Page 104 of Caelum

I wanted to grind my teeth at that. Of course she was strong.

Aside from the fact she somehow managed to speak the same language while saying shit completely different than the rest of us, knew jack shit about our world and should have the word ‘TROUBLE’ tattooed on her fucking forehead, she would make Stefan a fitting mate if she could intimidate a guy like Lewis.

“Why are we still talking about her?” Becky grumbled, and I narrowed my eyes at her. She knew I hated that voice. Her cheeks blushed, and her hands came to rest on my chest. “Want to go to my room?”

I smirked at her. “What do you think?”

THIRTY-ONE

STEFAN

Having her in my arms was a dream come true.

I knew that sounded pathetic, but I didn’t give a fuck.

The parties were pretty good at Caelum. The teachers, knowing we were stuck here until we were above the legal age in most countries, never reined us in and let us cut loose.

Music was as loud as we wanted, and we had as much beer as we needed. They even provided condoms. Talk about world-class treatment.

But this party?

It was the best I’d ever attended because Eve was here. She wasn’t happy about those pricks ignoring her, and I wasn’t happy either—I’d punish them in the ring tomorrow—but at least she’d calmed down some and was enjoying dancing with me. Well, I thought she was. She wasn’t pulling away, at least.

I pressed my face into her hair, loving her scent, loving her softness. She’d stiffened at my proximity at first, but after a while, had softened up and was swaying with me to a song that should have pumped us up, but we were ignoring it so we could move together.

That she even wanted to sent a thrill through me. She was so innocent in so many ways, but over the weeks I’d seen her spirit. Had been scorched by her fire.

It didn’t come in the same form as many of the girls here at Caelum, but it was there, and it was hotter than any that I’d ever been with.

I wasn’t just saying that either.

Eve set me alight by breathing, and that was the truth.

Eren had left the party. I’d felt him go and though I felt bad, I understood why. Being the third wheel sucked, and he hated these things unless Nestor was here. Nestor could be a dour SOB thanks to hisgouilleside, but he was also the life and soul of the party. He said that was because the Carnivalhad been bred into his very bones, a concept which always amused the hell out of me.

As I maneuvered Eve away from the center of the crowd and toward the outer limits of the dance floor, I reached for one of the hands she was resting against my chest. At first, I’d thought she’d positioned herself like that to put distance between us, until I’d realized where her hand was.

Above my heart.

Said organ had sped up at that.

She’d never shown any indication that her soul had selected me as her Chosen, except somewhere, deep down, the connection had been made, and I wasn’t going to take advantage of that tonight, but I did want to remind that soul of what the fuck was happening here.

I figured I’d been patient enough, and it seemed like Eve needed a little nudge before I explained everything to her. Her tension from that prick Frazer had dispersed by now, thank God, but I decided she needed more of a helping hand to chill out.

With her fingers in mine, I leaned into her and murmured, “Twirl around when I lift your hand in the air.” She frowned up at me, her golden eyes darker than usual in the low lighting, but her nod was all the indication I needed. Taking a step back, I raised her hand overhead and watched as she twirled.

It wasn’t half bad, but when I hauled her into me so that her back was to my front, she stiffened in surprise before settling into me with a sigh I felt in my bones—this just felt so goddamn right. That alone told me that her trust in me was absolute, and I didn’t intend on letting her down.

She was facing the wall by now, and my back was to the crowd. Whatever happened, no one would see, and that was exactly how I wanted it.

We were blanketed by the party that was going on around us, hidden from sight in our little nook, and I used that opportunity to reach around and unfasten the top two buttons of the shirt she was wearing—aka my shirt.

Her hands went to grab my wrist, but I leaned down and muttered in her ear, “Trust me some more?”

She froze for a second, but then her hands dropped away. When I could let the shirt drop down to bare her shoulders, I stopped unfastening thebuttons. Almost every girl here wore a dress or a mini skirt and a top so tight every curve was delineated. My mate, on the other hand, was wearing menswear.

Figures.

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