Chapter 8
It seemed like no time before Titus pulled into a gravel parking lot surrounded by trees. Nestled in the corner of the property was a log cabin complete with a covered patio and rocking chairs.
The sun was high in the sky, signaling it was past mid-afternoon. But… That couldn’t be right. There was no way we had been driving for hours. After pulling my sleeves over my knuckles and rubbing my eyes, I blinked at the sky again.
The same thing.
What in the world?
“It’s been two hours.” Brayden shifted closer to me. A loose curl fell over dark brows, and his face was pinched with concern. “You’ve been daydreaming this whole time.”
Really?
I blinked up at him—there was no way. Surely my plan to entrap Finn and Bryce together in a scenario where they would be forced to share one teeny tiny bed and a thin blanket had only taken me seconds to pull together.
“Are you all right?” he asked in a low voice, gaze flickering to the front of the vehicle.
My brows furrowed—what a silly question. “Of course.”
“Your…” He paused, lowering his tone even further. “Are you sure your feelings aren’t hurt?”
My feelings ?
I frowned and looked toward Damen. “Why?”
The onmyoji had been chatting away with Titus, seemingly unaware of the lingering tension, as he pointed toward the log building. His expression was light, and almost excited, while everyone else sat in uncomfortable silence.
Bryce met my eyes and half-twisted in his seat as he joined our huddle.
His expression was carefully impassive, but his eyes told a completely different story.
“Your point about the bond wasn’t wrong,” he said in a low voice, and my attention strayed to his lips.
“There are concerns about why the connection never worked as intended.”
Why was he in my face? Did Damen spill my secret—or was it Anthony? But it was clear that everyone was making more effort to look at me when they spoke.
Finn responded by stiffening in his seat, his head inclining toward the three of us, and his expression darkening.
“I—” My throat felt tight. “I wasn’t trying to cause problems.”
“You didn’t,” Bryce assured me, though his smirk was razor-sharp. “He’s arrogant and has been left unchecked for far too long. Don’t let him push you around.”
I blinked, thrown off by his certainty. Push me around? Damen wasn’t… like that. Was he?
“Okay,” I replied. What did they want me to do? I’d already started improving his terrible ideas. “If I think something is wrong, I’ll say it.”
Bryce smirked evilly as his gaze moved toward Damen, and Brayden snickered under his breath. The whole thing was rather violent, and I might have been able to explain it away as a particularity of the fae.
However, that did not explain Finn’s sudden gleeful smirk or how Julian’s mouth curled in renewed excitement.
Even Titus, far from us as he was, glanced back briefly, his lips quirking.
What in the world was wrong with these men?
But nobody mentioned it again as we exited the vehicle and entered the cabin. Damen headed to the counter, where a blond ranger in a green uniform sat with his feet on the desk and a comic book open in his lap. Titus moved to where I stayed by a display of brochures.
The others had dispersed throughout the room, some headed to the facilities, and others lingered in the space, stretching and chatting.
“Damen isn’t trying to hurt you,” Titus said, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the wall. “But he is trying to push you.”
I needed to crane my neck to meet his eyes, and my throat tightened at the restrained emotion there. A faint ring of red circled his irises, and the pulse at his temple beat steadily.
“Sometimes, though,” Titus continued, “he loses track of things—like emotions or subtleties—when he’s focused on his goal.”
I sighed. “Isn’t that the exact opposite of what a psychologist is supposed to do?” What an ill-suited career choice.
Titus’s mouth twisted, and a low growl laced his response. “Maybe. But he wants you to get angry.”
“Why?” I asked. None of this made any sense to me.
“Anger means you’re healing,” Titus explained, brushing his thumb against my cheek. “It means you’re one step closer to fully accepting your role.”
I looked away, half wishing I could shrug off his words.
“Why do you want me to antagonize Damen?” I murmured, a shiver trailing down my spine. It felt silly to be affected like this —Titus and I had touched countless times before. So why was I breathless?
“Because part of your role is to inspire him,” Titus replied. “That includes pushing back. You’re the only one who can . He wants you to yell at him.”
Did he truly want to fight me?
That made sense. He’d mentioned that we’d clash. But was that wise? It certainly couldn’t be healthy, for I was the prankster queen. We were about to go hiking, and what a shame it would be if something… unfortunate happened to him.
“Speaking of yelling,” Titus said, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. He lingered near my ear. “Go easy on Miles, okay?”
“What?” I narrowed my eyes. What did they think I was going to do?
“He’s nervous about bonding with you,” Titus replied. “Even though you’ve done it a million times before.”
Well, that was stupid. It wasn’t like I was scary.
“What—” I started, trailing off as my fingers brushed his wrist. I hated to admit it, especially as I’d already taken this step with Julian, but I had to ask.
I could feel his pulse as I whispered, “What does… I don’t understand what the connections, or bonds, are.
I thought it was just me feeling your emotions? ”
Titus’s thumb traced a line along my jaw, and I leaned in to him.
“I don’t know what it means for us in this lifetime,” he murmured, and the red ring around his irises deepened.
“While we’ve been together countless times, we’ve never been mates.
That detail is probably going to change the nature of our connection.
” His voice dipped, resonant and warm. “But for our quintet to reach our fullest potential, you’ll need to create Soul Bonds with all of us. ”
“A Soul Bond?” I asked.
“It’s a connection unique to our group that differs from the Quintet Bond.
Quintet Bonds are about working relationships and balance.
Soul Bonds are about absolute trust,” Titus replied.
“You’ve already entered into a Soul Bond with Julian, and Miles is naturally next.
Our connection is always centered through you. ”
My heart hammered against my ribs. “But if Damen is the leader, why me?”
“Damen leads the quintet,” Titus said, his voice calm. “But you’re our heart, and the Soul Bonds aren’t about authority. You are the emotional center of the group.”
“How do we become bonded?” I asked.
Titus grinned. “Don’t worry about us. It’s not time yet. Just focus on Miles for now.”
“You act like he annoys you,” I breathed, the rest of the room falling away. It was hard to think past the imposing aura surrounding me. The longer he stayed at my side, the more I felt his presence clawing inside me.
My skin buzzed as he smirked and leaned down to me.
“What are you doing?” I asked and tugged a lock of his hair.
“Seeing something,” he replied, a faint red tinge leaving his eyes.
“What something?” I asked.
“Do you feel better?” he asked, his thumb tracing over my pulse.
“Yes…” I replied, swallowing. The knot in my stomach had long since vanished, and it was much easier to breathe. “Are you… Are you controlling my emotions—like how Julian does?”
“He doesn’t control your emotions. He’s guiding your body’s responses,” Titus explained and glanced toward Julian, who had joined Damen at the counter. “Julian can command certain things—like your heartbeat or hormones—so you’re not overwhelmed.”
I frowned at him. “How is that different?”
“I’m shielding your empathic abilities,” Titus continued. “I’m blocking outside emotions from reaching you. Are you still upset about what happened in the car?”
“What happened in the car?” I asked, tilting my head.
“You were upset.” Titus pressed his lips together.
“Was I?” I didn’t recall that. It was an unpleasant conversation, but what was there to be upset about? “Because Damen was nosy?”
A line formed between Titus’s eyes as he watched me, and I blinked at him. “Maybe,” he said finally. “Are you sure you’re not mad at Damen?”
“Hm.” I looked at the person in question. “Would you hit him for me?”
“No,” Titus replied, turning my hands in his. “Although I wish I could.”
“Why not?” I asked, not realizing how the question sounded until his eyes met mine; his heavy brow raised in amusement. But it was a fact. Titus looked so much stronger than Damen. “I—I,” I stuttered, horror washing over me. “I was just curious!”
“Damen is ultimately in charge; I cannot go against him. But I’ll go after anyone else,” Titus replied. “Besides, Julian is the only one who can defeat Damen.”
“Julian would beat up Damen?” My throat closed at the very thought.
“Julian would kill Damen at your request,” Titus said, his voice deceitfully calm despite the words coming out of his mouth.
“What’s this?” Julian slipped beside us. “Do you want me to kill Damen?” he asked me, eyes glittering with eagerness.
“No!” I frowned at him. “I do not.”
What a terrible thing to joke about. I only wanted to show Damen that I would not be taken lightly. Damen would never respect my authority if Julian came jumping to my defense.
He frowned, his bottom lip jutting out. “Fine, darling. But if you ever change your mind, say the word.”
I glanced between them, confusion making me lightheaded. What in the world was happening?
Damen stepped away from the counter. “Everyone,” he began as the ranger got up from his seat.
“This is Troy,” he continued, nodding toward the other man.
“The park is technically closed, yet he’s ‘too busy’ to show us to the trail.
However, in his benevolence, he’s willing to, begrudgingly, give us a map. ”