Page 63 of A Dusk Of Stars

He’s looking at me with a teasing smile, only making my confusion grow. But I guess itwouldbe a good time to say bye and go back to the party. I smile back and say, “Sorry to disappoint, but the nerd’s not taking any more questions. The tour is drawing to an end.”

“Very unhelpful,” he quips with a shake of his head. “I’ll leave you ascaldingreview.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I reply, glancing first at my watch and then in the direction of the castle. “Don’t want my friends to worry.”

I move to start getting back, but he comes to block my way, squinting. “I’m sure Sieger and Raven will live,” he says, my eyebrows pulling down at the fact that he knows their names. “Besides…” His eyes sweep over the grounds with that spark in them, lingering on the Wall stretching in the distance before he turns his focus back onto me. “This tour of yours was a tad limited for my tastes. But if we went for a run…”

I feel a sudden, violent flutter of excitement at those words. “A run?” I echo. I’m frowning, but the thought is so unambiguously appealing, especially to my wolf, that I’m already on the verge of saying yes, despite the party, my high heels, who I’d be going on a runwith...

But then he says, “Yeah, you can ride my fox so we can both explore the borders.”

What the... The flutters in my stomach appear again, but now they’re flutters of sheer terror.

“Who knows?” he keeps going, but I’m busy processing what he’s actually suggesting. “It might even help your dismal progress with shifting.”

Now, for a host of reasons I’m not even fully aware of, I’m feeling such burning discomfort at the very thought. “I don’t see how it would.”

“Come on, you think I didn’t see that spark in your eyes, Novak,” he insists. “You know, part of being a shifter is taking what you want in the moment.”

“Yeah, that’s a hard no,” I rush to say, one scenario in particular haunting me — me falling on my ass somewhere and him seeing the granny panties I’ve made the mistake of wearing tonight.

“What, scared you’d see me naked?” he asks as he flips the lapel of his jacket inside out, showing me that it’s Second Skin, enchanted to stay on his human form even when he shifts.

“I couldn’t care less,” I reply, a touch of aggression in my voice, “I just think I’ve been out long enough.”

I move to push past him.

He doesn’t let me. “Why so defensive?”

“I’m not.”

He squints at me, this smile tugging at his lips. “You know, this could be as simple as you telling me what you’d need to be comfortable.”

With an exaggerated roll of my eyes and a helpless sweep of my hands, I glance down at my outfit.

He laughs. “How about this?” he asks as he drags his eyes down my body, making blood rush to my face. “Ditch the heels, you yourself won’t be doing any actual running anyway. As for the dress…” He looks up to lock eyes with me. “If it comes to it, I promise I won’t look. Anything else?”

“No,” I find myself saying, feeling reassured albeit still a little hesitant.

“Alright,” he replies with a smile that’s making me think he didn’t really expect me to say yes.

Then he just looks at me for a second, thinking. “Um,” he starts, running a hand through his hair, “just to give you a heads up.” And he looks away, hesitating a little.

I frown. Is he being… awkward?

“My fox, um,” he continues as he turns his eyes back onto me, “he’ll want to smell you.” Gods, heisbeing awkward. “You know how it goes, but if you think there’s a chance you’d get scared or something—”

“No,” I cut him off with a reassuring smile, feeling strangely endeared. “That’s fine.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright then,” he concludes with a grin.

Before I have time to process what I’ve just agreed to do, I find myself watching him take long strides backwards. Then he stops, making my breath catch in anticipation when I see his body tense up.

The next thing I know, there’s a giant monster fox landing on all fours in front me, pinning me in place with those pitch-black, burning eyes.

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