Page 22 of There's No Place Like Oz

I could still be this man for Dorothy.

Despite the confusion, this revelation was… a good thing. I wasn’t certain what that meant for who I was—things like, how old was I? Was my past all a lie? Did I have some deep seeded memories I’d blocked out? Did it even matter if I did?

But ultimately. I didn’t care about that. All I cared was that there was a chance that this change was permanent.

Dorothy grabbed my hand and drew small circles on the back with her thumb. A calming technique I’d performed for her many times since we’d arrived here. She was trying to be my rock this time, but I didn’t need her to be. If anything, this was the most free I’d ever felt with her.

My whole stance softened, and I met Leon’s eyes squarely. He tipped back his chin and placed a hand on his belt of furs. “I’m gathering, since this is such a revelation to you, that you can’t shift anymore either?” A question and a statement.

“I… no. If I can, I don’t know how.” So many revelations bombarding me at once made it difficult to process any of them.

“You would know. Your instincts are clearly intact regardless of your memories.” He rubbed his neck, soothing the marks I’d left from my grip. “To get back to my original point…” He motioned with his chin towards Dorothy. “That mark on your chest means you belong to me, my little fireball.” Then those words had me tensing again. Dorothy flushed but didn’t deny any such mark. “But there’s no reason you have to limit yourself to a single mate, you know.”

With that, Leon stepped in close. His height matched mine, making it an easy task for him to touch his lips to the collar around my neck. I didn’t pull back. Dorothy just watched us curiously. Then he whispered in my ear, words so soft that only an animal could hear: “You should mark her, too. I have a feeling she might like it.” A soft chuckle, “That’s the privilege of an Alpha after all.”

He pulled away, and he beamed at us with an uncharacteristic and surely false gentleness. “Since we’re all a cute little team now, where are you two headed?”

Chapter 16

“It seems we lost them somewhere.” I exaggerated a shrug, while Talos glanced back into the dark veil of forest behind us. I might admit that I did hear her adorable, helpless little squeak when she got kidnapped. But I also heard Tobias don his super hero cape and rush off after her, so I figured it wouldn’t be long before they caught up.

A verbal frown. He was a bit of a softy it seemed. Probably for the best that I was in control of what he could communicate to the others. I wouldn’t want his sympathy flaring up and telling Dorothy I didn’t care if she died out here. As long as I had her shoes, the Wizard would give me audience, and it was easier to plunder a corpse than it was to entertain an ordinary, albeit pretty and curious, little human. As it stood, the shoes could only be removed of her own will, and as the shoes held my curse, I was incapable of killing her, so overpowering her and stealing them was the only option I didn’t have.

Well, she’d probably already assumed as much anyway. She didn’t strike me as particularly daft, after all. More just sweet and oversensitive and a bit over trusting. If I was capable of caring about her, maybe that would be charming, but in a place like Oz it was a hindrance more than a positive.

I’d liked‘scared and bleeding on a post Dorothy’much more than‘sunshine and gratitude Dorothy.’At least one of them made me feel something other than boredom.

“I’m sure the dog has her covered.” I rolled my eyes. Considering Tobias was completely and obviously in love with her, it’s not like there was any need for either of us to pretend to be knights in shining armor anyway. He’d probably get offended if I even tried. He needed her to see him as something beyond a puppy, and coming to his aid would only infantilize him further. It was really a favor to stand back and let them get into life-threatening danger.

Another stray glance over his shoulder.

“Are you that worried about her? Really?” I raised an eyebrow.

Cute. “Yes on both accounts. But I didn’t take you for the type to bond with others so quickly.”

Unexpectedly cheeky…

“What can I say—Hard is my favorite look on a man.” With a smirk, I shoved my hands in my pockets and strolled over to my only remaining companion. “Out of curiosity, after having endured Sasha…” I lifted his chin with my forefinger, while I slid my thumb along his muzzle where his lips would be. “Are you really interested in getting involved with some girl wearing a witch’s shoes? What will you do if she turns on us once we get to the Wizard for an audience?”

His eye contact was firm and unrelenting.

My gaze narrowed in genuine irritation. “The last‘little girl’I went home with lobotomized me and hung me on a cross until I bled out, so pardon my distrust.”Why did that get under my skin so deeply?

He rolled his eyes in smug. Who the hell was this asshole? He seemed so gentle and caring when he met the girl, but now he was full of nothing but snark and mockery.

… I have to say, I rather like it.

“And I’m sure your sarcasm had nothing to do with the fact thatyour‘little girl’ ripped your tongue out, eh?” I effortlessly switched back to the offensive.

Perfectly deadpan and so matter-of-fact, it was as though he was reading a history tome as he said that.

I nodded along. “Ihaveheard she has a thing for blades and dismemberment. We should have traded places. She could have cut me into as many pieces as she wanted without ever worrying about lasting consequences. I would be the toy that kept on giving.”

Talos shrugged.

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