Chapter 16 #2
She leaned toward him to look. The language flowed across the page in careful strokes. Beautiful. Balanced. Completely unreadable. “I can’t read that.”
“I know. Very few of us can.”
She rubbed at her eye, fatigue pressing in. “I don’t mean any disrespect whatsoever.”
“I feel disrespect approaching,” he said.
Was that sarcasm? She opened one eye. “I just think it would be okay if one of the pack elders read the grimoire. You’re a great guy, Solomon. You’re intelligent. But I also think you miss subtlety and sarcasm.”
He looked down at the book and then back up at her. “You think there’s sarcasm in this ancient tome?”
“That is not what I’m saying.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re very literal. There may be gray areas you haven’t noticed.”
“That is possible,” he agreed. “However, the rules state that the librarian keeps the grimoire during any challenge situation. I was voted to be the librarian.”
“Yes,” she said. “But can I look at it if it stays in your possession?”
He leaned back in his chair. “I don’t see why not.”
Hope stirred in her chest. “Okay.”
He pushed the book to the side. “Feel free.”
She walked forward, her heartbeat picking up. “Could I copy it?”
“No.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Come on.”
“Absolutely not. You can read it. You cannot copy it. You are not taking it anywhere. The rules are clear.”
She cocked her head. “They didn’t have copy machines when this was written.”
He blinked.
“I don’t even think they had machinery,” she pressed. “I’m pretty sure they didn’t even have cars.”
“They didn’t,” he said.
She threw both hands up. “Then how can it say it can’t be copied?”
He sighed and tapped the middle of the page. “It says it right here. These words belong to this binding alone. To lift them from their place is to break them. What is broken will not serve the pack.”
She leaned closer, squinting. “Is that really what it says?”
“Yes,” he said, sighing heavily. “Part of it is about the words and the brokenness. But the elders also didn’t want any portion of our laws, histories, or customs shared with other packs.
By preventing people from writing anything down, they kept it from spreading.
” He shrugged. “Or you can believe the magic. I don’t know.
Either way, you may not copy these words. Anywhere.”
“Okay,” Nadia said. She caught a shadow moving on the other side of the kitchen. “Caidrik is outside. I’m not done talking about this.” She moved through the kitchen to the sliding door leading to the back deck.
Caidrik stood tall and broad on the other side of the glass.
Today he wore faded jeans and a long-sleeved black T-shirt that stretched across the wide muscles of his chest. His boots were thick and worn.
Somehow, he never seemed cold. Even standing outside, framed by winter light, he looked solid and unbothered.
She opened the back door. “Don’t you ever get cold?”
“Yeah,” he said. “When I dive into rivers to save smart asses.”
She gulped. “Excuse me?”
He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. “You and I are going to have a talk.”
“Yes,” she said. “That’s what you said last night.” She lifted her chin. “Where were you all night?” Not that she had a right to ask, because she didn’t. Except they had slept together.
“I was hunting with pack members,” he said. “We’ve got outside packs edging closer. They know we’re in disarray. I was shoring up defenses.”
That was a decent explanation for why he didn’t jump through her window last night. Not that she’d wanted him to, except she had. She led him into the sunroom and sat on the green floral sofa. Sunlight filtered through the glass. Dust motes drifted in the air. “Well,” she said, “that’s fair.”
He crossed his arms and loomed above her. “I don’t know how to say this any clearer than I’m about to. So listen.”
She looked up. His eyes were dark and serious. He really was handsome. Annoyingly so.
“Do not leave your protection detail again,” he said, each word deliberate.
She leaned back. “I don’t answer to you.”
“Yes,” he said. “You do. Pretty soon everyone will. Tell me you understand.”
She stiffened. “I understand.”
“Good. Bulwark wants you dead.”
She lifted both hands. “I didn’t feel like I was in danger last night.”
“Oh really?” he said. “You think Bussy and Margaret can stop Bulwark?” His chin firmed, and a muscle ticked down his neck. “Your detail is assigned to you for a reason.”
“They were still at the house,” she said quietly. “I snuck out.”
He stared at her.
Yeah, it was the entire situation of her going to fight for her man. She hadn’t exactly considered the downsides.
Silence stretched.
“Okay,” she said. “I get it. But what about you?”
“What about me?”
Seriously? “Bulwark is after you too.”
“I can handle my brother.”
She wanted to argue. She didn’t. It would make her sound stupid. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
“What do you want, Nadia?” he asked softly.
Warning prickled down her spine and she didn’t know why. “What do you mean?”
“You were happier when you visited your friends in Copper territory.”
“I was,” she admitted. “There’s no strife there. No challenges. Nobody trying to kill me. I know who I am there. Here, I’m still finding my place.”
He moved closer and crouched in front of her, placing both hands on her knees. “I think that’s fair.”
She looked down at his wide hands. “We shouldn’t touch.”
“Excuse me?” One of his dark eyebrows rose.
She needed to explain without sounding like a moron.
“The grimoire says we’re not supposed to be intimate outside of individual challenges,” she went on.
“I hadn’t realized how bad it would be for Margaret and Bussy if we got caught.
They’d get in trouble. Or at least get ridiculed for not doing their jobs.
” She glanced toward the doorway. “It’s a big deal. ”
“I’m not going to stop touching you unless you want me to,” he muttered. “For our sakes. Not for stupid challenge rules.” His hands slid up her thighs.
She gulped. The thin material of her jeans was no match for the heat of his palms. “Seriously,” she said. Her voice thickened.
“Yeah,” Caidrik said. “Ask me to stop.”
He slipped a hand beneath her sweater and trailed the backs of his fingers up over her breast.
She gasped.
He caught the center of her bra and yanked her toward him, kissing her hard. His mouth was a little cold from outside. She sank into him, kissing him back, her whole body on fire.
His hand slid lower, into her panties, and he pressed a finger inside her, brushing his thumb across her clit. She sucked in air and widened her thighs. He leaned back just enough to speak, his mouth still brushing hers. “Tell me to stop.”
A ruckus sounded outside, but she couldn’t move. She wanted him to continue. To never stop. How did he do this to her?
“Caidrik,” Bussy called. “Are you in there?”
“I’m waiting,” he whispered.
“Oh, good lord,” Nadia breathed. “Stop.” She grabbed his hand.
He chuckled and removed it. “Then don’t do that again, Nadia. Understand?”
She was going to kick him as soon as she got her pants zipped.
“I’m in here, Bussy,” Caidrik called out. “What’s going on?”
“Well, honey,” Bussy’s voice came through loud and clear, “I believe your mother is here.”