Page 86 of Shifter Marked and Claimed

Crap.

I wiped at my face, determined not to give in. A shuffle of noise reached me from the treasure pile. I sat up to glare at Vedar as he approached the bed, once again a man.

“You need to let me go.”

“No.”

“Then let Zoe go. Please. If someone comes for me, I’ll lie and say I want to stay with you. Trust me, I’ll sell it.”

He studied me for a long minute, his beautiful golden gaze sweeping my still tear-free face, then he turned and walked out the door, leaving it open behind him.

Was that a yes? A real yes and not another sandwich run?

I scrambled off the bed and ran to follow.

When I entered the hall, Zoe’s door was firmly closed, and Vedar was walking toward the living room. Heart hammering and afraid to lose an opportunity, I turned my back on my sister and hurried after Vedar. My mind was already racing to what I’d need to do.

The barefoot sprint through the yard to the backdoor wouldn’t be fun, but I could manage. Just so long as the giant wasn’t still around. I could grab my phone and call Megan as I dressed. According to what I’d read, furies could teleport from one place to another, which meant that we could be in New York in minutes. I hoped we weren’t too late. Joey wasn’t stupid. Now that he knew he had our attention, he would keep Chloe alive for leverage, wouldn’t he?

I hoped—

The thought died as Vedar strode past the front door and into the kitchen.

“Kelsey?” Zoe said from behind me. “Why are you wearing a sheet?”

I spun around to face Zoe, barely seeing Sir Cuddles as he turned circles at her feet. The sight of my sister was my undoing. He was letting her go.

Her expression fluctuated between anger and concern when the first tear spilled over.

“What did he do?” she demanded.

“Nothing. He’s letting you go.”

“No, I’m not,” Vedar said from the kitchen.

I couldn’t do it anymore. He was driving me insane. Maybe that was his game. Turn me into a jabbering mass of confusion. He probably liked drooling, simple humans. We were easier to hug and rub against that way.

“Dammit, Vedar! Why are we out of our rooms then?”

He didn’t answer, and Zoe gave me a concerned look.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I have no idea,” I said, letting my frustration show.

“Is he going to make me wear a sheet, too?”

“If he tries, I’m kicking him between the legs.”

Zoe smirked. She knew it wasn’t an idle threat.

“But, unless you fall into the pool, you’ll probably be safe. My clothes disappeared when I was in the shower.” I left out the part where Vedar had been in the shower with me.

“There’s a pool?” she asked, hooking her arm through mine as we slowly walked toward the kitchen.

“Yep. In his bedroom, right next to a lumpy pile of treasure he likes to sleep on.”

“No way.”

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