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“I’ll risk it.” Noctus’s voice was still raspy as he recaptured my mouth.
This time I stood on my tiptoes so I could fling my arms around his neck, and let Noctus hold me steady—his arms encircling my back—as I immersed myself in our kiss.
“Chloe!” Pat shouted, his voice high-pitched and scandalized, interrupting us.
I reluctantly broke off. My cheeks were no longer just hot with a blush, my entire face wasburning. I risked sneaking a peek up at Noctus. The spirals of his eyes were swirling, and although he raised an eyebrow in irritation, his smile was so warm I could bask in it.
We edged closer together again, drawn like magnets.
“Chloe!” Pat yelled again.
“Coming,” I laughed as I backed away from Noctus.
“Don’tlaugh,” Pat yelled. “That makes it worse!”
“I’ll see you at home,” I said to the elf king.
“Home,” he agreed.
“Chloe!” Pat hollered. “I’m not equipped to handle this.Stopflirting!”
I couldn’t stop laughing as I hurried down the street, feeling better than I had in months.
The tracker had been eliminated, my family was safe, and Noctus had come for me.
The only thing that dimmed my joy was the nagging reminder that the elves had essentially promised to come forward into a society that still hated and resented them…and that the tracker had mentioned leadership.
Just how big was this organization…and how great a threat was it, not only to supernaturals and humans in general, but to the tenuous relationship between us?
Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe
It took some time to collaborate my statement with Pat’s, tell the Curia Cloisters what had happened—painting Noctus and the others as good-citizen-fae-nobles who stepped in when they heard the screams—and call Ms. Booker. By the time I’d gone back to my apartment to gather the essentials—including my sister—and finally waited for Pat, we didn’t get to the Cape Cod house until after midnight.
I stepped through the portal gate fitted into the front door, my muscles still twinging a bit from the fight—I only drank a lower tier fae potion since I hadn’t been seriously injured in the scuffle.
I had just enough time to look back to make sure Pat and Joy had made it through the gate—both looking a little green-faced from the experience—when I was scooped off my feet, dropping the backpack I was holding in the process.
“Chloe!” Ker’s voice was loud and joyous as she hugged me so tight I’d probably need a chiropractic adjustment. “You’re back, I’m so glad you’re back!”
“Ker!” I hugged her back, enjoying the heat she radiated like a furnace.
“Oh, of course. All your greetings go to thewolf. I see who the favorite is.”
I laughed when Ker finally released me, then staggered over to Aristide, who stood with his back to a hallway wall, resting his hands on his white cane.
“Hi, Aristide. I’m so happy to see you.” I set my hands on top of Aristide’s—I wasn’t going to hug him without an invitation since the vampire was far less touchy-feely than Ker.
To my surprise, he slipped his hands out from underneath mine, rested his cane against his side, then took my hands in his so he could squeeze them. “Welcome home, Ama,” he said.
While Aristide still held my hands, Charon picked up my backpack and started down the hallway. “I believe His Majesty wishes to meet in the library. I shall gather refreshments, and see to it that rooms are prepared for the Andersons.”
“Thanks, Charon,” I called after him.
Charon stopped his progress long enough to turn around and bow to me. “Welcome home, Chloe,” he said, echoing Aristide’s greeting.
Tears blurred my vision as Ker laughed and threw an arm over my shoulders.
