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“Promise me you’ll stay.” He searches my face, wiping away the falling tears racing down my temples.
“I promise.” At that, the cord tying us together vibrates for just a second before it relaxes, lifting a weight from my chest. A sigh escapes me. “I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
He kisses me, softly at first, then hungrily. I kiss him back with every ounce of love I can muster, letting go of every worry I’ve been holding on to. His cock moves, still buried inside me, and this time, it’s slow and passionate, filled with whisperedI love yous, soft touches, and gentleness. The moon and stars the only witnesses as we give into each other, baring our souls as we tattoo the other onto our hearts for a lifetime. For eternity.
It’s nearly sunrise by the time we get home. I bury myself under the covers after taking a shower, curling onto my side as I check the communicator. A smile stretches across my face when I see a message from Jules, gushing over the academy and her roommate.
She’s so cool, Addy. It’s Wren’s first year here too, and we get to start together. We even get to explore campus for the last half of this semester and just hang out.
I laugh, picturing her excitedly dancing around her dorm.Maybe I’ll come visit soon and meet her.
Really?!she sends back.Can you… do that?
For once, I’m grateful for Monique. Because of her, Jules knows I’m a wolf and why I can’t stay with her at Chloe’s, though she doesn’t know exactly where I am now. The less she knows, the better. The safer she is.
I’ll look into it, okay? Now go be happy and have fun.
Are you happy? Safe?
I stare at her message for a while, chewing on my lower lip. Happiness feels weird… unfamiliar, but I have to admit, weird feels good. Gideon’s face flashes in my mind, and my cheeks flame, my lips stretching into a smile.Yeah, I am. Love you, Julesy.
Love you, Addy.
“What’re you smiling at?” Gideon climbs into bed behind me, crawling over to mold his body to mine, his chest against my back. He presses featherlight kisses to my ear, trailing down my jaw.
“Nothing,” I say, smiling as I turn my face toward him, gently kissing his lips. Snuggling down into the covers and his embrace, I close my eyes, ready for sleep to take me.
“Addy?”Kaylus says, ruffling his feathers as he burrows down into his nest sitting in the open window.
I peek at him, staring into his black eyes.
“Stop looking for the well. You’ve survived this long with practically no magic. Now you’re strong enough to fight back.”He turns his head around, nuzzling his beak under his wing.“We don’t have to just survive anymore.”
Tears pool in my eyes, one dripping over the bridge of my nose and across my cheek, soaking into the pillowcase.“No, we don’t,”I whisper back silently, unsure if he hears me as sleep relaxes his body.
The warmth of Gideon’s body seeps into me, and the weight of his arm presses me into the mattress. Soon, sleep easily pulls me under.
A low rumbling pulls me from the first dreamless sleep I’ve had in a while. Grumbling, I roll onto my back and shove Gideon’s shoulder. He sighs, reaching onto the side table and snatching his phone. He squints at the screen, the sunlight slanting through the window and across his face. His light gray eyes are rimmed in dark stormy gunmetal, and I brush the hair off his forehead with my fingers. He tosses his phone back onto the table after typing a message, smiling as he turns onto his stomach, burying his face in my hair. I laugh when I hear him sniff, pushing at his shoulder.
“You smell delightful, have I told you that?” he mumbles, sleep still evident in his voice. He groans when his phone vibrates again, small bursts over and over. “What?” he snaps, answering the call as he lays on his back, lacing his fingers with mine. “When?” He presses his lips into a firm line. “Fine.” He sighs, tossing aside the phone once more.
“What is it?” I ask, lifting onto my elbow as I look down at him.
“I have to go. Council meeting.” He cups my cheek, brushing a thumb over my lips.
I shiver at his touch, chills snaking down my spine and pooling between my legs. “Another meeting?”
“I don’t want to go, either, but I need to.” He lifts up, kissing my lips before getting out of bed. “Frank will be here soon. He’ll stay here with you while I’m gone.”
My mouth pulls down into a frown, worry settling heavy in my gut. “I don’t like this, Gideon. I want him to go withyou. You can’t go by yourself.”
He runs a hand through his hair after tugging on his slacks. “I’ll be fine. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“So, call Mila. Or Madrona. Or Darrold. Don’t go there by yourself. I… I don’t trust them.” I chew on my lower lip, my wolf pacing nervously inside me.
Opening the closet door, he pulls a white button-up off the hanger and slips his arms inside, slowly buttoning it together. “I’m not asking you to trust them. I’m asking you to trust me.” He looks at me from beneath his lashes, thick and black, like the wavy hair falling across his face.
I crawl over to where he sits down on the bed to put his shoes on, wrapping my arms around his chest and laying my head on his shoulder. “Promise me you’ll be okay.”
