothing to keep out the wilderness. In the absence of people, nature had reclaimed the space. Weeds came up to my hip, growing over the gate and choking any plants that had once called this place home.
“A little overgrown, huh?”
“I believe the phrase I used was ‘wild with weeds.’ Was I wrong?”
“No, you were absolutely right.”
I shook my head. This little project of mine would take months. No wonder he’d assigned it to me. It would certainly keep me occupied. There was no way to get around it. It would be obvious if I didn’t do the work, and I bet the bastard would check in on my progress and give me some sort of grade too.
“What else is there to do around here?” I asked, depression sinking in as my fate became clear.
“Fornicate.”
My gaze snapped to his. “Caleb.”
“Don’t sound so scandalized, Miss Fallon. It’s the truth. Why do you think the Irish are famous for having such big families?”
“But you chose the priesthood, remember?”
“As I reminded you again last night, I’m no longer a priest. I haven’t been for a very long time. Especially not since you.”
I didn’t have anything to say to that as images of all the ways he and I could pass the time flitted through my brain. I also didn’t know what it said about me that I was equal parts turned on and mad at myself for liking the idea. I needed to get us off this topic and fast before my libido took over and I jumped him right here in these weeds.
“So, you lived here when you were... uh, alive?”
He grinned. “Human. Yes.”
“Right. Human. This was your childhood home?”
“I was born on this island, and I died here.”
Even I wasn’t stupid enough to continue down that line of questioning. “Seems like a nice place. You know, for a prison.”
“It could be so much worse, and you know it.”
I nodded my agreement, not paying attention to where I was going as I started walking toward a copse of trees off to the left. I took two steps at most before my ankle turned and I tumbled to the ground.
Caleb’s hand caught my elbow and held fast. “I told you to watch your step.” His words were more growl than anything, annoyance and frustration mixing with worry.
“It’s dark.”
“You’re a shifter.”
“Exactly. Not a vampire with crazy good vision. A shifter with moderately better sight than humans. My enhanced sense is smell. Some teacher you are.”
He let out another rumble, waiting until he was sure I was steady before letting go of my arm and taking my hand.
