Page 69 of Entranced By the Basilisks

“Who was that asshat anyway?” I ask.

Jasper purses his lips before answering. “He’s a serpent kin that has taken offense to my presence. He isn’t the only one, but he’s the most ardent in making his feelings known.”

“What did you mean when you said it wouldn’t be enough to distance him from the same fate?” I ask, trying to get caught up on the social politics surrounding our barely begun relationship.

Ari snorts. “Dietrich’s father was a part of The Great Conflict, but he switched sides at the last moment and provided the intel to bring Simon Adder down.”

“Oh, and he doesn’t get the same type of hate that Jasper does?”

Ari shrugs. “He probably does get snubbed. That might be why he’s made Jasper’s torment a personal vendetta.”

“I don’t mean to minimize anything, but Jesus Christ does this sound messy and ridiculous,” I say.

Jasper surprises me by barking a laugh. “On that we can agree. When I was younger, I tried to move through serpent kin society, but getting cornered got old, so now I avoid it as much as possible.”

Anger sparks again at the idea of anyone cornering the man in front of me.

“But not anymore,” I say.

He nods. “Not anymore.”

Jasper is being thrust back into a world that historically abused him and it’s all because of me.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

Jasper’s golden gaze meets mine. “I’m not.”

“I’m also not sorry,” Ari interjects. “I am sorry I missed an up-close seat to whatever you two were doing in this darkened corner. Your scents are teasing me fiercely.”

My cheeks burn.

Jasper’s smile is small. “Perhaps if you ask nicely, we’ll give you a demonstration.”

“Oh, I can be very nice.” Ari pitches his voice lower and the heat that had been banked by the interruption sparks back to life.

“I don’t even know what to do with the two of you,” I mutter.

“I have some ideas,” Ari says, and I shiver.

The distance they’d given me to settle in evaporated with one kiss between Jasper and me. I’m exposed to them in a different way than when I’d spent time with them before, wanting and achy.

“Perhaps not here,” Jasper says, glancing around at the other patrons at the club, giving us looks.

“Let’s head back then. Maybe do some, as the youth say, Netflix and chill?” Ari asks.

Jasper groans and rolls his eyes and I laugh, the tension between us is momentarily broken.

“Maybe we talk about what happens now that other serpent kin know about me?” I ask.

Ari sighs. “That would be wise.”

32

EMILIA

Ari drivesus back to his place and similar to the state of my panties, the sky is soaking the world with rain. I’d taken the back seat so that I could spy on the men in the front and try to distract myself from my arousal.

It doesn’t matter that seduction isn’t the agreed-upon plan, now that the physical barrier of sexual touch has been shattered, the tension only builds. My core heats and I helplessly squeeze my thighs together. Memories from the dancing earlier and Ari trying to get me angry before pepper my mind.

---