Page 44 of Dawn to Dusk
I remembered the moment he spoke of. It was not purposeful. I lost control. It was the first time in a hundred years I was with a woman, and I busted before she really touched me. Her smell and taste did me in. That woman was more than a beast could ask for.
“My instincts hit me from out of nowhere.” His confession confirmed my suspicions that his more aggressive traits took over.
“Assuming we manage to get back in her good graces, I’ll keep that in mind. As long as you remember, I’m prey and you marking her has the complete opposite effect on me.”
Ira lumped us all into two categories: mages and beasts. It effectively built her narrative of us versus them, but that generalization hurt our understanding of each other. There was more than one kind of beast; there were creatures who were neither, and not all mages were built the same. Every species had its own quirks. My instincts and his were completely different.
A wildebeest never challenges a tiger for his mate. At the end of the day, we are not men. We simply use shifting as camouflage in a world we don’t fit in with anymore.
“That is why you couldn’t even face her. I forgot about that.” He froze like the thought never crossed his mind, then walked out, shutting the door behind him. “She has a knack for inspiring me to behave like an idiot.”
I huffed. We found nothing of value, except she did not intend to leave for good. Yet.
It was a bad idea for us to have her isolating herself, lest she remember she does not actually need any of us. There was no real reason to join the faction, except for a sense of community. Something she did not even feel here. She could help Balthazar’s cause without living here.
“I’ll keep trying to sneak up on her.” At the risk of my own health. She overpowered Edur like he was nothing. I had no intention of approaching her the same way, but watching one of our elite warriors casually topple to the ground was quite the sight. I needed to make things right. Esmerey was an understanding person, if we could break down the protective wall defending her feelings, we would be able to get somewhere. “I almost caught her a couple times, but she sneaks away.”
After watching her blossom with me and having her open up during our brief time, the difference was night and day. I was not dealing with my paramour right now. I was dealing with a hunter that could kill me with a flick of her wrist. The fact Edur was still happy and healthy after that stunt he pulled said a lot about her. Lots of lovers would just take out their frustration and find another. Being a paramour and not a mate didn’t mean you never suffered backlash from a woman. We simply considered it a more honest representation of ourselves, but it was still a relationship.
“I can’t even get close.”
“I wonder why.” The dry edge in my voice caught his attention. His eyes widened with surprise, and he waited for me to explain. “I have met trolls more subtle than you.”
Why would he be? There was not much left alive that could take him on. There was no reason for him to gracefully slink around undetected. He was faster and stronger than most.
“I have not needed to hide in a long time.” At least he recognized who he was.
“Catching that tricky witch will take more than brute strength.”
“Fair enough.”
Chapter 17:
Edur
“Where is she?” I asked Balthazar. Ziam remained silent as he stood by my side. A week and a half passed without so much as a sighting of the witch.
“Camping.” Balthazar refused to contribute to this fiasco.
That brilliant woman was a mastermind at hiding. Ziam called it; hunting a hunter was no casual game. She continued maintaining the wards, so she stayed close, but even in this relatively small search area, she managed to dodge us. Tricky witch indeed.
“Where?” I asked. His eyes slid to me with disapproval, but he stayed silent. “I’m your best friend.”
“She is confused because neither of you idiots talked to her. Ziam didn’t tell her that your scent turned him off, and he would be back once your claim wore off. And you didn’t want to face the consequences of your actions. You’re both too old for this.”
“I’m worried.”
“The last time you dragged me into your mess with that line, you ended up putting me in a situation I never signed up for. You lout.” He scoffed at me. “I told you she was fine, and you didn’t listen to me.”
“She may hide her scent, but she can’t hide her connection to earth when her feet are on the ground.”
“So, I know she is alive.” He refused to offer up any other information even after I stared at him for a solid thirty seconds.
Balthazar’s lack of concern tattled on him. He took every single resident's safety and security seriously. Despite hiswillingness to initiate violence and get blood on his hands, he was a secret mother hen constantly counting his chicks.
“You know where she is right now.” If he didn’t, his nerves would show it. Yet he called me the soft one.
“You fell in love with her and are now playing a dangerous game.” He was right. Falling for someone who was not your mate was a recipe for heartbreak. We all saw it happen before. You get cozy with a person and they are your everything…until your everything actually stumbles into your life. It will make your mate reluctant to bond with you and shred the woman you already promised the world. I knew beasts still beating themselves up over the damage they caused a thousand years ago.
