Page 13 of Ensnared
But that means I’ll have to keep lying to her. Again and again.
“Are you saying we can’tevertell her?” I ask. “What if she decides to stay forever?”
We can’t all keep hiding from her indefinitely. If nothing else, one of the kids might shift in front of her, and the secret will be up. That would be a terrible way to find out.
Aiden’s shoulders slump, whether from exhaustion or defeat, I don’t know, but he suddenly seems younger. He’s just two years my senior, and he’s my friend, not just my boss and clan leader.
“I don’t know,” he says hoarsely. “I fucked up by bringing her here.”
“Well, I don’t agree. I’m better off for knowing her.”
“Jack. She nearly killed you. I know she didn’t mean to, but it could happen again if she’s not wearing her bracelets. Don’t…”
I lift my eyebrows at him.
“Don’t get too attached,” he finishes.
Too late for that, huh? The thought of losing Skye has me leaping to my feet and pacing around the room. I’m still weak, and I know I should sit down, but there’s a restless tension in me that I can’t seem to shake.
I don’t tell him that I’ll stay away from Skye. It would be a lie, and maybe that makes me stupid. I’m playing with fire, literally, it seems. But how can I leave her? She’s everything I ever wanted in a woman, and if she’s a witch… Well, I guess we’ll learn together what that means.
“What was that about her bracelets?” I say, my mind returning to that detail.
He circles his wrist with his fingers. “The silver bracelets she wears. They’re magic suppressors.”
“Right. What does that mean?”
Aiden smirks. “Well, did she go off in flames the first time you were together?”
I flush. “No.”
“She wasn’t wearing her bracelets on the night of the full moon. And she seems to have pulled some energy from you. We don’t know how it works yet. She’s not, ah, very skilled.”
“So you brought in a newbie witch with no control over her powers?” I know I’m being an asshole to Aiden, but I don’t often get a chance to tease him back.
He scowls. “I didn’t know. And by the time she was here, I couldn’t send her back without the two of you making a fuss.”
“Oh, so it’s about me, is it? You don’t want her to stay?”
His ears turn red, and I finally stop pacing. I’ve hit gold. Aiden is hot for Skye, but he’s in denial. I grin at him, and he glances away.
“Of course I want her to stay. The clan needs protection.”
“Mm-hm. And this has nothing to do with the fact that she’s smart and funny and sexy and—”
He growls and stands, pushing past me. “I see you’re back to your normal, annoying self. Go get some food. Your stomach is rumbling.”
With that, he stalks out and disappears.
I do as he says, hoping I’ll find Ty on the way. But he’s not in the kitchen, and his room is empty. He probably went out for a swim. Grabbing a plate filled with snacks, I take the food out to the front porch to enjoy some fresh air. After the stale atmosphere of my bedroom, the scent of the sea is a welcome change. The thick gray clouds herald a long stretch of bad weather ahead, but I don’t mind. Maybe we’ll even get our first snow of the year. I shove a bite in my mouth and chew appreciatively. Later, I’ll shower and find Skye, but I need food first. My muscles shake, and I’m definitely not recovered yet.
I nearly bump into Ty as he barges through the front door.
“Hey, I was hoping to talk to you.”
He looks up, and I freeze in place. His expression is hollow, and I’ve never seen him like that.
“What?” he asks, his voice low.
