Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
~ Shade ~
When we exit the pathway, cool air washes over me, and I gasp, sucking it greedily into my lungs. My head is still spinning, but the familiar scent of pine and damp earth hits my nose, and I can just make out a blur of trees around me. Wait…we’re in the academy forest?
My heart thuds a little faster. “We can’t be out here. I’m not allowed to leave the party until the queen retires first.” Admittedly, I’m appreciating being away from the crowd, but I’d hate to be killed over something so trivial.
Raith doesn’t answer and he stares out at the trees, keeping his back to me.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying the air,” I add, “but what if Germain goes looking for me again? Or the queen herself? I’m fine now.
You can take me back.” Now that I’m away from the weird floral scent Germain had on his fingers, my head is starting to clear, and while I’d rather stay out here, I don’t want Raith getting into trouble for taking me from the celebration.
Blowing out a breath, I take a step toward him, but I stumble when my foot slides on a rock. With a yelp, I mentally prepare myself to impact with the ground, but Raith’s shadows curl around me, keeping me upright.
I grin, stretching my hands wide and moving away from his shadows when I can stand on my own again. “See,” I say like I hadn’t just been about to land on my face. “Perfectly fine.”
It’s safe to say, Raith doesn’t look impressed. “You can hardly walk. I’m not taking you back until the drug has worn off,” he says, and the easy tone is gone from his voice.
“Okay, and how much longer do you think that’ll take?” I have no idea how long the queen plans to stay at the party, but I hope it’s a while yet.
“I have no clue,” he rumbles.
Crap. “You know, I really can walk on my own, that was just an accident before,” I say.
“I’ll show you.” Rubbing my hands together for luck, I squint, trying to focus my double vision, and I take a few steps forward.
I move slowly at first, taking baby steps, and when I don’t fall, I lengthen my stride, heading toward where I think Raith is standing.
Admittedly, it’s a little hard to judge the distance given my blurred vision.
Raith crosses his arms as he watches me, and it’s pretty clear he’s expecting me to fall, which only makes me even more determined to prove I can do this. Only a few more steps. I start to wobble on my feet, and Raith smirks like he’s expecting me to faceplant at any moment. Asshole.
If I can just… I’m a step away when my knee buckles like it’s purposely trying to sabotage me. A small cry slips from between my lips, and then strong arms are around me, shadows sliding against my skin as the sensation of ice and fire ignites a trail everywhere he’s touching me.
I gasp at the sensation. There’s always the feeling of ice and fire when I’m with my mates, but this is more intense.
It reminds me of the first times when I’d touched my mates, before the burning sensation faded a little over time.
No, this is so intense it almost hurts, and I realize it must be because of the effects of the drug.
Raith must feel it too because he stares at me, and that easy smile is gone from his face.
He leans in close like he’s searching for something in my eyes.
Do my eyes look weird because I’m affected by the serum?
I have no idea. What I do know, is that I can’t stop myself from reaching up and kissing my mate.
If we’re not going straight back to the party, we may as well enjoy ourselves while we’re out here.
Especially seeing as the games are only hours away, and the queen seems determined to keep us up all night.
The moment my lips press against Raith’s, the sensation of ice and fire intensifies, making my entire body prickle with heat.
I moan at the rush of desire that races through my body, chasing away the remaining effects of the truth serum like it’s some kind of magical antidote, and it’s then that I realize I’ve messed up.
I freeze as the intoxicating scent of citrus and steel fills my nose, sharp but so undeniably made for me.
My heart hammers as my eyes fly open, and I pull my lips away a fraction so they’re almost still touching his.
Raith is as still as I am. He stares at me like he’s still searching my face, but now that my head has cleared the drug, I realize it’s not Raith at all.
This male doesn’t have a lion’s mask. No, it’s a wolf mask fixed to his face…
Knox? I frown in confusion. But he saved me. Why would Knox do that? If anything, I would have expected Knox to enjoy watching Germain torment me.
I expect my mate to pull away in disgust. For him to push me off him and probably send some insults my way in the process, but he doesn’t.
My eyes flick to our surroundings. We’re in his favorite dell in the forest, but this time he’s not staring at that black water.
No, he’s still staring at me, and right now, he looks as confused as I am.
Desire swirls more insistently in my belly, like fate is trying to tell me this man is mine.
Only, Knox has made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with me.
Down girl, I internally chastise my vagina, because this obviously isn’t going to happen.
Not that it matters, because I don’t even want him anyway. Not even a little bit. Really.
Okay, I’ve always been a terrible liar, and I undeniably, definitely do. Despite his continual shitty attitude, this man is mine whether he likes it or not.
Knox continues to stare at me, and despite what I tell myself, all I can do is look back at him.
Admittedly, I always have loved pretty things, and I can’t help taking in the smooth curves of his chiseled face behind his mask, and the way his onyx eyes seem to sparkle in the moonlight.
Indecision flickers on his face, and I’m still bracing myself for his rejection when he rasps, his voice sounding tortured, “You’re a cruel temptation. ”
My breathing hitches, not because of what he’s said, but because of the raw emotion in his voice. The pain… it fills his eyes like he’s drowning in sorrow.
“You wish I was him, don’t you?” he adds.
It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking about Raith, and for a heartbeat, I contemplate that.
It’s true I’m always happy to see Raith, but right now…
well, Knox is the one who saved me from Germain and stopped me from opening my mouth and blurting our secret, likely damning us all in the process.
“No,” I whisper, surprised at the truth of the statement as it vibrates through me.
If I was thinking logically, it would be better to have Raith out here.
At least I know Raith likes me, but Knox…
he’s mine, too. Mine. My mate. Mine. The words repeat over and over in my head like fate is trying to make sure I won’t be able to tell myself otherwise.
Knox curses, and there’s a vulnerability on his face that I haven’t seen before. For a split second, his emotional mask is removed, and then his lips are on mine.
Ice and fire. The stabbing pain of ice is chased away by a searing heat that leaves me moaning into his mouth, as the man kisses me like he’s not holding anything back. Like for just this moment, he’s willing to let me in.
One of his hands grips the back of my head, tangling in my hair, while the other drops to the curve of my back, pulling me closer to him.
And despite all my internal warnings, I lose myself to this man.
To his scent of steel and citrus. To his touch that makes my body feel like it’s on fire. My mate.
My head throbs, power rushing through me as Knox kisses me, and a memory presses against the walls of my mind. It pushes harder, not quite reaching the surface, but familiar words float into my head. My lips pull back from Knox’s as I mumble, “Finally.”
His dark brows lower. “Finally?”
“Yeah,” I say, smiling. “Finally, I’m going to have a good night. I can already tell.”
The change on his face is instant, his posture going rigid as he holds me. “What? What did you just say?”
I frown, blinking at him, confused by his change in attitude. “Or not? I guess.”
“Those words,” he insists, sounding almost desperate. He’s on the verge of shaking me, which is freaking me out a little. Did he realize he wasn’t enjoying kissing me after all? I mean, it sure seemed like he was enjoying it.
“Why did you say those words?” he repeats, stills staring me down.
I have no idea what he’s going on about.
“I don’t know. I guess they just popped into my head.
” Lifting my hand, I rub my forehead, trying to disguise the small stab of hurt that buries into my heart at the thought that Knox might have changed his mind.
“I have a serious headache coming on,” I mumble.
I want to add that I think it might be called ‘Knox,’ but I figure that might be too much.
The forgotten memory still presses insistently in my mind, but when I try to grab for it, I can’t make it out.
Knox grips me tighter, his face growing more serious, and before I can utter another word, the forest falls away as my mind tumbles into another place.
My stomach lurches as a scene materializes around us, a familiar bedroom coming into view.
I had dreamt about this bedroom after the first time I’d been with Galen.
A pattern of hearts and roses decorates the quilt on the mattress, but unlike the dream when I’d been the main character, this time I’m witnessing a scene play out like a silent viewer at the movies.
The girl I’m staring at doesn’t exactly look like me.
Her wavy pink hair reaches past her waist, spilling onto the bed, and her long legs are stretched out making it clear she’s taller than I am.
Still, there’s something so familiar about her…