My mouth goes dry, and my stomach tightens, sending a signal of distress straight to my heated center. Maybe distress isn’t the right word. Maybe it’s lust. Hard to tell without oxygen flowing to my brain.
Kol’s hand trails my now-flushed cheek.
“Is this what you want?” he asks. To pet me?
The last few words echo inside my head, and the sound of that voice cutting through all my fantasies is enough to undo me.
“I want. . .”
As if sensing my weakening resolve, Kol lifts his other hand from the tree and places it over my heart. His palm pulses with a rhythm that perfectly matches my own heartbeat.
“Feel that?” he whispers.
I nod.
“We match. You are my chosen.”
My skin tingles, and my nipples tighten which isn’t something I can hide thanks to my wet shirt and then sports bra plastered against my chest.
Kol’s eyelids droop, and he looks me over with a hungry expression. His mouth inches closer to mine.
A sudden pop behind the tree breaks me from his seductive spell.
Kol’s eyes go wide, and he straightens away from me. His gaze flicks to something over my shoulder, and he lets out a heavy, irritated breath.
“Well, well, what am I walking into?” a smooth male voice says.
I guiltily slide away from Kol and look around the tree. In a glance, I note the stranger’s mop of sandy-brown hair and definition underneath the dress shirt and slacks he’s wearing. He’s handsome in a boyish sort of way, but his eyes say there’s nothing boyish or young about him.
“Hi, Grim,” Kol says.
Grim grunts a reply then fastens his sharp gaze on me. There’s something in his sweeping study of me that leaves me wishing for more. A pull that tempts me to wander closer, to—
“Grim,” Kol barks. “Cut it out.”
“Just getting to know your new chosen.” The stranger winks at me. “Hi, I’m Grim, Kol’s better-looking god friend.”
I frown at the casual way he’s just said “god.”
“I’m Elidi.”
“Oh, I know exactly who you are, darling. And aren’t you divine to look at.”
“What do you want?” Kol demands warily.
“Before I tell you that, I feel it’s prudent to remind you that your oath of protection refers to preserving the life of your chosen, not ruining her virtue.”
My cheeks heat. “We weren’t doing anything.”
“You better have come here for something more important than a sex talk, Grim, or so help me,” Kol says.
The stranger smirks. “Just thought you’d like to know Vayda got wind of your little rescue and has requested your presence.” His gaze flicks to me. “Immediately.”
“Fuck.” Kol runs a hand through his unruly hair, and it’s the first hint of worry I’ve seen in him so far.
“Who’s Vayda?” I ask.
“Our stepmother,” Grim says.
I look back and forth between them. “Wait. You guys are brothers?”
Grim shrugs. “You could say that.”
“Not by blood,” Kol says. “Especially Vayda.”
Grim rolls his eyes. “Don’t tell her that,” he warns.
Kol’s expression of concern doesn’t change.
“What’s the big deal?” I ask. “Family drama sucks, but you just deal with it.”
Grim laughs. “Trust me. This isn’t your usual family drama. Vayda only summons you when you’ve done something really right or really, really wrong.”
I look at Kol dubiously. “Let me guess. You did the second thing?”
He doesn’t meet my gaze. “You could say that.”
“Well, just tell her no,” I say, still confused as to why two strapping men look so afraid of their stepmother’s invitation to visit.
Both of them share a look.
“You don’t tell Vayda no,” Grim says quietly, and some of his bravado vanishes.
“We have to go,” Kol says.
“We?” I repeat. “No way. I can’t go with you to meet your mother. I have to go home.”
“You can’t go home, Elidi,” he argues.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do.” I cross my arms.
“Listen, not to interrupt your lover’s quarrel, because it’s kind of adorable, but I feel the need to inform you that the home you knew is gone. Coming with us is the only way you live through this.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“I mean, I just came from there. It’s how I picked up your trail to find you here. And it’s gone. Burned.” His voice gentles at my expression. “Here. I’ll show you.”
With a sweep of his arm, a picture forms out of thin air. It’s my yard.
Across the grass, I recognize Aerina’s Prius in the driveway and the porch steps. That’s all that remains of the house. In its place is a pile of blackened timber and debris. Curling smokestacks rise lazily from the embers.
A tall figure stands at the edge of the yard. Familiar broad shoulders. A red gas can dangles from his fingers.
“Finn,” I whisper.
“He can’t hear you,” Grim tells me quietly.
“Is this real?” I ask, dumbstruck while my mind struggles to put the pieces together.
“It’s real,” Grim confirms.
“How?” I ask.
“I’m the God of Secrets,” Grim says. “I can’t always divulge what I know without upsetting the balance.” Kol grunts, and Grim adds, “Fine, not without a price. But this one . . .” His gaze flicks to me and he says, “This one I can do for free.”
I stare at Finn’s somber expression as he watches the fire die. His cheeks are streaked black as if he ventured too close at one point. Or was close when he first ignited the flames.
My throat closes with my pain. How could Finn just destroy the last bit of home that I had left? Something doesn’t feel right, and I realize Finn knows more than he ever let on.
Grim snaps his fingers, and the image disappears with a quiet pop.
I look up at Kol, angry and defeated.
“Let me help you,” he says quietly. “Let me make you safe.”
I’m going to say yes. We both know it.
“Trust me, Elidi. Protecting you is my entire reason for existence, and I intend to honor that calling for as long as I live. You are my life now.”
“And if I refuse your protection?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I’ll follow you anyway, and when danger threatens, I’ll do everything I can to save you from it until you’re strong enough to save yourself.”
“Save myself?”
“You don’t know what you’re becoming, but I do. Come with me. Let me show you the truth about what you are. After that, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”
“All right,” I say, sighing. “Take me to your stepmother.”
He nods, and I take two steps toward the woods before his hand comes around my waist to spin me around.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“To your house?”
He shakes his head. “Not that way.”
“Back into the water?” I ask, hoping not.
“No, I mean not on foot. We’ll never make it in time.”
Kol backs up a step then shudders as the air pops and crackles, and the edges of his skin shimmers then begins to morph. I squint against the sudden brightness emanating from his chest. I blink, and Kol is a wolf again.
He fetches the leather strap from the sand before trotting over to where I stand.
“No way,” I protest. “If you’re going to force me to ride with you, fine. But I will not be tied down again.”
Kol rolls his eyes and drops the leather strap.
“You did not just roll your eyes at me.”
He noses my palm, swiping his tongue up the length of it.
“What the—” I shriek, and the wolf’s massive shoulders shake with laughter.
Come on, spitfire. We don’t want to
be late. Admit it. You love riding me.
Chapter Six
The trees zip past at a dizzying rate that threatens to empty my stomach. I shut my eyes and focus on breathing. Riding on the back of a wolf who is also a man hot enough to melt the panties off a Playboy bunny is more nauseating than exciting.
Underneath me, the powerful muscles of my wolf-protector ripple with his effort. My exhaustion makes it hard to tell whether it’s been an hour or only a few minutes.
Kol slows suddenly, and I force my eyes open, terrified that The Silenci have somehow caught up to us. Instead of the red-eyed monsters, two massive wooden gates loom ahead.
Kol trots forward, and the gates creak and moan as they swing slowly open. Below me, my wolf-protector shifts his weight impatiently. I try not to think about what has him in such a hurry.
The moment there’s enough room to squeeze through, he surges forward, and I grab a handful of fur to keep from doing a somersault off the back end of my furry transport.
On the other side of the gate, there are more trees. Something moves into my periphery, and I look, half-afraid one of the towering sentinels has come to life. But the trees haven’t moved.
Between their gnarled branches, a beast steals its way closer to the gate. Closer to us.
The creature’s green gaze locks with mine. My heart pounds as the beast halts. Its intense emerald stare calls me closer almost as strongly as if it has spoken my name aloud. A demand. An order to obey.
When I don’t give in, the wolf pulls its lips back and bares its teeth. Fury wells up, and I tighten my fists around the fur in my hands. With a snarl of my own, I bare my teeth right back.
The wolf blinks, obviously thrown off by my response.
Then Kol and I are sprinting again, leaving the green-eyed wolf at the already-closing gates.
By the time Kol comes to a stop and I dismount, we’re standing near the top of a mountain peak, and I’m battling what I’m sure is a near-death case of hypothermia. Spring breezes have given way to winter along the way.
The wind has blown snowdrifts up against the copse of trees we’re huddled inside, offering a bit of protection from the icy gusts. But even so, my teeth won’t stop chattering. And my body, while numb, is aching with a bone-chilling cold.
Kol shifts into his human form, complete with skimpy shorts, and wraps his bare arms around me. I want to ask how in the hell he’s so hot, but I’m not sure it would come out in the right context.
“Wh-what’s w-wrong?” I manage to ask between chattering teeth.
“Shit. I forgot you’re still so human,” he says in my ear.
He scoops me into his arms and presses my cold body firmly against his warm chest. “Don’t fight me on this,” he says the minute my futile attempts to protest begin. “It’ll keep you warm until we can get you some clothes and a fire.”
I open my mouth to reply, but all that comes out is a moan. Not the noise I want him hearing while I’m pressed against his half-naked body. So I shut my mouth and make a mental note to chew his ass out later.
Kol climbs up the peak, and I burrow in closer to escape the wind. As we crest the peak and descend the other side, I catch sight of a small village spread out below us.
From here, the houses look like fancy tents complete with chimneys. Most importantly, there’s no snow around them. It’s as if the weather is different there than it was just a dozen yards back.
Kol slows a bit but doesn’t offer to put me down as we approach, and my gaze catches on the people moving between the tents. They aren’t quite human. When we reach the first row of housing, I see a redheaded girl floating along, her feet never touching the ground. There’s also a half-man, half-horse creature that carries a spear in one hand and a dead rabbit in the other.
“See?” Kol’s voice is full of laughter as he nods at the rabbit. “Dinner.”
“N-not hungr-ry,” I chatter while my stomach growls in betrayal.
Kol chuckles.
We reach the second line of tents and veer toward the one at the end just as a howl rises, high and wistful, against the winter-gray sky. Kol’s arms tense around me, and I know the howl means something important. But he just ducks inside the tent flap.
The climate completely changes as we pass through the fabric-covered doorway. No hint of winter remains, and the air is thick with heat and humidity.
A roaring fire blazes in a center hearth, and thick rugs cover every inch of the floor, sealing the edges of the canvas walls with a cozy layer of privacy I hadn’t expected.
“Is this your house?” I ask, still shivering.
Kol nods then crosses to a large bed covered in blankets and deposits me gently underneath the covers.
The bed’s soft and already warm. I immediately feel the pull of sleep despite my empty stomach.
“I’ll be back,” he says then starts for the door.
“Wait. Where are you going?”
“To find you some warmer clothes. And maybe talk my stepmother into letting you rest before she interrogates you.”
“What?”
He sighs then sits on the bed beside me. He reaches for the blankets, tucking them up to my chin.
“Don’t worry about it, spitfire. She won’t hurt you.
“Interrogation doesn’t’ sound like a good thing,” I say, my words almost slurring with my need to sleep.
“Just rest, okay?”
My lids droop even as I shake my head.
“That’s what I thought,” he murmurs, and it’s the last thing I hear before I’m sucked into oblivion.
Something booms, waking me in a panic before I realize the sound was only another dream. No more water. This time, there was smoke and flames. All of it black as coal. I blink at the sight of the tent’s interior then sit up and frown down at my damp clothes. I’m sweating.
My gaze catches on the fire still burning steadily in the center hearth. The flames haven’t died down during my apparent power nap.
The front door flap opens, and Kol steps inside. He’s clothed now, and his hair’s a little less ruffled, but otherwise, he looks the same—right down to his brooding stare.
“You’re awake.” Relief flashes over Kol’s expression, gone before I can commit it to memory.
“You’re dressed,” I say since we’re apparently stating the obvious.
He closes the distance between us and hands me the jug in his hand. “Here.”
I take the jug and tip it back, chugging half of it before coming up for air.
“Thanks,” I tell him, handing it back.
“Finish it. You need to hydrate.”
For some reason, the sensible words sound funny to me. I snicker, earning a weird look from my wolf-protector.
He sits down on the edge of the bed and raises a finger.
“Follow my finger,” he says, moving it left to right in front of my face.
I do, frowning. After a couple of back-and-forths, he drops his hand and then produces a flashlight from his pocket. He clicks it on and shines it directly into my right eye.
“What the heck?” I jerk out of his reach, but he just huffs and then tries again.
“Just let me check you out,” he says.
I stop avoiding and grin slowly, which earns me a scowl.
“I mean check out your vision,” he corrects.
“My vision’s fine,” I say, batting him away. “Why would you think it’s not?”
“I’m checking for a concussion. Or shock. You hit the water pretty hard earlier, and then the temperature plunge didn’t help.”
“So?”
“So, you’re laughing inappropriately and not making a whole lot of sense.”
“You think I’m a goddess, and I’m the one who doesn’t make sense?”
Without waiting for an answer, I swing my legs off the bed. My feet hit the rug, and I’m pleased to find it’s just as warm as the rest of the room.
“How do you heat a tent so well?”
He smirks.
“What can I say, spitfire. I’m just that hot.”
My belly shivers with the fact that he’s right, though I’m not about to let him know that.
Pretending my toes aren’t threatening to curl, I roll my eyes, and we both push to our feet at the same time. My stomach tightens as the scent of something delicious wafts over from the pot on the stove.
“Mm. What is that?” I move toward the smell.
My knees wobble, and I make it no more than two steps before they go out. Kol catches me and scoops me up into his arms, saving me from yet another face plant.
I blink dizzily.
Kol’s head swims into view, and I blink, a little put off by the fact that he’s blurry.
“What just happened?” I ask, sitting up thanks to the hand he’s pressing against my back.
The room tilts a little, and I stare down at my thighs, hoping it’ll pass soon so I can try whatever mystery dinner is cooking. Priorities are to eat then pass out again—in that order.
“You just collapsed.” Kol sounds worried—which makes me worry. “How do you feel?”
“Dizzy,” I admit.
He grabs my hands and helps me stand but the minute he lets go, I sway. Strong hands latch around my shoulders, catching me and holding me upright. When another wave of dizziness washes over me, I tilt my head back, suddenly feeling more liquidy than solid. “Whoa,” I mutter.
Before I know what’s happening, I’m scooped off my feet and placed gently back in bed. Covers are tucked around me, and by the time I focus on the figure blocking my view, Kol is looming over me with his broody face back on.
“You look angry. I didn’t break something of yours when I fell, did I?”
“You’re cold again,” he says, ignoring my question. “Are you still dizzy?”
“No. I told you. I don’t have a concussion.”
He doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t argue either.
My brain goes fuzzy, and I close my eyes. Kol says something else, but I’m already too lost to sleep to hear it.
When I open my eyes again, the room is darker. The fire still crackles animatedly in the hearth, but the flames are shoving against the shadows crouching in the corners of the space. Kol is nowhere to be found, but I hear low voices murmuring from the other side of the chimney that cuts through the center of the room.
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