Page 23 of The Warlock's Kiss

Dropping her arms to her sides, Adalynn stepped closer to the tub and braced herself for the shock of cold.

Best to just get in the water fast and get it over with. Just like we used to do a when we went swimming.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped in quickly and dropped down into the water—only to scream and leap back out, stumbling and slamming against the wall, knocking over a couple candles and toppling a low shelf in the process.

Panting, limbs shaking, she stared at the tub in shock as a stinging pain—made worse because it was so unexpected—swept over her flesh and radiated through her body.

The water washot.

Merrick curledhis fingers in his hair, tugging on the thick strands. He sat leaning forward, elbows on the desk, staring down at the book lying open before him—a latter translation of ancient documents pertaining to beasts lurking within mankind. Aboutmonstersdormant in human blood, their essences diluted over millennia of interbreeding. If there was useful information in the text, it was currently lost on him.

He’d reread the last paragraph half a dozen times without retaining anything. His mind kept shifting toward Adalynn. At first those shifts had occurred between pages, then between paragraphs, then in the space between each sentence. Now it seemed that after each individual word, he thought ofher.

He couldn’t shake the knowledge that she was in a bedroom just down the hall from his study—that information was lodged in the back of his mind, producing a soft but ceaseless hum that served as a constant reminder. His palm still tingled with the residual energy of her touch, and flashes of her smile danced through his mind’s eye unbidden.

“It will be for the best when she departs on the morrow,” he muttered, but hearing those words aloud didn’t lend him the resolve he’d hoped they would. Instead, they produced a sinking feeling in his gut.

Exactlywhowould benefit from her departure? Certainly not Adalynn or Daniel; they’d be returning to a horrifying new world that had been transformed by the resurgence of true magic, a world in which humanity—who’d for so long been the Earth’s apex predator—had suddenly become prey.

Certainly, it would restore the quiet in Merrick’s home, but had theyreallydisturbed it that much to begin with? Despite Danny’s tendency to chatter endlessly, there was something heartening about hearing warm, friendly voices in these halls.

He growled deep in his throat. No good could come from sheltering humans. What would they bring but moreof their kind? Their numbers always multiplied eventually, more of them always came, and when they banded together, they tended to be at their worst. Regardless of the immense increase in magical power from which he’d benefitted since the Sundering, Merrick was under no illusion—he was far from invulnerable. Humans had killed powerful witches and warlocks throughout history, and they would do so again.

He did not intend to become the latest name on a long list of victims.

But from what Merrick had witnessed thus far, Adalynn and Danny weren’t like that. They were just trying to survive. Just trying to get by. Merrick was undoubtedly drawn to Adalynn, but even Danny had admirable traits—even if those traits were wallowing in a mire of youthful disrespect and rambunctiousness.

The humans needed to leave.

Merrickwantedthem to stay.

A scream—high and feminine—sounded from down the hall, followed by the sound of several objects clattering to the floor.

Adalynn.

Merrick shoved himself away from the desk, darted out of his study, and raced toward the source of the scream, heart pounding. He stopped outside the bathroom. Candlelight flickered from within, visible through the gap at the bottom of the door. Images of blood staining the tile floor and dripping down the sides of the tub flashed through his mind. Humans were such fragile creatures, especially when they were ill.

He grasped the doorknob, turned it, and entered the room. His eyes immediately fell upon Adalynn.

She stood with her back pressed against the wall and arms spread, her fingers splayed and curled like claws as though they could somehow dig into the wall and support her weight. Her chest heaved with her panting breaths, and her skin, completely exposed from head to toe, glistened with moisture in the candlelight. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders. Merrick’s gaze dipped down her body, taking in her bare breasts, which were tipped with pink nipples, her flat stomach, and the small patch of dark hair between her legs.

His cock throbbed, hardening rapidly within the confines of his trousers. Her body was the same as her face—the faint lines of ribs at her sides and the slight pronouncement of her hip bones spoke of a woman who was underfed, though now he couldn’t be sure if it was due to scarcity of food, her illness, or a combination of both. Still, she was stunning, and the near-overwhelming urge to close the distance between them and run his hands over her skin roared to life within Merrick.

Adalynn swung her gaze to his. Her eyes widened, and recognition lit within them before she screamed again, crossed her arms over her nakedness, and dove for the pile of clothes on the floor. She snatched up her pants first, tossed them aside, and grabbed her shirt instead, holding it up to shield her body.

“What are youdoing?” she demanded.

“Making sure you were all right. You screamed like you were attacked by something.” His eyes dipped, and the fire in his belly flowed into his veins as his gaze trailed down her supple thighs. The skin of both her legs was reddened, as though she’d spent too much time in the sun, but that didn’t reduce their appeal.

She clutched the shirt tighter. “The water was hot.”

“Hot wateriswhat tends to come out when you turn the knob markedH,” he replied distractedly; he was far too occupied with running his gaze lower still. His memory was impeccable, but the brief glimpse he’d had of her bare body was simply not enough. He neededmore.

“The water isn’t supposed tobehot.”

Adalynnwas hot. Did humans still say that? He had trouble keeping up with the way their languages changed, which had seemed faster and faster with every generation.

Merrick forced his eyes up to meet hers, but he did so slowly. Her cheeks were now flushed—with embarrassment, perhaps? Or something more?

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