Page 36 of The Oath We Take

“There’s a lion in book three?” Ember asks.

And now I’m perversely curious about what exactly is inside the romance books I see at the store. I assumed a regular, everyday couple. Human, at least. But guess I’m very wrong about that.

I glance over again, just as Raven puts her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I’m a one-woman spoiler machine.”

“And he purrs?” I ask her.

Raven chuckles. “His name is Valiant, and he can smell that she’s ovulating.”

I reach for the beer I’ve been nursing and take a large gulp. “Sweet baby Jesus. Wish I’d never asked.”

“I’m gonna read as many as I can, mark ‘em up, and put them in the library,” Raven says.

“I love how ‘library’ is code for books Wraith can flip through to see what you want him to try,” Dawn adds.

“That’s a detail I didn’t need to know,” I say.

Ember raises one eyebrow. “Maybe if you weren’t listening in on a private book club, you wouldn’t hear things like that.”

“You want me to go sit in the hallway or the balcony?” I ask. “Because I could do without being here to babysit your ass.”

I don’t know where my return to form comes from. It’s habit, to snap at Ember, to make her feel less, to make her appear invaluable to me when the exact opposite is true.

“Yes. The balcony would be a perfect solution.”

I shut my laptop down, grab the gun that was sitting next to it, and pick up my beer. “Fine.”

I stride out the door, slamming it behind me, straight into a wall of heat.

Fuck, I miss the air conditioning of Ember’s apartment immediately.

From here, I look down at the small lot behind the bar where Ember got hurt. Then, I look up at the stars.

“What the fuck do I do?” I mutter.

Life as a biker is supposed to mean living outside the rules. Creating a life you want. Maybe it’s not so wrong to want your president’s daughter.

Maybe I come to terms with the fact I want Ember to be mine. I’ve always loved the way she appreciates the outdoors the same way I do, the way she rides. But I also love her commitment to things. To the bar, to her friends, even to challenging me.

She’s not willing to accept small pieces of me, and I respect her for knowing she deserves better.

The door opens, and Raven steps out, a fresh beer in her hand. “Here.”

I chug the last two mouthfuls of the one I was nursing and take the fresh bottle from her.

“Sorry,” I say. “Ember was right; I shouldn’t have been listening in on your conversation.”

Raven smiles and takes a sip of wine. “Doesn’t bother me that my friends know I mark-up books with my fave bits and let Wraith find them. It’s a fun game we play and gets past the fact I’m not great at verbalizing what I need.”

“I’m surprised Wraith can even read,” I tease.

“I guess he’s better at reading books than people,” Raven says.

I turn and lean back against the railing. “What do you mean?”

Raven smiles. “What I’m trying to say is I know the cost of marrying the wrong person. Whatever the reason that prevents you from being with the person you love, it’s not worth it.”

I’m confused, and it must show on my face. “Understood.”

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