Page 94 of Wolf Queen Ruin
With his hand on my lower back in a way that clenched my thighs together, he guided me through a series of less-traveled corridors and up a maintenance stairwell that opened onto a stunning rooftop space.The roof garden had a wild, almost feral beauty.Dense flowering vines climbed trellises, exotic night-blooming plants released heady perfumes, and in uncultivated corners, shadows pooled like liquid darkness.
“Have you been up here often?”I asked, breathing deeply of the fragrant air.
“I rarely sleep,” he reminded me.“Three weeks here provided time for exploration.”
Shoulda come to me for exploration.
I rolled my eyes at my immaturity.But still.He could’ve.And I couldn’t decide what it meant that he hadn’t.
I traced patterns in the cool rooftop tiles with my socked feet as we moved deeper into the garden.The natural environment soothed something in me that the medical part of the building had aggravated.I guessed it was the echoes of my wolf that longed for connection to growing things.Once a shifter, always a shifter, at least in that regard.
“I love it here,” I admitted, reaching out to touch a luminescent bloom.
“I can tell Felix understands the importance of balance,” Damien said.“Knowledge in the basement, clinical precision on the first floor, wild growth above.”
I nodded.“It’s like he knows his patients too well.”
I found a stone bench partially covered with climbing jasmine and settled onto it, suddenly aware I was wearing only sleep shorts, a thin T-shirt, and no bra.Damien remained standing, his tall figure outlined against the star-strewn sky.
“So…Paris,” I said to fill the silence.
He turned to face me.“Yes?”
“Vivienne will be there?”
“Yes.”He moved closer, his shoulders tensing at the mention of her name.
“And you still trust her?”I asked, something tightening in my chest.
A flicker of darkness crossed his features.“Trust is a luxury vampires rarely indulge in.Vivienne and I understand each other’s motivations.That’s usually more reliable than trust.”
“And what are her motivations regarding us?”
“Curiosity, primarily.”He finally sat beside me, though maintaining a careful distance.“She’ll want to understand you.”
“And what about your motivations?”I asked, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
His eyes met mine, startlingly direct.“They’re evolving in ways I didn’t anticipate.”
I looked away, my pulse humming.A night bird called from somewhere in the garden, the sound oddly mournful in the warm evening air.Above us, the stars shone with unusual clarity, perhaps enhanced by Felix’s magic.
“Vivienne’s maker is part of the Vampire Court, so she has survived centuries of court intrigue,” he continued.“She’ll view you through that lens, assessing what you represent rather than who you are.”
“And what do I represent exactly?”I asked.
“A former shifter.A skilled tomb raider.And someone I’ve chosen to work with outside established vampire channels.”
“That last one being the problem?”
“Yes.Vampires rarely form working partnerships with anyone, especially shifters, given our rocky history.”
“Because you’re all control freaks with centuries of baggage?”I said.
The corner of his mouth twitched.“Not inaccurate.”
“Except like it or not, we’re more than just partners, remember?”I asked, turning to face him.“I can’t get your engagement ring off my finger even if…”
Even if I wanted to.
