Page 56 of A Trial of Fate

“Immensely,” he answered as he shifted, leaning forward and bracing his torso on his forearms. “When I have the time to read for pleasure, I enjoy historical fiction or books about different flora. Stories with a plethora of action with a hero and a villain or war reenactments tend to be my evening companions on calm quiet nights. I find the strategies in battle scenes enticing along with the depth of characters described alluring. But this,” he said, flexing one of my favorite fiction romances in his hand, “this is a new genre I am beginning to open my eyes to.”

“Our library is—” I stopped for a moment, realizing if he had that book in his hands, then he already knew where the library was. “Well, we don’t have much, but it’s at least something.”

“Any knowledge that can be distributed and shared is not something to feel embarrassed about, Spitfire.”

I shyly tucked a strand of dark blond hair behind my ear. “That was kind of you, but I can only imagine what your libraries must be like. You have had years, centuries even, to build and collect pieces of work. Our library has only recently become a staple in our community.”

“From your previous alpha, correct?”

“Yes. You’re a very observant creature, aren’t you?”

“Or perhaps just nosy,” he said with an all too familiar hint of sarcasm. “I have been asking questions to shifters I encounter, and they are typically happy to answer them. I’m always curious about changes that have occurred since the last time I was here. They, in turn, ask their own, and we both gain something. As I said, the exchange of knowledge is a gift.”

“I believe I encountered a very different side of you the first time we met.” My gaze dropped to his left shoulder.

“As did I,” he answered, glancing down toward my right wrist, lingering on his bite mark.

“I imagine you learned a vital lesson the first time we met.”

“Really?”

“Yep,” I replied.

“Please, enlighten me,” he said with a spark of light and amusement in his eyes.

“Don’t lurk around in shifter lands without identifying yourself first. We assume intruders are threats and don’t hesitate to protect our home and our pack.”

“Indeed, lesson learned. Don’t be astalker…” he said with humor laced in his voice, and I couldn’t help a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of my mouth. “If I may change the subject, I do have a proposition for you.”

“Lay it on me, Princey,” I teased as I leaned back against my pillow.

“You do realize that I have killed people for demeaning remarks made against me like that?” Daxton’s stare bore into me as a wave of his power washed through the room, making the hair on my neck stand straight. However, instead of cowering against his magic, my animal and I saw this as a challenge and happily sent our ownblistering spark of energy right back at him.

I gave him a coy smile as I taunted, “Yet here I still sit, unharmed and unafraid.” I crossed my arms around my chest, analyzing his body language, trying to gauge if he was simply toying with me or if this was a real threat.

“You’re correct,” Daxton replied with a wicked grin. It seemed like he enjoyed the fact that I pushed back against him instead of sulking away in fear. If this was a test, I seemed to have passed. I was competitive by nature, and when Daxton challenged me like this, instinct drove me to push back. “You…never need to fear me, Spitfire.”

“I know.”

His eyes snapped to mine, and a deep, roaring fire began to build in my core. The thrill of a challenge excited me, and Daxton was by far the most intriguing opponent I had ever met. I could see a glimmer of excitement ignited in the center of his alluring gray eyes, paired with a mischievous grin at the corner of his mouth. I bit my lip, trying to fight back against my own playful grin.

“Returning to my previous inquiry,” Daxton announced, clearing his throat and leaning back in his chair. “Since it seems I am here for a while longer… I would appreciate you giving me a list of book recommendations from your library.”

“Really?” I asked in surprise.

“Of course. You sleep a lot, and I need something to pass the time.”

“Sorry. Almost dying tends to have that side effect.” He and I both physically tensed at my remark, and I felt a twinge of hollowed sorrow echo through my chest.

Fuck. I had almost died. That would have to be something I faced soon. I knew from Shaw’s own experience that I would have to confront those memories and work through them, or else they would have a hold on me forever.

“Almost,” Daxton said with a clenched jaw. He swallowed a heavy gulp and reached up to run his finger through his hair, tying part of it up and away from his face. His expression turned cold as he closed his eyes to try and settle his rising emotions. I was beginning to interpret the words he wasn’t saying from his body language and the small gestures he made.

“Did… Was it your magic that brought me back?” I asked.

“I appreciate the compliment and trust in my abilities, but I am not powerful enough to bring someone back from the dead.”

“Just the brink of it then,” I added as I stared down into my lap.

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