Page 135 of Aine

I like it, even if she doesn’t.

My muscles tense as her breath again washes over my mark, a pleasurable tingle shooting down my spine. She’s got to be doing it on purpose. My gums ache with the desire to mark her back, wanting to claim her as my own, but I ignore the need.

When she’s ready, she’ll ask for it.

“What’re you working on?” Aine asks, beginning to scan the few papers still on my desk.

I remain quiet as she reads, allowing her the opportunity to see for herself what I’m doing. Her eyebrows furrow as she makes sense of everything, her frown deepening as she spots Freya’s name.

“I’m looking for Freya.” I reach into my desk drawers to pull out the papers I shoved in there earlier.

Her lips purse as she looks these ones over too, her hands shaky as she moves them around.

“Why?”

I press a kiss to the side of her head, hoping to help settle her racing heart.

“She’s going to answer for the things she’s done.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

AINE

Alex paces thelength of the room, his frantic actions more than a little bit concerning. I knew he wouldn’t take well to learning about Damien’s search for Freya, but I didn’t anticipate him barging into our bedroom in the middle of the night wanting to speak about it.

I curl against Damien’s chest, knowing this isn’t my fight, and sigh when he pulls the blanket further over my shoulders to hide them from the angry beast standing at the foot of our bed. The interruption startled me, but I’m proud of myself for not shriveling up as I would have a few weeks ago.

“She’s done nothing but torture our family for years,” Damien says, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

He just about shifted when Alex came bursting into the room, and I run my hand down his arm to try to calm his residual panic. I’m sure he wouldn’t have been able to hold back the transition if it were anybody but his brother.

“You plan to kill her,” Alex argues, his words capturing my attention.

I look at Damien, watching his jaw clench before he turns to me. I thought something along the lines of a trial when he said she has to pay for what she did, and I curse myself for not asking for more detail.

My cheeks puff out as I wait for confirmation on Alex’s statement, and I feel my annoyance grow when he doesn’t immediately give it.

I raise my eyebrows, waiting, and sit up when Damien releases a quiet sigh and nods.

“Yes,” he admits.

His muscles grow tense as my nose crinkles, the expression one of disapproval. My instinct is to ask a million questions, but I know now isn’t the time. Freya’s done unspeakable things to Damien and Alex, not to mention the part she played in my kidnapping, and I won’t stand in the way of Damien’s retribution.

I wanted the same done to Owen.

“Does that upset you?” Damien asks when I don’t respond.

“Yes!” Alex chimes in, clearly not caring that the question was directed to me.

Damien ignores him, and I suck in a deep breath before shaking my head.

“I wish you would’ve been a bit clearer with your plan,” I admit through narrowed eyes. “But no, I’m not upset. I understand why you want to.”

Alex scoffs, his arms flinging out to the sides as he plops on the edge of our bed. Damien reacts instinctively, his foot shoving against Alex’s thigh until the man falls off the mattress. He lands on the floor in a heap but pops back up a second later.

“You should return home to Olivia. She was okay with my plan, and I’m sure she’s upset you left her alone to defend your true mate,” Damien snaps.

Alex’s frown softens at the mention of Olivia, his eyes darting toward the door. I’ve come to learn recently just how much Damien and Olivia love to gossip with one another, and he’s mentioned she’s been expressing a lot of fears about Alex leaving her for Freya.

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