Page 43 of Whispers of the Water

I …

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My eyes shot open, and I let out a sharp gasp. I quickly sat up from where I’d been sprawled out in the grass and looked around me with panicked eyes. I was still by the creek, the moon high in the onyx sky.

“What the hell?” I mumbled as I rubbed at my eyes.

I had no idea what had happened, but I was pretty sure I’d blacked out. I didn’t know if I’d hyperventilated or what exactly made me lose consciousness, but when I checked my phone, I saw it was nearly 1 a.m. It had been nearly an hour, and my stomach clenched all over again.

An hour since Rune and Aidan …

I took a deep breath and clung to the calm still flowing through my bloodstream. The water was no longer coating my skin, but it was like it had embedded a dose of peace within me. That was the only thing keeping me from breaking down all over again, because while Rune and I weren’t dating, I had thought we were moving in that direction. Him being with Aidan hurt.

I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat before I lost my mind to the claws of agony all over again. It was late. I was exhausted, even more so now after crying and passing out, so while I had some energy left in me, I got to my feet and headed back to the house. As I trekked across the backyard, I prayed to God that Rune and Aidan were done, because if I heard them, I’d be absolutely sick. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through the rest of this God-awful trip after knowing what they’d done.

But I’d already accepted Rune’s end of the bargain—the money for Italy—so I had to keep up my end. Plus, if I backed out, I wasn’t sure if Myra would take that as a blunder on Rune’s part and punish the twins as a way to hurt him. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened. So even though the thought of sharing a bed with Rune after he’d just shared one with Aidan made me physically ill, I had to push on. I had to see this week through.

The closer I got to the house, the more I realized I most likely wouldn’t make it.

Fuck.

Chapter Sixteen

AS SOON AS I reached the back door, it swung open from inside. My stomach dropped as I came face to face with a woman. Surprise flickered briefly in her rich, brown eyes before being replaced by open hostility.

“Wasn’t expecting to find you,” the newcomer said. “What are you doing wandering around so late on your own? I thought you were with Rune.”

“I’m not sure how that’s any of your business,” I told the stranger.

Only, as I looked at her, I realized she wasn’t a total stranger. I’d seen her before. Somewhere. That flawless dark brown skin, that tall frame, that stunning curly afro, and those large, suspicious eyes. It finally clicked. She was the waitress from the seafood restaurant who’d watched me on the deck.

She narrowed her eyes at me and took a step in my direction. “Oh, but I think it is. You’re in the way of the person I love. You’re a nuisance. You shouldn’t be here.”

Groaning, I said, “So what? You’re another ex-lover of Rune’s?”

Just saying his name sent a sharp pang to my heart.

She gave a humorless laugh. “Try Aidan.”

Relief seeped into my gut with this news. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if faced with yet another gorgeous ex-partner of Rune’s.

“If you’re in love with Aidan, why are you treating me like an enemy? Rune and I are together, which means Aidan is free for you to be with. We want the same thing, you and I.”

“Wrong,” she snapped. “I want Aidan to be happy, which means I want her with Rune. You are in the way of that.”

Frowning, I asked, “What about your happiness?”

“Don’t you dare,” she growled, an orange flame erupting around her tall frame. It traveled the length of her body, and when it disappeared, orange fox ears sat in the mess of her dark curls. She sneered at me, exposing her canines, and a burnt orange tail with a white tip trailed behind her.

She was a Red Fox Fae.

“Don’t talk as if you know me—know us. You’re an outsider who has no business being here.”

Anger churned low in my chest, and I took a moment to stamp those growing flames. The lake was behind me, and I didn’t need this Fox Fae—who clearly already loathed me—to have any more reason to come after me.

“I have every right to be here,” I said, holding my head high. “This is Rune’s home. I’m his lover.”

A growl rumbled low in her throat, and I noticed her clawed fingers curling. Apprehension settled in my core. I could sense an attack coming any second, and while I didn’t want to expose who I was, I also refused to stand idly by should she advance. I’d fight back without hesitation. I would protect myself.

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