Page 71 of Seduce Me in Shadow

“To his health?”

Caden’s hands maneuver up my belly and begin lifting the jumper. I try to wriggle away, but his grip is like iron.

Duke nods. “And perhaps yours.”

“Does this have anything to do with the book?” I hate to think I’ve done this to him. He’d be furious and hate me—and rightfully so.

Clearly tired of talking, Caden tears Duke’s cable knit from my body and urges me down the hall. When I resist, he scoops me up and carries me.

“What the—Caden!”

With a grunt, he keeps going.

“Give him what he needs for as long as you can,” Duke calls out. “And shut the door behind you.”

Since I can’t outpower or outmaneuver Caden, I agree. But how long will he need me? And do I have everything necessary to heal him?

Duke

“So what happens now?”

I whirl to face Olivia. I’m so flustered, I didn’t hear her come through the door. “That was locked.”

She shrugs. “I’ve been working on my simple magic. Locks are a breeze for me now.”

Despite the rather dire situation, I smile. “Marrok always says you’re mischievous. I see why. Is Sabelle coming for you?”

A thud reverberates through the room, like something—or someone—hit the wall. Moments later, a murmur, a rip, then a sigh. Clearly, Caden and Sydney aren’t wasting any time. I wince.

“Soon,” Olivia answers, flushing a pretty shade of pink. “She’s helping Bram elsewhere now. Marrok asked me to wait with you for a bit.”

With a nod, I sit on the sofa. Olivia follows suit.

On the other side of the wall, sighs turn to moans.

“Well, this isn’t awkward at all.” She rolls her eyes.

It bloody well is.

I wince. “I don’t suppose you’ll settle for the short version of upcoming events.”

Olivia snorts. “You know better.”

I settle my elbows on my knees and peer over at the violet-eyed beauty. She’s striking, and she’ll become an immensely powerful witch…once she goes through Caden’s current plight.

“He’s transitioning. I suspect he’s been fighting the urge for some weeks, so he’ll need a tremendous amount of energy. The process will be long and difficult. And dangerous. It’s made worse because he’s fighting the urge to Call to her.”

“A human reporter? Has he lost his ever-loving mind?”

Her American expressions often amuse me, but now isn’t the time. “I warned him. I also placed a secret repelling spell over her mouth. It’s not foolproof and won’t hold for more than a few days, but it’s all I can do now. My biggest concern is whether she’ll be strong enough to pull him through this transition.”

Olivia eyes me like I’m mental. “It doesn’t take a lot of physical strength for a female to have sex. It’s not like Sydney has to bench-press him.”

“Quite. Perhaps stamina is a better word.”

“Oh.” Olivia frowns. “How long will they, um…?”

A loud feminine moan penetrates the walls, followed by a male voice muttering in encouraging tones.

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