Chapter 9 Charmed and Dangerous
It takes us about half an hour to get back onto Katmere grounds. Once we get close to the forest where we were hunting for portals, Grace drops down beside me. She’s smiling, her eyes dancing, and she looks totally recovered from her anger down in Healy.
“That was a lot of fun,” she says, pulling out her phone to text someone. “I haven’t had much chance to fly just for the sheer fun of it.”
“I never would have guessed you were having fun up there,” I tease, “considering the number of barrel rolls and spins you were doing.”
“The first time I ever flew that wasn’t in a plane was on Flint’s back. Is it any wonder I’ve got a little daredevil in me now?”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve always had a little daredevil in you,” I answer, not bothering to correct her about the first time she flew. It’s not like she remembers anyway.
“I don’t know about that,” she says as she finishes up her text and hits send. “Oh, thank God, I’ve got service back again. I couldn’t get anything in Healy.”
Her phone chimes a few seconds later. “Macy says they’ve had the whole school looking for us since you disappeared.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.” If Jaxon didn’t turn the whole bloody mountain upside down looking for her, then I would be surprised. And he still wouldn’t deserve her.
Her phone chimes again. “Now that they know we’re safe, they’re going to head over to the bonfire. We can meet them there.”
“Fantastic.”
I do my best to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, but I must not do a very good job of it because Grace shoots me a look. “I thought you liked bonfires.”
“I do,” I answer. What I don’t say is that I’ve really enjoyed the last hour—and I’m not ready to give her back to everyone else yet. I’m definitely not ready to give her back to Jaxon.
Grace frowns at my answer, looking like she wants to push a little. I almost wish she would, but in the end she doesn’t say anything. She just starts walking again. So I walk with her.
It feels nice, strolling through the trees with a smiling, laughing Grace, especially when we end up near the wildflower stream I like to run by. She glances down at all the little flowers popping through the snow and glances at me out of the corner of her eye.
“I never thanked you,” she half whispers. “For the flowers this morning. They’re beautiful.”
“They made me think of you.”
She blushes. “I also need to thank you for the cinnamon rolls. Even though Macy ate most of them.”
“Hey, nothing wrong with charming your roommate, too.” The words escape before I realize I’m going to say them. Once they do, though, I’m not sorry. She may not want to hear about what happened during the time she was frozen, but that doesn’t mean I can’t remind her of how I feel. And what I want.
“Is that what you’re trying to do?” she asks, her voice cautious as we turn down the trail that will take us close to the castle. “Charm me?”
“You’re my mate,” I answer, even though that’s only half the story. And maybe not even the most interesting half, compared to what those months together gave us.
“I know. But—” She blows out a long breath as she looks anywhere but at me. “I’m with Jaxon.”
“I’m aware of that.” Believe me, no one is more aware of that fucking shite than I am. I did just spend the last two weeks inside her head, after all. And it’s all Jaxon, 80 percent of the bloody time in there. Maybe even ninety.
“I just—” She stops, blows out a breath. “I don’t know what that means for us. I mean, forget about what happened during those three and a half months for a minute. How can I be mated to you right now, in the present, when I’m totally in love with him?”
I understand what she’s asking. Hell, I even thought I was prepared to have this talk with her. But each word hits me like a body blow, stealing my earlier joy and reminding me of everything we’ve lost and everything we may never have again.
I’m more than ready to fight Jaxon for her—brother or not—but how the fuck do I fight her feelings for him? How the fuck do I make her love me the way that she used to?
“I don’t know.” My voice is hoarse. “Maybe the universe screwed up.”
“Do you think that’s what happened?”
“No,” I answer.
I have more to say, so much more, but before I can say any of it, we make our way around the last curve in the trail and come face-to-face with a furious Jaxon.
“What the fuck did you do?” he demands as he bum-rushes me so hard and fast that I end up flying backward through the air.