Page 38 of Shadebound
“Yep. Surprise is the only thing that’s going to keep me going today. I like the anticipation of predicting just how fucked they’re going to be to me,” I muttered as I looked around to see who else was awake, and she hurried into the small bathroom to steal my goblet, and make herself a steaming coffee.
She moaned when she sipped it. Graphically.
Most of the others were asleep or doing a half-decent job pretending. Zayden, unfortunately, wasn’t one of them. One bunk over, he snored loud enough to shake the damn walls. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my cushion, handing it off to Maya without a word. She took it, aimed with all the deadly precision of a pissed-off siren, and chucked it straight at his head. The thud startled him awake with a grunt.
“Wake up. We’re gonna be late.” She sang, allowing a touch of her magic to flow into the words so he would have no choice but to stay awake.
He groaned, dragging his pillow over his face with a dramatic flair. His black-and-purple hair was sticking up in a dozen chaotic directions, like it had gone to war with the pillow and lost. His eyes squinted open just enough to glare at the room until he saw me.
It was like a switch flipped. His scowl was replaced with a soft smile. His glare with a stare sweet enough to kill.
“Morning, Heartache. Did you sleep okay?”
“You both seem to be obsessed with my sleep.” I replied. “I slept soundlessly and darkly. There isn’t anything more to add.” Pausing, I spotted the dark circles under his eyes too. Then I remembered he hadn’t been in his bed when I’d had my late-night visitor.
“Late night?” I asked too dry for it to sound casual.
“Yeah.” He nudged the pillow aside just enough to give me that classic side-eye squint. “Pack stuff came up. I had to be a functioning member of society for far too long,” he mumbled, his voice carrying an air of mystery as if he were sharing a cryptic code.
He and Maya exchanged a look—meant to be subtle, the kind you’d miss if you blinked—but neither of them had the talent for subtlety. Their gazes lingered too long, their expressions shifting just enough to spark suspicion. Whatever silent message they were trying to pass, they both executed it with all the finesse of a toddler trying to lie about stealing biscuit’s when they had crumbs on their face.
“What’s up?” I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
I hated secrets. They grated on my skin like sandpaper. To me, they weren’t some noble preservations of privacy. They were just lies dressed up to look prettier, easier to swallow, easier to excuse.
And yes, I was aware that I was a hypocrite. But it was every woman’s right to be. Gaslighting and other nonsense was cute from the girls. It just pissed me off when it was from a man
Zayden dismissed my curiosity with a casual wave. “Nah, we’re chill,” he said. “Maya just had to help with the pack stuff. Sometimes I need to use her as a portable jet wash when things get dirty.”
She said his name, and her water magic stirred instantly. It shimmered to life, coiling along her arms in soft, glisteningthreads. Her neon blue eyes glowed, a visible protest against his forced calm.
“Maya,” he cautioned, his tone sharp enough to cut through the sudden tension in the room.
I glanced between them, my brow pulling tight. Something flickered between the two of them. A glance, too quick. An expression too tense. My gut twisted. Was I reading too much into it, or were they really hiding something? I couldn’t tell. But I didn’t like it.
“Zayden,” she retorted again, not backing down an inch, her eyes locked onto his.
She turned to me, her face filled with a seriousness that made me sit up a little straighter. “I want to tell you something,” she drawled. “But I’m worried about how you’ll take it. And I really don’t want to cause any drama. But I also know you think secret keeping is a crime worthy of corporal punishment.”
I arched an eyebrow, my mind already racing at top speed, trying to piece together their secret. If they were about to tell me they were dating or something, I was ready to light this place up like a bonfire. No questions asked. Both of them could sizzle for all I cared because... because...
Why?Why did it matter? Why was the inkling of them having a secret enough to make me want to set them on fire?
Why did the thought of Zayden touching another woman make me want to commit war crimes? Especially when I had... well, it wasn’t like I’d slept with anyone else. But Ihadkissed one other man.
Just once.
Ignoring my murderous urges, I tried to think rationally. Not just because they hadn’t shared what their secret was. But because I was fond of them. I didn’t want to burn those bridges.
Butstill... The thought of flames danced enticingly in my mind, flickering at the edges of my imagination.
Maya must’ve read it on my face. She groaned, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “I’mnotfucking Zayden.”
“Dude,” Zayden blinked at her. “It’s true, and ew, gross. But why’d you say that like it was the worst thing in the world? I’m hot.” He flexed as he said it.
Even I rolled my eyes at that, and I actually liked him.
She fake gagged, then she flicked her fingers, misting his face with a spritz of her water magic to shut him up. “If I ever wanted a dick near me, it wouldnotbe yours. I’d rather ride a polar bear shifterwhilstthey were shifted.”
