Page 121 of Ancient Magic

“I want you to be happy here.” The words were clipped, as if they’d burst out of him.

“I don’t understand. I am happy.”

“For now,” he agreed, his expression suddenly troubled. “But this lair is remote and far away from your friends. And there are times when I’ll have to be away for hours or even nights at a time to deal with the duties of the Gyre. I don’t want you to become bored or lonely.” His jaw tightened, as if he was clenching his fangs. “Or worse, feel like you’ve sacrificed your own life to be with me.”

Skye reached up to cup his face in her hands. It seemed impossible to believe this male could doubt how much she adored him. Or that she would ever willingly walk away. But there was no mistaking the vulnerability that smoldered deep in his golden eyes.

“Micha, if I’m bored or lonely, I’m perfectly capable of finding a way to fill my days with projects that interest me. And I have every intention of traveling to Jersey to spend time with my friends, and hopefully, they’ll come and stay here on a regular basis.” She lifted her head off the pillow to brush a light kiss over his lips. “The only sacrifice would be if I had to exist without you.”

He returned her kiss with a burning intensity, the hand on her lower back pressing her tight against his thickening erection.

“Never, never, never,” he growled. “Nothing will ever come between us.”

Readily melting into his kiss, Skye skimmed her fingers over his chiseled features. She was tracing the sharp line of his jaw when a random thought abruptly shattered the passion flaring between them.

“Micha.” She pressed her hands against his chest, too distracted to appreciate his skillful touch. “Wait.”

Micha lifted his head, regarding her with a sudden concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I just remembered.”

“Remembered what?”

“Where I’ve seen Lynx.”

Micha arched his brows, but he didn’t point out that it was an odd time for her to be thinking about other men.

“The fairy?” he asked in confusion.

She shook her head. “The original Lynx. The one who negotiated the Dragon Treaty.”

His features instantly tightened, his fangs lengthening. He was still annoyed that the crystal had been snatched away by the mysterious creature. Skye didn’t doubt it was an itch that wasn’t going to be satisfied until they knew the full truth of who had appeared in the cavern.

“Tell me,” he commanded.

“When we activated the memory spell that revealed the moment the Dragon Treaty was sealed I was certain there was something familiar about the original Lynx, but I couldn’t pinpoint why,” she reminded him.

“And now?”

“I saw a picture of a male who looked very similar.”

“In one of my books?”

“No, in a photo that Peri and Valen found hidden atWisdom Ranch.”

“Wisdom Ranch.” It took Micha a second to place the name. “That’s the homestead in Wyoming where Peri’s mother lived with her coven, right?”

“Yes,” Skye agreed. The ranch had once been a remote, secretive area like Area 51. Now it was a beautiful vacation spot for children in need.

“Who was in the picture?”

“Supposedly Peri’s dad. At least that’s what her mother told her.” Skye wrinkled her nose. Brenda Sanguis had been pathologically ambitious and willing to do whatever was necessary to gain power, including the murder of her own daughter. Which meant it would be foolish to believe anything she’d told Peri without verification. Still, for the moment, Skye was willing to accept that the male truly was related to her friend. “Peri never met him. Or had any contact that I know of, but she brought the pictures back to Jersey. That’s when I saw them.”

“And he looked like the original Lynx?”

“Not an exact copy, but they have to be related.”

He nodded, his expression distant as he considered the implications of her revelation.

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