Page 31 of Consume Me
“Your safety is more important to me than my vengeance.”
His words pierce through the hardened armor around my heart. My throat closes with a level of emotion that surprises me. To have someone choose me over everything else, to do anything to protect me, no matter howbig the risk, especially after these last two years of me struggling so hard to protect myself, is everything.
But even so, I shake my head, stepping out of his grasp to stand on my own. “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for years.”
His mouth flattens. “You think I’m going to just let you walk out into the world, bound to that thing? Where it could force you to do its bidding, no matter how dark or evil?”
“You’re not letting me do anything,” I say, my tone sharper now.
“You don’t understand. The darkness in that thing is a threat to everyone around you?—”
“A threat I’ve handled pretty damn well without you up until now,” I snap.
He glares at me.
Crossing my arms, I glare back. “I’m telling you. I need my own space, my own bed, my own life.” His eyes flash at that last part. I can’t blame him. I was harsh. But now that it’s out there, I can’t take it back. “I can’t hide out here with you and ignore my problems.”
He studies me for a long beat before letting out a low, frustrated breath. “Fine. I’ll take you back. But I’m going to keep working on a way to sever the bond—safely. You won’t be able to evade me—or this mate bond—forever.”
I blink as his words land against my chest. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”
“You tell me.”
“I… I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admit, and the stark truth of it steals what’s left of my temper.
He sighs. “There’s plenty of time to figure it out,” he says without a trace of anger. “Forever, in fact.”
Something loosens in my chest. “Thank you.”
Without another word, he steps to the center of the foyer and draws a portal open with a flick of his hand. It shimmers with silver sparks and hums with an ancient sort of magic. When he offers his hand, I take it.
The moment we step through, we’re standing in the middle of Crossroads. The moon has risen high in the sky, which means it’s late. Streetlamps cast golden pools on the cobblestones. At this hour, the streets are empty, and I’m glad since he didn’t bother with discretion over his ability to simply conjure a portal from another world. I don’t bother to explain to him how impossible that is for the people of this realm. Something tells me he wouldn’t care.
The familiar scent of roasted coffee and woodsmoke drifts from somewhere down the block, grounding me in the ordinary for the first time all night. And I realize with a weird sort of jolt that Noctan’s been a bit of a daydream to me until this moment. A wish fulfilled. One I expected to vanish like a lovespell at midnight. Now that he’s here with me—in my world—he’s somehow more real. More permanent.
The realization both comforts and terrifies me.
We fall into step together as I head toward Spells.
“You live in this village?” he asks, gaze scanning the street like he’s cataloging every possible threat.
“We call it a city. Or a town. But yes. I live above that shop,” I say, pointing at our destination just ahead. “Myfriend owns it. She’s letting me stay here in exchange for giving her some extra help in her store.”
We reach the door, and I can feel his attention shift to the faint shimmer in the air just beyond the threshold. His eyes narrow. “Wards.”
“Natalia’s pretty insane about security, and her wards are powerful, so I guess I should say good night here.”
He smirks. “You really think they’ll keep me out?”
“They keep out plenty of things worse than you.”
He steps forward—and passes through without even a flicker of resistance. My mouth drops open.
He turns and gives me a look that’s all wolfish satisfaction. “Guess she didn’t account for a sentinel.”
I roll my eyes, leading him through the darkened shop, past shelves of herbs and jars and charms, up the narrow staircase.
When we reach the door to my apartment, I hesitate, keys in hand. “Well. This is me.”
