Page 21 of Under a Wicked Moon
If they got out, they might part ways—no,they would part ways. They had to, but he’d remember her for the rest of his life. She was that special. His body knew it. His heart, which he tried not to consult, wouldn’t be far behind if he wasn’t careful.
“I tried to keep away, Vivi. I tried.” He wet his lips as his hand floated up the back of her neck to dig into her scalp.
The door unlocked and burst open unexpectedly.
He prepared to fight. They deserved all night this time. Maybe not a naked night, but a night of closeness. A night together,something he’d risk death to have.
Chapter Seven
“Not what I expected to find,” said a male in a British accent. A lycan.
Ky jumped a few inches away from Vivi and uttered a soft curse even though the tension coiled inside him released. He’d never been so happy to see his annoying younger brother.
“I can come back in a few minutes, mate, if you want to, you know, finish up here.” Flynn’s eyebrows rose to his shaggy, highlighted-blond, surfer-cut hairline as his eyes bounced between Ky and Vivi. He plucked at one of his four eyebrow piercings and transferred the lollipop in his mouth from one side to the other. He was dressed as if about to hike across Antarctica with a puffy winter coat and snow pants, which was odd, since he almost never got cold. Meant it was bitterly freezing outside. “You look like overbaked roadkill, Ky. Buuut… I can see why you might’ve been reluctant to leave.” He glanced into the dark hallway behind him and lowered his voice. “I’m thinking we should get out of here before reinforcements arrive. Just a suggestion.”
“You’re late.” Ky used his elbows to work himself to a straighter sit. He wasn’t ready for standing, and not just because of the hard-on tough to mask in scrub pants, but also the dizziness that struck whenever he stood too quickly
“You’re welcome.” Flynn shifted to address Vivi. His voice changed to his charming smooth tone. “Hey there. I’m Flynn.” He flipped his hair, which usually made women drop theirpanties or flash their breasts.
The impulse to deck his brother or shield Vivi roared through him.
The possessiveness over her was irrational. Vivi and he hadn’t known each other long enough for this. He had no claim over her, but feelings that hadn’t a chance to fully develop were there.
Vivi didn’t look impressed, which soothed the snarling beast inside him. “You know this guy, Ky? Is he the one who…” She stared at Ky’s wrist.Put the curse on you?
Ky shook his head at her. His chest warmed. Willingness to attack for him shone in her eyes. She might even try to use whatever magic she had to get him free of the curse, but it wouldn’t work. He and his brothers already consulted every magical expert across the planet to find a way out that didn’t involve death, coming up with no options.
“No intro? Taking some offense here, given I’m saving your asses.” Flynn addressed Vivi. “I’m the brother who doesn’t get caught. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to rescue Ky from a torture fest.”
“This is my brother, Flynn. Flynn, this is Vivi.” Ky felt the desire to vent every reason his younger brother was unworthy of her but bit it back. His jaw hurt from clenching it so hard. He couldn’t help but push a few of Flynn’s buttons. “So glad Roman found me.”
“Roman?” All charm fell as Flynn scowled and yanked the lollipop out of his mouth to wave it in the air as he talked. “You thinkhehad any clue how to trace a computer’s movement once you sent the code? I—that’s me, not Roman—found the last place they kept you, but you’d been long gone from there.” He pointed the sucker at Ky. “You realize that was weeks ago? I had to wait until they logged onto that computer again. You’re lucky they didn’t ditch it, that they kept it when they moved you again.”
“How long have I been in here exactly?” Ky stood—too fast. Hishead wobbled. Urgency to get the hell out of prison dominated his resolve to get into motion.
Flynn rushed forward and caught him. “Easy there. Seventeen weeks. You look like they fed you about twice in that time.” He whispered as he pulled him into a tight hug, “Fucking glad to have found you breathing. I was worried. I mean, it’s been so long.”
“Thanks for not giving up on me.”
“Never.” Flynn squeezed his arm.
Ky nodded toward the lollipop as Flynn stepped away and returned the candy to his mouth. “You steal that from my stash?”
“Oh, I demolished that months ago. This is from mine.” When Flynn got agitated, he ate a lot of refined sugar. Made him twitchier, but he claimed it kept him sharp. “Besides, you were gone and wouldn’t care if I ate your stuff.Shedeclared you better be dead. There’s no other reason you’d have missed four dinners.” He held up four fingers. “She” referred to their mother, who in public they never mentioned by name, since the world had conveniently forgotten about her existence. “She was pissed we all missed tonight but gave us a reprieve, since we said we found you.” He removed the lollipop to stare at it as if he forgot what flavor it was. “I figured you wouldn’t mind from the afterlife if I ate your stash. I like the cherry ones. The grape’s not as good.”
“She was pissed?” His stomach squeezed.
“Who are you talking about?” Vivi asked, uncertainty on her face. She thought he had a mate or someone special.
He opened his mouth to cut off her misunderstanding, but Flynn spoke.
Flynn said, “You promised to make her that bread pudding she loves and then you disappeared. She declared you wouldn’t dare die before making it for her.”
Probably better not to speak about his mother in here,especially since her existence had become a myth in the lycan world. Most assumed she’d died. She was one of the oldest of their kind.
“Give me a lollipop. I need the sugar.” Ky held out his hand and wiggled his fingers.
Flynn pulled one from his shirt pocket.
