Page 114 of Entranced By the Basilisks

Agnes nods like she’s done her good deed for the day and leaves my office.

Emilia ishere. The stacks of Post-it notes of all the tasks I’ve given myself to keep my mind off my mates glare at me, but I hardly spare it a glance. She’s here and I want to march down to her office and demand to know how she’s doing, if she’s okay.

But I can’t.

She needs time and space and not to be interrupted by the director of the place she works right when she’s trying to get back into the swing of things. But my muscles burn with the need to go to her. There’s a craving in my soul that I know would be solved by her and everything hurts.

Time and space. I will give her time and space no matter the urge in my bones or how my soul whispers its need to at least see her soft eyes and wry smile.

This feeling won’t kill me. It’s like my heart is dying, only thudding to thoughts of reuniting with Ari and her, but that fanciful notion won’t kill me even if it feels like it.

I will be patient. I will support her the best I can.

The metallic tang in my mouth rejects the notion. My body rejects the idea of not seeking her out. She is our Chosen, our mate.

But she is Emilia first and foremost, and she deserves to get what she’s requested. I have to trust that she won’t abandon our mating. I must trust that she will forgive us.

And if that means suffering to keep me from seeking her out, then call me a martyr.

I grit my teeth and peel a Post-it from my desk to start on my tasks. It doesn’t matter that it feels like I’m swallowing nails. I will give Emilia anything she asks for.

The door swings open and my face twists into a snarl to cut down whoever decided that they could stroll into my office without knocking, but goes lax in the next moment.

She pants as if she’d run up all the stairs on her way to my office and her gaze is bright on me. The snakes are gone at the moment, but her hair moves in an eerie way reminiscent of them.

Her name leaves me on a hushed whisper. My soul prayed for her, longed and twisted until pain took the place of hope, but I never thought my prayers would be answered.

“Emilia.”

48

EMILIA

I don’t knowwhat I’m doing here, but at the same time, I do.

“Jasper,” I whisper in the same awed way he did and close the door of his office.

He’s around his desk and pulling me into his arms before either of us takes another breath. I sob in relief.

I hadn’t counted on this happening. I returned to my office and headed to my lab as usual. I looked at how he’d meticulously placed my projects just as I’d left them at Ari’s place and my heart throbbed.

He’shereand something about that pecked at my resolve to work as if nothing were different. As if I were merely returning from some much-needed vacation.

The longing, being in the same building, weighed on me though, and eventually pulled me away from my work. I don’t know if it’s magic or my own needs. I don’t know if there’s any difference between the two at this point.

I just knew I needed him. I need Jasper. I even need Ari, but he’s not here.

Jasper is.

“Are you okay?” he asks, squeezing me to him tight as if he senses the forces drawing us together too. Something metaphysical, emotional, physical, or all three demanded I see him. Now that I’m in his arms, the fire has taken hold, the spark starting a bonfire.

“Yes.” I kiss him and he freezes for a single hard heartbeat before growling. He twists us and I’m sprawled across his desk. Pens scatter and sticky Post-its catch in my hair. His hard body above mine is a sigh of relief in a world of blazing need.

“Jasper,” I say again, but this time it’s a sob.

He grips my face and kisses me like it would end him to stop. Each brush and conquering bite of our lips adds to the wildfire under my skin. I tear at his clothes, pulling off his pristine dress shirt before he breaks a kiss to start to pull away.

“We should talk,” he gasps.

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