Page 96 of Awakening their Goddess

“Need to?” I said, as I wondered how I could get out of this.

“Coffee and then a run, no argument. We can chat and jog at the same time. Enjoy your coffee.”

I slowly sipped my coffee, but Zena was having none of it. She pushed herself out of her chair, a small smile on her face.

“Run or the gym,” she said. “You need to burn off some anger, some frustration.” She crossed her muscled arms over her wide chest.

“How are you so freaking big?” I said, seeing the bulge of her muscles as they tightened over her chest. Her shoulders bulged.

“Fae are big, at least dark fae are.”

“And you’re a bodyguard, so I expect you need to be bigger and stronger than most?” I asked.

“Yes. Gray Trent employs me to look out for you every day, but sometimes it would be nice to do something other than having a coffee,” she said.

“Why? What’s wrong with coffee?” I smirked, arching one eyebrow.

She snorted, then clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Run and then I can let you know all about the obsessed Gray Trent, then we can come back here for lunch if you wish.”

I rose from my seat. Her smile was bright, and I couldn’t help but smile back, and I knew what Jack saw in her. Beautiful, loyal, strong and intelligent. “And you and Jack,” I asked. “You can tell me what is happening there.”

She let loose a mumble. “You hold my cards with that,” she said, her tone sadder than I expected.

“Oh. And how does Jack feel about you?”

She shrugged a casual shoulder with a heavy sigh. And I saw as the normally powerful fae tried to hide her tears. It was time Zena knew how I felt.

But I was afraid to tell her Jack wanted to bind. I could do whatever it took to help her love affair, but I couldn’t change how Jack felt, what he asked of me. I could only do my part, not his.

“We’ll talk about it while we run.” I smiled. “And I need to get changed for this run.”

“Me too,” she said.

“Okay, I have some workout gear in my locker,” I said.

After we both got changed into more suitable attire for taking a run, I plonked a beanie on top of my head because the weather was cold, not raining, which was a blessing, but there was a chance of rain in the air. A distinct chill hovered around.

Zena jogged on the spot, swinging her arms in arching movements from one side of her body to the other, stretching her body out.

“So, how do you feel about Jack?” I asked as we set off across the cross-country run, but still within the university grounds.

A deep sigh emitted from her throat. “I love him, and I know I shouldn’t because supernaturals really shouldn’t mix. And I know I should have kept well away on the romantic side of things, especially as he could end up being a knight.”

It was something that was drummed into all paranormals, stick with our own kind. Everything was peaceful between the kingdoms, and part of that reason was because love was never part of the mix.

Though that was a strange thing, considering I’d received multiple requests for my hand in marriage from kings and sons of kings from the other paranormal kingdoms. Not that I would ever take them up on it.

And I knew now that those proposals were not legitimate and were only in order to create some sort of super kingdom and probably once I’d had a child or two, I expect my head would have rolled.

Not that they could do that... I now knew.

But I loved Kane, Seb and Blake and after losing Ryan, I would risk nothing that prevented me from sharing my life with them.

I touched her arm and smiled.

She straightened up. “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with one of your knights. It certainly isn’t something I expect you to give up if you need it.”

We ran across the fields and it was more refreshing than I would like to admit, feeling the cool air refresh my lungs with each breath. The breeze passing my face was chilly, but the blood heating in my veins stopping any freezing on my skin.

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