Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
HAVEN
I couldn’t be happier knowing my parents are safe and sound, but that doesn’t stop the twinge of disappointment that twists in my chest when I come downstairs to find my mom cooking pancakes instead of a bare-chested dragon shifter frying bacon.
“Where is everyone?” I ask as my mom plops two warm pancakes on my plate.
“Oh, they’re around,” she says. “You’re the last one up. I think Becks and Talon went to check the perimeter, making sure the cabin still hasn’t been discovered, and Locklyn is out on a walk with your father.”
“Is that safe?” I ask, alarmed. “I mean, isn’t he still recovering?”
She sits down at the table next to me with a cup of coffee. “It’s fine,” she says, unconcerned. “The doctors said that he needs to get up and move around. He just has to take it easy. And besides, Locklyn’s with him. I’m sure she’s making sure he’s not overdoing it.”
“Hmm,” I say, and shove a generous portion of syrup-soaked pancake into my mouth.
Well, since Locklyn is with him, I’m sure he’s just peachy, I think, snark seeping into my self-talk.
“Are you all right?” my mom asks. “You’re kind of quiet.”
“Yes, of course. Just thinking. And eating.” I hold up my fork, loaded with another bite. “Thanks for breakfast, by the way.”
My mom starts to say something, then the front door bursts open and Becks and Talon pour back into the cabin. Neither one of them is wearing a coat, which is crazy to me because the temperature has to be below freezing.
They’re chuckling about something, but I don’t miss that Becks looks distracted, his gaze scanning the room until it lands on me. He gives me a warm smile.
“Up before noon. I’m impressed,” he says.
“Hey, I do not sleep in that late . . . often,” I add under my breath.
“You ready for another day of training?” he asks.
I put down my fork. “I didn’t expect to keep training with everyone back together.”
“No rest for the weary,” he quips.
Talon comes up behind Becks. “And I want to take a look at how far you’ve gotten. If you have any other types of magic, I might be able to help bring it out. I have experience in most of the different specialties from when I was bonded with Shadow Striker.”
Becks told me all about that, how Talon was its wielder before Locklyn technically won Chaos. And then how all of Talon’s borrowed magic slowly started to transfer to her. It almost killed him, but they were able to sever their tie and the destroyed dagger before that happened.
I nod. It couldn’t hurt.
Talon looks thoughtful. “It would help if we knew what type of creature you were though. You really have no idea?”
Suddenly, the pancakes feel heavy in my gut. I don’t dare peek at my mom. She and my dad are the only ones who know the truth besides myself.
I shake my head.
“Hmm. Pity,” Talon says. “If we knew your creature species, that would help us narrow down which magic you might have access to.”
“Yep, it’s a mystery,” I say, my stomach souring further.
“Well . . .” my mom cuts in with a short laugh that’s clearly forced. Hopefully no one notices but me. “I wouldn’t mind watching this as well. The only times I’ve seen Haven use her magic, something usually blows up.”
I duck my head, my cheeks heating. What Talon and Becks must think of me, being an adult and knowing so little about my magic and how to control it.
“She’s learned a lot in a short period of time,” Becks says. “She’s been picking things up surprisingly fast. I’ve been really impressed.”
When I lift my gaze, it connects with him and a warm feeling settles over me. I hope he can read the “thank you” in my eyes.
When he smiles softly, I know he understands.
“What are you impressed about?” comes a voice from the direction of the front door. When I look over, Locklyn and my dad are there, shrugging out of snow-dusted outer layers.
When Becks explains, Locklyn’s eyes light up. “I want to come too!”
My dad agrees, and I flick a panicked look at Becks.
Now I’m going to be a spectacle. What if I forget everything I’ve learned?
“Why doesn’t everyone give Haven and me a half-hour start. Let’s get her magic warmed up a bit first.”
My relief is instant. He knows exactly what I need.
I stare at him in appreciation, pretty sure my eyes are giving off full heart-eyes energy.
Could he be more perfect?
Fifteen minutes later, Becks and I are trekking through the snow to one of our usual training spots. We picked a closer one today so that it won’t exhaust my dad when they come out to meet us. Talon knows the location. Becks showed it to him this morning when they did their perimeter check.
We’re only just out of sight of the cabin when Becks’ hand brushes against my glove. I glance down, butterflies fluttering, when he takes it in his.
“Is this okay?” he asks, almost shyly.
“Yes, it’s fine,” I say, working hard not to grin like an idiot.
I only wish I hadn’t worn gloves so that I could feel the press of his palm against mine, but even through the bulky fabric, his heat reaches me.
We walk in silence for a few minutes, the crunch of snow beneath our boots and the steady thrum of my heartbeat in my ears the only sounds. A gentle snowfall drifts around us, wrapping the world in quiet. When I glance up, I catch Becks watching me.
“What?” I ask with a smile.
“You have snowflakes on your eyelashes.”
“So do you.”
He nods.
Apparently, I need some more walking lessons, because as I’m staring up at him with what I’m sure is a goofy grin, my foot catches on a stick and I pitch forward.
Becks reacts fast, his fingers tightening around mine, his free hand looping around my waist as he tugs me safely against him before I can hit the snow.
I don’t move. Neither does he.
His breath brushes the top of my head, warm against the chill in the air, and I swear my pulse forgets how to work properly.
“Nice catch,” I say, my voice a little uneven.
He pulls back a hair so he can look into my eyes, his arm still anchored around me, holding me close.
“I have a confession,” he says, his voice a low rumble.
“Do you now?” I ask, and he nods.
“I tripped you so I could hold you closer.” There’s a mischievous twinkle in his eye when he says it, revealing the truth.
“No you didn’t,” I say with a light laugh.
“If I’d thought about it, I would have.” Reaching up, he tucks some hair back and pulls my hat back down over my ears. “I like you right where you are.”
“I’m not complaining.”
Feeling bold, I slide a hand up Becks’ chest and hook it around his neck. Stretching up on my toes, he doesn’t resist when I tug him toward me.
Our lips meet an instant later in the sweetest kiss ever known. Light, soft, perfect.
The feeling of his mouth brushing against mine causes a shiver to work its way through me.
“It drives me wild when you do that,” Becks says against my mouth, and then runs the tip of his tongue over the seam of my lips in a silent plea.
When I open my mouth, he takes advantage of the invitation, deepening the kiss. A rumble of satisfaction vibrates in his chest as he takes control, pressing his mouth more firmly against mine.
The spark of passion that I initiated turns into a full-blown blaze as he kisses me, ruining me completely, because I already know nothing will ever feel like this. Kissing Becks is the pinnacle. No one else will ever be able to compete. No one will ever be able to make me feel like I do right now.
The moment stretches and blurs, time losing all shape as the world falls away.
The bite of the crisp air fades, the sting of the snowflakes disappears, and my awareness doesn’t extend past the uneven rise and fall of his chest beneath my hand, the warmth of his lips against mine, and the heat radiating between us.
It feels like we’re sealed inside our own fragile snow globe. Just him, just me, and a quiet that nothing outside can touch. Eventually, reality pops the fragile bubble as, faintly, sounds filter through the quiet.
Voices. Laughter. The muffled tread of footsteps on snow.
We both still at once, breath fogging between us. The spell lingers for one last heartbeat before Becks pulls back, his arm releasing me, his hand slipping from mine.
The world widens again—the cold sharper, sounds louder—and I realize the others are on their way to us.
For a moment, I wish the snow globe hadn’t broken at all.
I can’t see my parents or Locklyn and Talon yet, but their voices are echoing in the forest.
“I thought they were going to give us some time for me to warm up?” I say, a touch breathless.
A lopsided grin quirks the side of Becks’ mouth. He runs a hand through his hair, brushing off the dusting of snow. “They did. We just lost track of time.”
I blink back at Becks. Could we possibly have been kissing for that long?
Becks laughs at the look on my face.
“It only felt like a few minutes,” I say, my mind still not completely free of the kissing haze he apparently put me under.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
He laughs again, and I get a peek of my mom’s red coat through the trees behind him.
“Do I look okay?”
“You look beautiful,” he says, sincerity shining from his eyes that makes me melt inside.
His words bring a smile to my face. “Thank you. But I mean, do I look like—um,” I say, suddenly embarrassed.
How to tactfully ask if I look like we were just making out?
“Do you mean to ask if you look like you’ve been thoroughly and sufficiently kissed? Ruined for any male that may come after me?” he asks with absolutely no shame.
“That’s not exactly how I would have put it, but yes.”
“Well, in that case, yes,” he says with a self-satisfied grin.
“Becks, seriously?” I start immediately trying to fix my hair, which is covered by a hat, so I don’t really know what I’m accomplishing.