Page 71 of Wings of Ashes
The man Nix had known as cautious, skeptical, and distrustful was…not.
Her grumpy mate, who had sworn to rip the limbs off their captor for her, now grinned at nothing. He exuded sunshine energy.
His attractive, lean Roman nose crinkled as he smiled. He smiled at Elle.
Nix’s body jerked into a standing position, but her knees and calves were caught under the table. She awkwardly stepped out and stood before the two men.
Look at me. See me.Nix stared at Persius and was reminded of everything he had ever said to her.
“Your heartbeat is the greatest lullaby. The feeling of being near you is undefinable. My mate, I will break us free and take you around the world. Heaven will be flying with you.” But his wings, plucked each day, had been destroyed by their captor. “No one has known me like you.”
She had snorted a hoarse laugh. “That’s because you cannot worry about impressing me when we are both caged and bleeding.”
“The scent of your blood,” he told her. “Want to rip his head off and put it on a pike and carry it around every day until you finally feel avenged.”
Avenged.
That was Nix’s journey in this second life.
Revenge. And if she could have Persius this time, maybe revengeandlove.
“Hey there, Nix,” Adar greeted her with his pearly white smile that now grated on Nix’s nerves. Anything that tried to tear her attention away from Persius felt aggravating.
“Persius,” Nix muttered softly.
Finally, Persius blinked and glanced away from Elle to look at Nix.
Yes.See me.Your mate.
His lush lips quirked down as he narrowed his eyes on Nix. His energy remained bright, airy, and carefree; yet, something sparked in his glowing azure eyes. “Do I know you?” he asked.
His voice. It was not hoarse from severe thirst or weak from malnourishment. This was what he naturally sounded like? Like a romantic gust of wind playing with low-noted bells.
“Do you?” Elle asked. “You don’t have classes together.”
“Um…no,” Nix said, continuing to wait for him to clutch his heart and gasp and realize he had finally found his fated mate.
Why hadn’t he recognized her as his mate yet? It was supposed to be as fast as love at first sight.
Nix reached forward to offer a hand to shake. “Nice to meet you,” she said, but her voice was crazed and anxious and intense. She sounded like a stalker.
But I just need one touch.
For so long, their cages were just far apart enough not to touch. Only once had they been able to touch fingertips.
When we touch, he will recognize me. No shifter could touch his fated mate and notfeelit, right?
Hesitating, Persius first glanced at Elle, but he reached up and shook Nix’s hand. “Very formal, huh?” Persius joked, but his lighthearted grin blanked when he looked down at their joined palms.
Shefelt the sparks. Could he? Electricity zapped through her arm to warm her entire body. Lightning.
Persius blinked, and his gaze snapped back up to Nix’s.
She held her breath.
This is it. The reunion she had not known she could hope for.
I missed you so much.
