Chapter 2 #3
Not if she didn’t escape. Luckily, her illusion hadn’t affected Maverick, her only ticket out of there.
His eyes widened with a mix of shock and something else. Was that… anger? Directed at her? The glare in his eye removed all doubt that he was pissed. But she’d just saved his life. How could he be angry at her?
The pressure released from his throat with a gasp of air, he wasted zero time in taking advantage of her diversion.
Her heart raced with the realization that her magic might’ve bought them enough time to escape.
“Run,” he barked, using the confusion to his advantage and sending a kick to the druid’s shin with a nauseating crack.
Yet her feet wouldn’t budge, and she couldn’t look away from Maverick’s skilled movements.
He yanked the vine away from his neck, using it to wrap around the neck of one of Gareth’s dazed guards, pulling until the guard’s neck snapped.
He tossed the limp body to the ground, never breaking his stride toward her.
She sucked in a breath. His movements were fluid and precise, as if killing was in his nature. She didn’t know if she was more afraid or excited by his display of lethal power.
In an instant, he was at her side. He grabbed her hand, pulling her along as they weaved through the crowd moving in slow motion, dodging spells and bullets because her power couldn’t slow down everything. It was only a matter of minutes or seconds before the illusion wore off Gareth and his men.
“You forgot to mention you were a pixie. With pixie dust,” he growled over the cacophony, his grip on her hand tightening.
“And you forgot to mention you were a Lunar wolf who hunts my kind.” She raised her chin, refusing to take his anger personally. She was the one in danger here, not him.
Besides, he hadn’t divulged what kind of fae he was until she’d prodded him. She shouldn’t feel obligated to tell him what species of fae she was. It wasn’t his business.
A snarl rumbled from his chest. “I don’t belong to a pack, and I definitely don’t participate in the illegal hunting of your kind.”
A wolf without a pack? Was that even a thing? He didn’t give her a chance to ask the endless questions that were swarming her mind as he pulled her toward the staircase leading down to the exit.
He huffed. “What kind of pixie magic was that back there, and why didn’t you run when I told you to?”
“It’s an illusion. But it won’t last long,” she called back, her lungs straining to keep the pace as they ran. “And I kind of saved your life back there, so you’re welcome.”
Maverick glanced back at her with a look she couldn’t quite read. Either respect, hatred, impatience, or a mix of all three. She couldn’t tell.
It didn’t matter. Her only thought was of Cole and getting out of there alive.
Zera’s thighs protested as they wove around overturned tables and shattered dishes at a deathly pace. She had to make it to her car. Then she could get out of there and put Maverick and all this spy business behind her.
They reached the top of the stairs as a blast of dark magic sent the chandelier shattering. Glass rained down, and they slowed to keep from slipping down the steps. Her illusion was wearing off. They needed more time. Maybe she had enough to try again.
“Wait.” She stopped and focused on what little pixie dust remained within her, willing it to disorient in one final desperate move. It was all they needed.
She turned on the angry and dazed fae zeroing in on her and spread her arms out toward them as power erupted from her palms. A blinding flash of light engulfed the entire room, temporarily slowing everyone in its wake. It was the most power she’d ever used at once, and her strength slipped.
The air cracked with energy, and a wave of power rippled through the room. Maverick shielded his eyes with one hand, gripping Zera’s hand tightly with the other.
“Zera?” a worried voice beside her asked, muffled but clearly Maverick’s.
But she couldn’t respond. Her body was numb as the magic dwindled from her. She was left with nothing. A paralyzing sensation of emptiness. And her throat burned, her legs ached, and something inside her spine twisted into a painful knot.
She’d put her magic under too much stress, and now, it was punishing her for it.
“We need to leave.” Maverick’s strong arms wrapped underneath hers to support her weight, seizing the opportunity her illusion provided, and yanked her down the steps along with him.
She moved her legs as fast as she could, using his support to propel her. They barged out of the restaurant and into the night. Everything became a blur, and all she wanted to do was collapse, but she couldn’t give up. Not yet.
The night air whipped Zera’s hair across her face as they raced for the parking garage, not stopping until they were certain they hadn’t been followed.
Her breaths came in harsh gasps, her heart thumping in her ears, drowned out only by the sound of their feet hitting the pavement as they ran for their lives.
Finally, they reached the parking garage and slowed to a walk. Zera stumbled to a halt in front of her car, the distant sirens of the police as they approached barely audible over her labored breathing.
Relief and adrenaline coursed through her, leaving her heart pounding and her body trembling with the remnants of fear.
“Zera,” Maverick panted, still holding her waist to support her.
She met his gaze, and his eyes searched hers, as if looking for any sign of injury or distress. As if he cared. “Are you all right?”
A laugh escaped her throat. “I’m alive, at least.”
He blinked, probably not expecting her reaction, and to be honest, neither was she. She didn’t know how she felt. Her muscles were tense, and her heart still beat rapidly in her chest, the thumping against her rib cage almost painful.
Maverick frowned. “Your profile said you were a pixie. How did you perform that magic?”
Zera shrugged. “I’m a very lucky pixie.”
He looked at her as if he’d never seen anything like her before. He probably hadn’t, since most pixies nowadays didn’t have magic, and those who did would never wield it.
Especially not in front of an audience of dozens of really bad fae. Powerful fae who had nearly killed them. Her throat suddenly went dry, and that had nothing to do with the fact that she’d just performed more cardio than she’d done in forever.
Her face must’ve shown her panic because he reached out, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s over now. We made it out alive,” he reassured her, his voice surprisingly comforting.
Zera took a shaky breath and nodded, her body slowly relaxing.
“And I promise I won’t tell a soul,” he said huskily.
Their eyes locked, and she knew he would keep his promise. For a moment, she thought she saw a flare of protectiveness in his eyes, and a warmth spread through her. She’d never trusted her secret with anyone else before. Not even with her ex.
The adrenaline still surged through her veins and made her feel alive like never before. Before she could process what she was doing, she grabbed Maverick’s face and pulled him to her, their lips crashing together in a passionate kiss fueled by the chaos of the night.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second before reciprocating. His strong arms pulled her closer and wrapped her in his scent, an intoxicating blend of citrus and caramel with a hint of oak like a good old-fashioned.
Their mouths moved in sync, an urgent dance of fire and need. It was as if the danger had unlocked something within them both, a connection that neither could deny.
She relished the feeling of his warmth, forgetting he was a faeboy spy, that this wasn’t even a real date, and even all thoughts of being a single mother or the danger they’d escaped from. Everything melted away as their bodies molded together.
Zera’s fingers tangled in Maverick’s hair, pulling him closer as she surrendered. His hard body guided her to the side of her car and pressed her against it, the cool metal contrasting with the fire that blazed between them.
His hand roamed over her body, exploring every curve and dip, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. With each caress, Zera felt herself unraveling, losing herself to his touch.
She broke off the kiss as suddenly as it began, her chest heaving as reality came crashing down on her. She couldn’t lose control. Especially not to this stranger, no matter how irresistible he seemed at that moment.
With a mixture of anger and frustration, she slapped Maverick across the face. His head snapped to the side, surprise etched on his features.
“You lied to me!” she hissed, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, but she swore she wouldn’t cry a drop for this man. “And you put my life on the line. For what? Because you needed a cover?”
Maverick shook his head. “Zera, I—”
“No, you don’t get to talk,” she choked out, moving out from his massive frame. “You invited me here under false pretenses and nearly got me killed. You’re a lying piece of werewolf shit, and I won’t put myself around someone like you. Not when I have a son to think about.”
The color drained from his face. “You’re a mother?”
“Yes. A damned good one, and we don’t need a man to come save us.” She lifted her chin, totally realizing she’d kept things from him, too, but her secrets wouldn’t have put him in this kind of danger.
“I never want to see you again.” She yanked the car door open and slid into the driver’s seat, ready to get the fae out of there and finally grab some real food.
She slid into the driver’s seat, and the engine roared to life as she shifted gears and sped away, leaving Maverick standing alone in the dimly lit parking garage.