Page 14 of Above Cursed Winds

“Should I be expecting room service, or do I have to pray to the Raeth goddess of hospitality for a cube of cheese?”

“This townhouse isn’t kept stocked,” she replied blandly. “I’ll have food sent over tomorrow morning.”

The man had the audacity to stick out his lower lip. “But I’m famished tonight. I doubt I’ll live until the morning.”

A twitch started under Zia’s eye. Concentrating, she teleported a bunch of bananas and three granola bars onto the island. Extending her palm outward toward the food, she raised her eyebrows to confirm if the offering was enough.

“The goddess has come through.”

“How sweet.” She pointed to the back door. “Our lighthouse is only a half mile away. Don’t run off or you’ll find yourself with a broken neck at the bottom of the rocky drop off.”

“Noted.”

“I’ll come to retrieve you in the morning. Don’t wander around; don’t leave campus. I don’t trust you around our young, and I won’t hesitate for a moment to put you six feet under should you threaten them.”

“That’s more Gideon’s poison than mine,” came his idle reply.

“Get a good night’s sleep, Elemental. We’ve work to do tomorrow.”

Spinning, Zia strode past him without giving him the benefit of a goodbye, intent on leaving this place before he managed to worm even further under her skin.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep from breathing in the warm sunshine of his scent as she passed by. It seemed cruel that such a tantalizing and joyful smell was forever tied to the male she loathed. The door shut behind her, and she took to the night without a backwards glance.

She had a far more important man waiting at home.

***

Rain pelted Zia’s windows, rousing her from sleep earlier than she’d expected. Raindrops created a symphony of sound against the glass, chorused by the sweet patter atop her roof. It tried to lull her into a state of calm she hadn’t experienced since the initial breach, but the nagging sensation of anxiety still raced beneath the surface.

Following the Heat, nearly every mated female Raeth had become pregnant. Almost immediately, Nero had fielded requests for admission to his clan, the formerly clanless mated pairs seeking the protection, establishment, and community of clan life for their child.

With all the incoming couples, the clan had bloomed from just over four hundred Raeths to well over six hundred within half a year. Their expanding number meant their current footprint on the island required re-evaluation and expansion. Nero contracted builders from other immortal Houses and dens worldwide, but the problem wouldn’t be solved quickly even with the extra hands.

Everyone coveted the assistance, not just Nero’s clan.

Zia had offered her beautifully furnished house to a mated pair who’d been with the clan for several hundred years. The couple had always made due with their small condo, preferring to travel worldwide before the woman had become pregnant. Following the Heat, they’d been in need of a larger home, and Zia couldn’t think of a better place for them. She’d lived there for thirty years, kept it updated and clean, but didn’t need it like they had. She remembered very well what it was like to have a newborn.

She found herself in need of a new place to put down roots, but the home they’d settled on hadn’t been anywhere near completed, inside or out. Fortunately, with the siding recently installed, it was finally resistant to the elements. And just in time: a rare Hawaii hurricane was approaching, and Zia had a smattering of preparations to finish before it arrived.

Rising from the bed, she quickly took a shower, huffing when the water turned ice cold halfway through. Something about the plumbing had yet to be completed in her master bath, but she simply hadn’t had the time nor the knowledge to sort through the endless pipes and wiring below.

By the time Zia finished her shower, the rain had stopped.

Calling out a goodbye to her Boo, Zia stepped into the temperate morning heat. The rain had stopped minutes earlier, and mist was still rising from the pond just across the way. She squared her shoulders, knowing where her first stop would lead her.

Jeremiah’s condo wasn’t too far away, only a quarter-mile walk, but by the time she’d knocked on his door, a nagging feeling already churned in her stomach.

The man set her teeth on edge, his presence electric against her senses. As much as she fought the feeling, anticipation shimmered over her skin at the thought of seeing him.

A part of her coveted his snide comments and ridiculously grouchy attitude. As if she was looking forward to verbally sparing with him again and fielding his attacks on her character.

Hard pass.

As soon as the door swung open to reveal the object of her weird focus, Zia glowered. His eyes were already dark with heat and animosity.

“Couldn’t resist crawling back to me, huh?”

“You flatter yourself.” Zia brushed a nonexistent fleck of dust off her form-fitting tee. “While you may believe you are fate’s gift to women, I can assure you, I’ve made my bed elsewhere.”

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