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A kiss. He was giving me a kiss. My heart thundered in my chest.
I reached out as if to take it, as the image faded away.
“Miss? Miss Lily?” Thea’s voice came from the other side of the door.
Gazing at the mirror one last time, I quickly dried my hands. Moving to the door, I flung it open, catching Thea unaware, her ear towards where the wood had been moments before. I glared at her, even though I was certain she was only spying because Apollo commanded her to.
She stood upright, nervously brushing her palms down her skirt. “Your meal is ready, Miss.” She sounded contrite, as if she was ashamed about what I had caught her doing. Or perhaps it was because she had called in Octavius. It could have been any number of things.
Not for the first time, I wondered if she was banging the taciturn guard. Or even Samuel. Perhaps both. It wasn’t as if there were many here who were available for a dalliance.
Not like the asshole standing in my doorway right now. I was sure he was not mortal. His energy felt more like Apollo's against my skin, which meant he was a god of some sort.
Thea knocking on the bathroom door and calling my name must have made him curious enough for him to peek inside my rooms. I flicked my fingers at him in a manner of dismissal and walked over to my table, breathing in the rich aroma from the stew sitting in a bowl there.
Henry let out a loud grunt before closing the door once more.
Good. Glad he was outside my room. He gave me indigestion, and I wanted to enjoy my food.
I sat down, contemplating what I would need to do to work around a minor god who could talk to ravens.
And what that might mean for Soren, who could change into a raven at times.
Chapter Nine
Soren
I had sensed Lily watching me while I lazed about in the hot pool.
She wasn’t contacting me via our bond. This was something new. I just knew she could see me here. I could feel the warmth of her gaze on my face, as if she was right in front of me.
I had given her a little bit of a show, flaunting my naked and toned body in front of her as I had left the pool to get dressed.
I was proud of how I now looked, with muscles in places I never had before. I wanted to show her I was a male in peak condition. Her male. One who could protect her, if necessary. Sorry, not sorry, but this was what my wolf wanted me to do and I agreed with it.
“I still don’t understand why you got to interact with Lily,” Lexi grumbled, braiding her long hair.
She would have to cut it to a more manageable length once we got back. If she didn’t braid it up high on her head, it would get in her way and snag on every bush or uneven surface. She wouldn't cut it herself—or let me touch it—after seeing how mine had looked after I had hacked some of it off. She was going to wait to have a professional deal with it.
Lucky for her, she had brought enough elastic bands to last our time here. I had stolen a couple from her, since my hair now was long as well. Since it now reached my shoulders, I just pulled it back into a low ponytail.
Tamerin was lucky, as his hair only grew so long and no more. It flowed over his torso like a pelt, protecting him from the elements. While he wore clothes, nothing showed through those hairs even when he was naked. He just looked like a very hairy man.
“Lily is an oracle, Lexi. Her powers are of the mind. She creates the connection and I just receive it. Whereas Lark is of energy and gates. Try imagining a gate. You might connect with him then.” I paused, picking up my bags. “Not that I saw her. I sensed her watching us. Studying me. So I acted as if she was here and showed her I loved her. If it was her, then her powers have grown. She wasn't able to do this before we left. Then again, it could have been someone else. Or perhaps my imagination was playing tricks on me. I don’t really know.”
My sister huffed out her disagreement. “Except you think otherwise.”
I grinned, not answering her, before turning to follow Tamerin. Lexi took the rear position this time.
We were moving closer to our drop-off point, now that the threat of the clan was gone. It was soon going to be time for us to go home. And we wanted to be ready when Stetamus came for us.
It didn’t take us long to get to the spot where we had met the old Universa the first time, so many years ago. I remembered running from the desert predators I now hunted for food. I had been young and awkward back then, in both forms.
Now things were different. My wolf had grown with me. We were large and strong—not as massive as my Uncle Shane, but still larger than most in our pack.
My human body had become taller and had filled out—my shoulders were wider and my limbs stronger. I was proud of my abs, showing their ridges since I carried little fat. In fact, I knew I was now a rival for even Konner.
I prayed Lily would like how I looked. That she would want to touch me, running her fingers down the ridges of my stomach as they moved further south…
