Page 69 of Watch Me Burn

I laugh. I can’t help it. Minutes ago, I thought I lost him. I thought he’d bleed out, and now he’s sprawled out on blood-covered snow, gesturing at his obvious erection while the caustic stench of Linda’s remains fills the air.

And I thought Mayor Lou was bad…

“I told you. That last time in the caves was because you looked so pathetic, begging me to fuck you. After that, I want a bed. Yours, mine, I don’t care. But I’m not riding you out here in the cold where anyone could see us.”

What if the others are trying to figure out what was going on with the fire—and where it went? They must come out her and get more than they bargained for?—

“I could beg again.”

Know what? It might work, too.

No.

No.

“You need to see a healer.” Thankfully, one of the vampires does a little supe healing on the side. I can only imagine what’ll cost us to deserve Hetty after dark, but for Conall, I’ll give herwhatever she wants. And it’s blood… with the fire opal, maybe I can still the fire in my blood long enough to feed her without burning her tongue.

Unless, of course, my possessive mate has something to say about that…

“Fair enough. But how about a kiss?”

I roll my eyes. Leaning down over him, I press a quick kiss to his lips.

“Thanks. Now what about Li’l Grump?”

I sputter. He didn’t just… “Li’l Grump?”

Conall gestures down at his erection. “Does he get a kiss, too?”

I laugh. It explodes out of me, kind of like how the fire did after I climaxed.

My mate gives me a look of utmost satisfaction—even though poor Li’l Grump doesn’t get that kiss… yet—as he sprawls out on the snow.

I lay down next to him. The fire raging through me is so consuming, I expect the snow to melt underneath me. Maybe it’s because of the fire opal in my pocket keeping it contained. Maybe it’s all my practice at learning control. Whatever it is, the snow cushions me, only the tiniest hint of a chill there to cool me off.

Conall lashes his hand out, grabbing my wrist. He doesn’t pull me on top of him. I didn’t expect him to. Despite how boldly he propositioned me after nearly getting gutted in the side, it’s not about sex. Not really.

Instead, he tugs me until our sides are touching. I feel the heat of his naked body pouring off of him, and I’ve never felt hotter.

“I know what you’re doing,” I murmur to the stars above.

“What’s that?” he asks the night sky.

I lay my hand possessive on his thigh. “You know. And I appreciate it.”

Using humor to distract me? Covering up his own pain and overprotective tendencies? It seems like there’s a whole other side to Conall, and I’m just glad that we’ll have the rest of our lives for me to discover all of them.

We need to head back to Dyea. I need to reach out to Celeste and let her know that Linda was the witch hunter, and that she murdered a coven witch to take her place. I have to make sure Elise and the rest of the village is okay. My gauge of the fire tells me that it didn’t reach the sanctuary, and that’s assuming the spell protecting our borders would’ve even allowed the fire to gobble up the trees surrounding us.

Still, I don’t know how much the heat and the smoke and the orange glow made it to Dyea. Elsie will be worried, and the prey shifters will probably be shitting themselves without Conall there to act as their security.

Goodness knows the vampires in the town won’t do anything to help…

Conall needs a better patch job than what I did. He probably also needs a pair of pants because I don’t want anyone else getting a peek at what belongs to me now.

But all of that can wait. This is our mating night. With the moon hanging over our heads, shining down on us—happy, sated, andalive—Conall takes my hand in his. His claws tap the top of my hand gently before squeezing my palm, no fear at all that I’ll let loose the same fire that turned Linda to ash where she stood.

Of course not. Conall’s never been afraid of my fire, just like the only time my wolf made me nervous was when I thought he was an honest-to-God Alaskan wolf coming to eat me.

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