Page 57 of These Dangerous Fates

The smile on her face is like a kick to the groin. It sucks the breath from my lungs, and I want nothing more than to see her do it again. “You’re not naming my wolf Fluffy.” I try to sound stern, but my voice lacks the heat.

“You can’t stop me,” she teases. “I like Fluffy. It’s fitting. And I think he’ll like it, too,”

In response, my wolf growls deep in my chest, a rumbling sound that travels through the room.

Her eyes widen. “What did that mean? Does he like it?” she asks.

“No.” I’ll never tell her he really loves it. He’d let her call him anything. Whatever makes her happy makes him happy.

“Hmm,” she narrows her eyes at me like she doesn’t quite believe me. “What are you reading?” she asks, changing the subject.

I show her the cover of the post-apocalyptic book. It’s strange how I can want her to leave so badly, yet need her to stay at the same time. It tears me up inside. Sometimes I think I should just leave. She’s clearly happy with Cade and Kai. They can keep her safe and take care of her. She doesn’t need me. Not really. But I’m not sure if I can physically walk away from her.

“Any good?” she asks.

“It’s okay. A little slow.” It’s clear she won’t let me keep reading, even though I wasn’t really reading to begin with, so I set the novel on the coffee table.

She leans back on the armrest of the couch and stretches her legs out, setting her feet in my lap. It’s such a casual move, something a normal couple would do without thought. And the mental picture her actions conjure is dangerous. Us, happy together, as a couple. Easy glances and comfortable touches.

“How did you, Kai, and Cade meet?” she asks curiously.

I sigh, pushing my dreams aside. “Kai and I have been friends since we were kids. I guess you could say we ran in the same circles. We’re both sons of influential and powerful leaders of our races, so we got stuck attending all the same parties and events. When Cade started working for your dad, he also attended the same events.”

She wiggles her foot on my lap, and I don’t even realize when I grab it in my hands and dig my thumbs into her arch.

“Those events were awful,” I continue, reminiscing about those stuffy parties. “Surrounded by people who couldn’t care less about anyone except themselves. It was disgusting. Kai, being able to read emotions, picked up pretty quickly on Cade’s stance on everything. We sought him out, and it didn’t take long for us to bond over our shared trauma and hate for society. We’ve been friends ever since.”

She gives me a small smile and wiggles her other foot. “How old are you?”

Again, without thinking, I switch feet. “I’m 163 years old. Kai is 150, and Cade is the baby. He’s only 109.”

Her eyes pop open wide. “163?” she asks faintly.

I grin. “You know the magical races age slower.” She has to know that. Her parents are mages. “We live for hundreds of years, besides Kai who is immortal.”

“I know. I guess I never paid attention to your ages,” she shrugs. “It’s just weird thinking you guys are so old. Makes a girl feel young and inexperienced. If Cade is a baby, I’m a freaking infant at twenty six years old.”

“We’re all essentially the same age,” I explain. “In terms of how we age. We’re all young adults.”

She’s quiet for a moment, lips pursed as she thinks. “What kinds of trouble did you guys get into growing up?” she asks, changing the subject. “I can only imagine the hell you raised.”

I chuckle. She has no idea. “The usual kinds, and no, I won’t go into details. What kind of friend would I be if I shared all of my brother’s dirty secrets?”

I punctuate my statement by digging my thumbs harder into her foot. A moan slips from her mouth and she lets her head fall back, exposing her throat. The sound travels straight to my cock, and I let my gaze roam over her body. She’s wearing only a black t-shirt—Kai’s by the smell. The hem rides up her thighs, displaying so much of that tan skin I want to lick and nibble. I take a breath through my nose to clear my head and instantly regret it. Kai and Cade’s scents are all over, and irrational jealousy sweeps through me.

“Why are you awake?” I ask gruffly, trying to distract myself.

“I can’t sleep. I’m not used to sleeping during the day.” She shrugs and the neck of the t-shirt slips down one shoulder.

I clear my throat and force my gaze away from her. “Yeah, I’ve never been able to sleep during the day. Luckily, being a shifter gives me extra stamina, so I don’t have to sleep as much.”

She stares at me, her amber eyes trying to pierce my soul. When she pulls her feet from my lap and moves to sit on her knees next to me, my wolf rises to the surface. He won’t stop riding me about claiming her. It’s a battle waged within me every second she’s near us. I clench my jaw and my neck and shoulders tense. It’s getting harder and harder to keep from grabbing her and claiming her as ours.

Tentatively, she lifts her hand and runs her fingers through my loose hair. I don’t know how I keep myself from grabbing her. Vanilla and lavender swirl around me, and my wolf pushes against my barriers as he catches her scent. With more strength than I thought I possessed, I grab her wrist and push it away.

“Don’t,” I say quietly, but firmly. “You need to stop, Ellis. I don’t want …” the words get stuck, but I force them out. “I don’t want you like that.”

Her entire body jerks like I’ve slapped her. And from her pain-filled expression—wide eyes rapidly filling with tears, trembling lips, neck and cheeks turning crimson—I may as well have. She won’t look me in the eye as she turns away.

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