Page 2 of Shattered Illusion

My eyes connect with those navy blue orbs, but my lips turn down as I see the slight furrow in his brow. In another time, another life, and if he were human, I would want to smooth that out and reassure him that everything was okay. It makes me wonder, though, what has him so worried.

Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight, twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one.

So close. Twenty more seconds, and I’m free. I can already smell the pizza from here, my mouth watering for all that greasy, cheesy goodness.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven.

The water around me starts to heat to an even higher temperature, seeping straight into my bones and relaxing me even further. I blink and glance around, just now realizing that everything has gone completely silent; not even the wind is making a sound.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six.

Something brushes against my ankle, and as I look down, horror etches into my very being as shadows slither back and forth, wrapping around my legs and moving higher. I try to kick them away, but I’m rooted to the spot, unable to move even a muscle. Maybe this is the lagoon’s last-ditch effort to find something supernatural about me.

Five, four, three, two.

Before I can even whisper the word one, my skin ignites like it’s on fire, and everything goes black.

There aretwo things I hate the most in this world. First, I absolutely despise the girls who throw themselves at any supernatural with a cock, thinking with one ride, they will gain money, power, and anything they want in life. Second, I hate human girls who think they are too good for us.

Case in point, the tasty little morsel standing in front of me. She definitely falls into the latter of things I hate most. There was no hiding the lust that emanated from her in waves as she checked out my body, but the second she saw me notice, I was no better than the gum on the bottom of her shoe—or bare foot at this very moment.

Having been alive for a thousand years, I’ve had my fair share of women, but I can’t deny that something is different with her. As her eyes roamed my body, it felt like a caress, like soft little fingers feeling every inch of my skin. It took every ounce of my demigod strength to keep from grabbing her, throwing her on the grass, and letting her touch me for real.

That reason alone might make me think differently about what category I want to put her in.

If it weren’t for my best friend, Axel, I wouldn’t even be here right now. He needed a favor, and since this wasn’t my first rodeo with awakenings, I had no problem helping him out. But with the daggers she’s throwing me from those beautiful green eyes, I should have told him to stuff it and do it himself, even if it meant missing out on seeing her. But alas, duty calls. Not only that, but he entrusted me with information that if anyone found out, it could cause one hell of a stir in our world.

Plus, it could put my little morsel in grave danger, and we can’t have that.

And what an enticing morsel she is. I would be surprised if she reached five-two in height, my size completely dwarfing her. Green eyes framed by dark lashes, not a speck of make-up on her heart-shaped face, and the poutiest pink lips I’ve ever seen on a woman, which makes me want to know what they would look like wrapped around my cock. Her attitude be damned, she would look great on her knees. Raven black hair hangs around her in soft waves, and even though she’s wearing an oversized winter coat, I can already tell she has a bangin’ body underneath.

But I can’t let her think she can get away with treating me like that.

“I don’t have all day. Let’s get on with this, shall we?” I grumble, letting a little darkness bleed into my words.

She doesn’t say a word, just turns into her dad’s awaiting arms. Taking a step back, I stuff my hands in my pockets, letting them have their little moment. I block out everything they say since it’s none of my business. As it is, she might not even be the girl Axel is looking for. There are two more awakenings I need to attend later today in other human sectors in the hope of finding the right person. We know today is the day, and the person we are looking for is a woman, but that’s it. The people in the othersectors are also human females, but there is nothing else to go on.

From what Axel explained, the only thing he was given regarding her name was that it started with a B. But there is every chance the name could have changed when she was adopted as a baby. When Axel’s dad entrusted him with this information as he took over the lawyer’s office, he said the girl’s parents were worried that if they gave any more identifiers other than that, it could point them straight to her and put her life at even more risk.

As if what she is isn’t a risk in its own right.

The rustling of fabric catches my attention, and I look up right as Bailey takes off her winter jacket. My heart stutters in my chest as I take in every expanse of bare skin not covered by the tiny black bikini she is wearing. Bangin’ body is right. Her skin tone is on the lighter side, dare I even say pale due to the current season. And even though she is short, her legs look longer than they are, and there is muscle definition that makes me think she might be a runner. Her hips flare out, giving her an hourglass figure, and to top it off, she has a perfect rack. C, if I’m not mistaken, and I’ve seen plenty of tits to gauge size accurately.

Fuck, she’s perfect.

Bailey makes her way toward the lagoon, but not without aiming her scowl my way first. If only she knew that it makes her look like a fierce little kitten instead of something actually to fear. But if it turns out she is who we are looking for, that kitten will be deadly and feared by everyone.

It takes her about a minute to get to the dead center of the lagoon, but once she does, the cocky attitude I saw before makes its reappearance. That’s definitely one thing that I’ve noticed about her. She seems to hide behind her snark, hoping it will overshadow the fear I can see lurking in the depths of her eyes.

Most people are super excited about this day. They want to get out of the human sectors and join the world of the supernatural. But she seems to be the exact opposite. Like joining us would be the end of the world for her.

It’s definitely something I want to learn more about her.

I shift my stance lightly, taking my hands out of my pockets and crossing my arms across my chest. There is no denying, though, that I think we have the wrong person, and she will be residing in one of the other sectors. There should have been some sign by now if she was our girl.

My phone pings in my pocket, and I fish it out, already knowing who it is. Impatient fucker.

Axel

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