Chapter
Twelve
Kingston
Sky’s here.He was in my arms and okay. I’d woken feeling scared and ashamed that I’d left him in that house of horrors defenseless, not even realizing that he was being stalked by a form of death we’d never gone up against. But I’d fallen into a hard sleep, unable to make sure that the eyeless ghoul of my dream stayed away.
In all my life, I’d never had one of my night walks feel so real. It was like just by dreaming it, I’d called the whole experience into existence. It had been terrifying.
But now he was here, whole and alive. I could feel his breath on my cheek, and we were pressed so closely together that I felt the beat of his heart against my chest. The smells of the herbs he used with Elyse clung to him, but even the clean, earthly scent couldn’t disguise the natural fruity aroma that I’d associated with him since our first meeting.
“I’m so happy you’re okay. How did you get here?”
Here. I heard the word as I said it, and it echoed through my mind.Here.
In my house.
In my kitchen.
What the hell?I stiffened and heard him giggle.
He planted his hands on my shoulders and leaned back, his vibrant green eyes brimming with mischief. “Guess you just figured out you were holding mein your kitchen, huh, big guy?”
I felt the tip of his shoe hit my shin and realized I’d picked the man right up off his chair, and I was dangling him in mid-air. Carefully, I set him down, waiting until I knew he was back on solid ground before I took a step back. “What are you doing here?” My gaze darted over to Gran, who smiled back warmly.
“I invited him over for breakfast. After your dream last night, I thought it would reassure you to see him, and I need your head in the game.”
I stared incredulously at the woman I loved more than life itself. I’d never shown her anything but total respect, but this went too far. How could she invite him into our home—my safe space—without consulting with me? She didn’t, couldn’t know, what he was coming to mean to me. “Head in the game for what?” I snapped, immediately feeling bad. I never disrespected Gran.
Her gaze slid to the left of me, then she sighed deeply, nodded her head, and pointed to the table. “Sit down, Kingston. No need to worry about going into work today. I let your boss know you wouldn’t make it in. There are some things it’s time for you to know, and I might have waited too long to tell you.”
I had no idea what she was talking about or why she would’ve contacted my employer or Sky without my permission. She’d been known to say some real off-the-wall things, and that was the immediate concern.
Did I want Sky to witness this? I glanced toward him and found him ogling my crotch with both hands cupped over hismouth. Reflexively, I cupped my hands over my dick, which ramped up his giggling.
“There…there…there’s a ghost covering your…” He waved his hand toward my junk where the ill-placed ghost design resided.
Gran snickered. “They’re glow-in-the-dark, too.”
I sat down abruptly where Gran had pointed and scooted my legs all the way under the table, bumping my knees. Not because I wanted to, but so that Sky couldn’t see my sleep pants. How embarrassing. Why couldn’t I have tugged on a normal pair of flannel bottoms instead of the ones with ghosts floating all over them?
“Jetty bought them,” I grumbled.
Sky reached over, placing his hand over mine. “They’re adorable. I’m sorry if you thought I was making fun of you. It’s just, I looked down…I mean, not that I was trying to see your…uh. What I mean is?—”
Gran’s cackle cut him off. “Whatever you say, dear.” She winked at him, and he dropped his chin to his chest, red climbing up his neck and over his face. Even the tips of his ears turned red.
Oh. My. Gawd. I should’ve run out of the room instead of sitting down. Now I was stuck. “Gran,” I whined.
The teasing gleam disappeared from her face, and she sat beside me. “Kingston, I’m sorry I went behind your back and called Sky from your phone this morning, but I thought after what you witnessed last night, you’d need to be sure he’s okay. And it made me realize how right your pops has been. It’s time to give you a little history lesson.”
Sky tilted his head, obviously confused. “What did he witness last night?”
“Gran,” I said sharply.
This time, I glared at her. Why did she bring up my dream? Sky had never doubted what I told him about my dreams guiding me to valuable information about the past.
However, telling him that I’d seen him inside a castle I’d never even seen with an entity unlike anyone we’d ever seen before—even on Chance’s property—closing in on him and whoever that was…no. I hadn’t planned on ever telling him, to be honest.
