Page 38 of The Kingdom of Ruin

Lifting a hand, her eyes move to my wiggling fingers, tracking my moves as I lower it again. This time, I grasp her hand. When she doesn’t protest, I kick into motion, not wanting to give her a chance to reconsider.

Her breath fans over my face as I chant the incantation under my breath a few times before the world shifts around us. Once I’m certain we’ve fully transitioned to where we need to be, I let my words trail off and take a step back, despite the need to press further into her.

“You guys need to stop doing that,” she rasps, breathless.

“Doing what?”

“Moving me without asking,” she snaps, her eyes settling on mine as irritation swirls in her eyes.

“You’ll get used to it,” I say with a reassuring smile, and she scoffs, shoving at my shoulder with more force than I expect. It’s not harmful, almost playful, and I like it until she speaks.

“There won’t be any need for me to get used to it.”

Maybe not from me, but I get the feeling Raiden hasn’t even started with her yet. That’s why I need to make my moves now, so I have a chance before he spoils it for all of us.

“Whatever you say, Dagger.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

I smirk, taking another step back as I offer her my hand again, but she bats me away. “Because Cupcake doesn’t really suit you when you have so much silver dancing all over your body.”

“Addi is just fine,” she insists, and I shrug, not really caring.

“You really are, but Dagger suits you better.”

She blinks, looking around for the first time as she takes in where we are. Somewhere I know she won’t be familiar with, but it will be worth it. The music starts to filter around us as we let the outside world in.

“Where are we?”

There’s no use in hiding it now. We’re already here. “We’re at the Kenner Compound.”

“Kenner Compound?” she repeats, still confused.

“Yeah, my friend’s wolf pack.”

“Why are we here?” Her fingers ghost over the daggers at her waist as she looks at the building a few steps away.

“Because they make the best fucking food, and I swear you’re going to love it. The dining hall at the academy is fine, but one whole week without this stuff has me realizing real quick that I’m addicted to it,” I admit, noting the small smile on her face, even though the sun is setting through the trees, darkening the space around us.

“I don’t know if it’s safe for me here,” she murmurs, and my gut clenches, making me start to doubt my decision. But I never doubt myself. Why start now?

I shrug, offering my hand again as I speak. “You’re never going to know if you don’t live a little.”

NINETEEN

ADDI

Live a little? Live a little?

I’ve lived enough already, thank you very much. I obviously don’t say that, though. The less he knows about me, the better. He offers his hand once again and I don’t know why I do it. I can analyze the hell out of it later, but I place my palm flush against his.

My breath is lodged in my chest at the contact, just as it was earlier. I didn’t retract by choice. Although, if anyone asks, I’ll lie through my teeth. It was the initial contact, the shiver that ran across my skin from such a simple touch.

He pulls me along before I can protest and we step through the double wooden doors a moment later. The noise gets louder as the diner comes into view. The secluded setting outside made me suspicious that we were in wolf territory, but the people inside confirm it. Just because Brody says it, doesn’t mean it’s true.

Tables are bunched together, a sense of warmth and family filling the space as country music plays in the background. A few people glance our way, but otherwise, they’re all soaked up in their own bubbles, having a good time.

My initial walls that barricade me begin to soften but don’t completely disappear. I’m not dumb. I have no idea where I am or how safe it is, but my survival instincts aren’t going off.

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