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Chase winces nearly imperceptibly. “Errr. Maybe not as extinct as you thought. Because they definitely have one with them. I heard it.”
Tesq, who has finally finished filling up his backpack with food, weapons, and other miscellaneous items, shoves the bag into Creep’s arms. “You leave now. With Aliana.”
“Fuck no!” I protest instantly, my irritation flaring white-hot and blistering as I glare straight on at my mask-free gargoyle.
His deep black eyes are unrelenting, but I don’t back down, crossing my arms.
Overprotective idiot.
Didn’t I prove myself at the meat factory when I not only saved the Empty Man but also killed a monster and escaped through its tunnel? I’m not a defenseless human anymore.
In response to my growing agitation, my power flares to life, and frost coats the tips of my fingers.
“If nothing else, we need to take out the tracker so they’ll be unable to follow us,” Chase muses, and I wonder if he’s speaking to us or the Empty Man.
Then his body shakes, his lips curl, and a decidedly indolent expression paves its way across his face.
The Empty Man has come to join us.
“I agree with Chase,” he begins in his lilting, unfamiliar accent. “If we take out the tracker—or capture the tracker—they won’t be able to find us if we portal away.” Em licks his upper lip and focuses on me, his eyes at half-mast. “And I also agree with Aliana. She has proven herself, has she not? She killed the damn worm with just a”—he wiggles his fingers with a salacious grin—“poof of magic.”
“It’s dangerous,” Dev growls, pacing. “We don’t know how many monsters we’ll need to fight and what we’re up against and…” The humongous monster trails off at whatever look he sees on my face. He barks out a laugh—a cold, brittle sound like crackling icicles. “You’re not going to let this go, are you, mate?”
“We’re a team,” I growl, stomping towards him so I can jab a finger into his chest. Tension rises deep within my chest like a wave about to break, cresting and then falling, torn apart as it hits the craggy rocks lining the shoreline. “All of us.” I turn to address the others as well.
Dev grabs the finger I have on his chest and holds it reverently between both of his huge hands. A strange feeling arrows through me as I meet his red stare, and our time together from last night plays on a loop in my head.
I care about him so damn much, but I can’t be with him if he doesn’t trust me to take care of myself. To take care of him and the others.
Indecision wars with his possessive instincts before he finally huffs out a breath. It’s a resigned sort of breath, nothing but a hiss of air in tandem with his shoulders deflating.
“You’re right.” Those two words are nothing but a primal growl. “But I swear to god, Aliana, if anything happens to you?—”
“Nothing will happen to me.”
“—I’ll spank your ass until it’s bright red.”
Mingled shock and lust root me to the spot, despite the horrendous timing.
I blame my dream.
And the sex from yesterday.
In a husky voice, one I barely recognize, I breathe out, “Is that a threat or a promise?”
His eyes flare.
“As much as I would like to continue this conversation…” Creep sidles his way between us and smiles crookedly. “And I really, really would like to finish this conversation. Trust me, you have no idea how badly I want to finish this conversation. I really, really, really want to finish this conversation?—”
“The point?” Tesq grunts, his hands curling into fists by his sides as he stares out the doorway towards the darkened tunnels.
I can’t imagine what he’s feeling. This place is hishome. Or at least, one of his homes.
And it’s the place I fell in love with him.
Pain reverberates in my chest at the thought of never returning here.
“Ah. Yes. My point!” Creep dramatically lifts a finger in the air. “As much as I would love for you two to finish this conversation, is now the best time?”
