Page 22 of Twilight Echoes
“You’re joking, right? Or are you going to all of a sudden start treating me like a child?” She pursed her lips and jutted out her hip, planting her hand on it.
“I only see the woman you’ve become.” He chuckled. “This was your bedroom as a kid?”
“This room is bigger than my entire apartment,” she said, pushing open the sliding glass doors and letting a cool breeze from the pool float across the curtains.
“I’m living in a hotel until I find something between the city and where most of my pack lives.” He ran his fingers across the back of the coastal-blue fabric of the sofa.
“Did you reach your mom?” Avery asked.
He nodded. “Everything is the same. No one seems to be getting any worse, yet.”
“My dad is wicked smart and a great wizard. He and Trask will have no problem figuring all this out.” She pulled out a laptop and situated herself on the sofa. “Come sit. You’re making me nuts, and we can’t do anything until we hear back from Gabe and the rest of the elders on the witch coven. Trask has already spoken on behalf of the Twilight Crossing Council.”
“There are only a few names on that list that I even remember.” He rested his feet on the coffee table, keeping his hands in his lap, ignoring the deep-seated desire boiling in his stomach. He always knew he’d come back and claim her as his mate. A year ago, he’d almost done it, but he wanted to give her more time. Even though his parents wanted him to marry and have a family of his own, they understood why he wanted towait. Why it was important to him that Avery have her career. Their age difference wasn’t a big deal. Six years was nothing at this point. But still, being principal of a ballet meant her life in the limelight would be limited. He owed it to his mate to let her shine for as long as it made sense. “What are you doing?”
She tapped away on the keyboard. “Googling the names on the list Miss Tammy gave us. I’m sure they all have some social media presence, except maybe the one who did this.”
He leaned over her shoulder, sucking in her peach scent. It reminded him of a dry, white wine on a summer night at the beach with a salty breeze rolling in from the ocean. “I remember that one,” he said, tapping on the screen. “She was pretty good, though a little handsy. Always grabbing my ass.”
“And batting her eyelashes at you. Not to mention she told everyone you kissed her.”
He laughed. Hard. “I was eleven. First time I kissed a girl I was fourteen and it was awful.”
Avery jerked her head. “Why? First kisses should be sweet and memorable.”
“Yeah, but I was thinking about you, and the girl accused me of having my mind elsewhere. I didn’t deny it, so she slapped me.”
“I would have done the same thing.” She shook her head.
He lifted her chin with his thumb. “And what about your first kiss?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“And why not?” he asked.
“Because you told me you were a jealous wolf.”
“Oh, I am.” He winked. “But I promise to keep that in check because I honestly want to hear this.”
She rolled her eyes. “I was sixteen.”
“Was he a dancer?” Darrell rolled a few stands of her silky hair between his fingers.
“God, no. I’ve tried to stay away from anyone I’ve worked with,” she said. “My parents started homeschooling me at seven because of ballet, so I had very little interaction with other kids, except for witchcraft school and my sisters and their friends.”
“So, another witch.”
“He was, but he was our pool boy.”
“Please tell me he’s no longer under your parents' employment, because my jealous streak will certainly come out.”
“He is not.” She tilted her head. “Do you want to hear the rest of this story?”
“Please. Continue.” He loved sitting here and talking to her like this. He could listen to her voice all day and night. It was like warm honey drizzled over his favorite treat.
“I shamelessly flirted with him. Well, as best I could. I mean, I had no idea how to flirt, except for watching my older sisters, but he did not pay me any attention.”
“I’m glad for that.”
