Chapter 30
Aiden
“The large firework display has been confirmed as unauthorised, not associated with a government-approved event. The fireworks involved are, in fact, said to be illegal in this country …”
I snicker as the reporter on screen covers last night’s events, noting the suspects remain “at large” while I have my eyes on one crouched right in front of me.
“First crime?” I muse, studying my stressed Julian.
He’s watching the news like he’s got a test on it, and I’m trying my hardest not to poke the bear.
“Yes,” Jewels whispers, though it’s not nearly as snappish as I know he can get.
Truth be told, I expected Julian to be way angrier once the adrenaline wore off and he realised I’d roped him into some serious shit, but nope.
He’s been surprisingly at ease, only concerned about us getting caught.
Whether or not he’ll ever admit it, I know that there’s a part of him that thrives on a bit of chaos.
“It’s the first of many,” I promise, sliding off the bed. When he shoots me a genuinely horrified look, I can’t stop myself from cackling. “Relax, Jewels. I’ll ease you in. As for your debut offence, don’t worry—I know how to cover my tracks. No one will trace it back to us.”
He hums, eyes returning to the TV. I leave him be and head into the kitchen to make us some coffee. Unlike yesterday, we haven’t done much besides watch the news and wear each other out to keep the edge off.
Surprisingly, I haven’t minded it all that much. I like being out and about, but I also love doing nothing with Julian. I liked spending time with him, without having to worry about a thing, not even keeping my shades on because, for some reason, he likes my eyes.
My chest warms as Max whines, both awed and aching at the thought.
No one likes my eyes. No one. But Julian does. Julian does, and so maybe I could tell him why I have them … share the story no one else knows.
We should, Max declares readily. He wouldn’t think any less of you.
He might, I reply, because there’s still that chance.
Julian came from a pack full of traditionalists who loved pure, unfiltered bloodlines. Even though I know he isn’t a fanatic, he is still one of them.
It might change things.
I don’t think anything can change our bond when you’ve already overcome your hatred for one another.
One could hope. And I do hope, which is fucking terrifying in itself. I never thought I could trust someone with what happened. Doing so would mean sharing a weakness, and alphas can’t afford to be weak. But this is Julian, and I want to share everything with him.
I say we keep doing what we’ve been doing this entire time, Max inputs wisely. Let’s keep taking it day by day.
I can do that.
I can. We’ll be mated soon, bonded in every way, and maybe after that, it’ll be easier to let it all out.
When I return to the couch, Julian’s sitting exactly where I left him, with his eyes still on the TV. He almost burns his fingers on the cup I hand him, but he doesn’t notice.
I grab the remote, pop the batteries out, and toss it back down before sliding the batteries in my pocket. I make for the flatscreen, poking at its bottom edges until my luck registers and I hit the off button.
“Hey!” he exclaims as the screen turns back. He manically stabs at the powerless remote.
“Easy, Jewels. I know you’re worried, but they’re just recycling the shit they said an hour ago. They don’t have any updates.”
“But what if there is an update?” he complains, thumb still stabbing.
“Then, I’m sure we’ll hear about it,” I reply with a smile. “We’re turning into hermits cooped up in here, and not the good kind. The old retired types that just watch the news and wait for their grandkids to visit.”
Julian wrinkles his nose. “We’re already on grandkids?”
“Goddess, no.” I shudder. “Now, why don’t you dig into your never-ending itinerary and tell me what we’re doing today?”
“I only booked one thing today, and it’s in the afternoon,” he replies, finally setting the remote down. “I thought in the meantime, we could roam around the hotel and enjoy what they’ve got going on.”
“That’s good with me,” I say before I clap my hands, making him jolt. “Get up, shower, put on some clothes, and brush your teeth so I can lay one on you, and then let’s roll out!”
He rolls his eyes, but he’s smirking as he gets up. We’re quick about cleaning ourselves up, and despite his earlier sulk, the smile won’t leave his face.
“What do we call this stage of the relationship?” I ask as I watch Julian tug on a pair of my jeans. They hang on his hips, but damn if he doesn’t make them look good.
Julian shrugs as he looks down at himself. “Repurposing?”
I hum, because if I open my mouth, whatever comes out will be filthy and probably stop us from leaving. Our heat keeps our skin warm, and our bond even warmer, but it’s easy to manage when he’s willingly engulfing himself in my scent.
“I’m ready,” Julian says, planting his hands on his hips.
“Same here, but have you seen my shades?” I scan our suite.
“Aiden.”
I turn. He’s smiling knowingly, and I frown until he reaches up over my head and pulls down my missing shades. My lips part, and so do Julian’s to release a little laugh.
“Thanks,” I mumble, pretending the heat in my cheeks was just another effect of global warming. I pass another quick glance over him and barely manage to stifle my groan. “The only thing I love smelling on you, besides your scent, is mine.”
“I bet,” Julian whispers, sliding his hands up my chest. “You were supposed to lay one on me.”
“Yes, I was.” I lean in to press my lips to his. It’s a short-lived kiss, but it still leaves my body vibrating as Julian’s taste overrides mine. He steps back first, and I’m the drugged fiend that follows him out the door.
Julian leads the way to the elevator, but only turns to me after he’s pressed the down button. “So,” he asks, warm eyes darting between mine, “where do you want to go first?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know this place and its huge,” I remind. “Is there a map, list, pamphlet … something?”
Julian nods as the doors open, revealing a few other couples waiting inside. “There is,” he whispers as we step inside. “I memorised it.”
I squint at his golden head as I follow him into the back corner. I wait until the doors close before muttering, “Nerd.”
His brow twitches. He cuts me a side-eye. “Simpleton.”
My fingers twitch.
I can leave it alone. I can, but …
“Dimwit,” I shoot back, using one of his regulars.
Julian’s eyes widen. Surprise turns to intrigue. “Asshat.”
I glance at him, my lips twitching when I catch the way he’s biting his cheeks.
“Ignoramus,” I counter.
He gasps. “Look at you,” he whispers with blown eyes, “using words with more than two syllables.”
“Vegetarian,” I accuse.
“Meat lover,” he fires back, eyes glowing. “And I mean that in more ways than one.”
A laugh bursts out of the person in front of us, reminding us we’re not alone. Soon enough, muffled chuckles ripple through the rest of the elevator.
“Sorry,” I mutter, even though they don’t seem annoyed. I jerk my thumb towards Julian. “He’s an imbecile.”
He gasps like I’d just stolen his firstborn. “You little shit!” he exclaims, forfeiting the war.
The doors open, and we filter out into the main lobby that’s just as busy as when we first arrived.
“You’ve really got to work on that vocab, Jewels,” I tease while I take his hand.
“Yeah, yeah,” he says, lifting our hands so that he can show me his middle finger up close. I snort as he leads us down the wide hallways we’d ventured through on our first night for dinner.
“We’ve already glimpsed the aquarium, but there are supposed to be some special shows in there,” he explains as he leads the way. “I think the pool’s the other way, and it has a slide. There’s also an hourly belly dancing show if you’re interested in that.”
I am not, not unless Julian is about to hop on the stage. I snort, amused, until my mind crafts an image of Julian covered in golden rings, shaking his hips and curling his wrists in front of me. I think I drool a little.
“There’s a ‘swim with sea life’ on as well,” Julian adds, piquing my interest.
“Swim with?”
“One with sea serpents, another with sharks,” he says, sounding unusually intrigued by that prospect. “Want to check that out?”
“I guess,” I say, but I’m already less enthused now that I know dolphins are off the roster.
Who the hell wants to swim with creatures that can kill them?
Julian. Julian does, apparently, because he’s all but skipping now as he strangles my hand in his.
“You want to do it?” I ask with my best attempt at casual.
“I think so,” he replies, but he’s beaming. “I’ll decide when we get there.”
My stomach drops, and my palms become clammy.
“You know the humans have made, like, fifty movies about how stupid it is to swim with sharks?” I mention, hoping to sway him with his favourite thing—caution.
But Julian, my living, breathing contradiction, just shrugs. “They’re not all dangerous. Plus, there are smaller, docile species of sharks.”
True. Not all sharks are flesh-eating great whites. But when we reach the ‘swim with sea life’ area and see the tanks—two ginormous pools where sharks and serpents swim around—there’s not a single “docile” specimen in sight.
“Julian,” I whisper as I eye the tanks of death.
“Yeah?”
“On what planet is a great white not dangerous?” I demand, pointing at the grey beast thrashing around like it has a bone to pick with Mother Nature herself.
“I’m not a shark enthusiast,” he defends lamely before walking towards the makeshift reception desk. People mill around, but they’re all watching. There’s not a single soul standing behind the rope to enter. Julian—the idiot—makes a beeline for it.
“Are you guys open today?” he asks the concierge
“We are,” the large man replies, glancing between us. For an incubus, he smells unusually plain. “No one is booked for the day.”
“Hear that?” Julian turns to me excitedly. “No bookings.”