Page 42 of God Touched

Freya rolled her eyes. "Then maybe you should hold off on the tattoo this time and allow yourself to be vulnerable for once."

"Yeah, not going to happen," Imogen said with a shake of her head.

"Whatever you have to say to convince yourself that it's not a good idea. I hope the sex was worth all of this drama."

"Yeah, it was." Imogen was grinning before she could stop. "Want details?"

Freya's laugh was big and bawdy. "What do you think?"

* * *

Imogen ended up spending most of the day with Freya. She didn't really have female friends outside of her sisters, and she didn't realize how much she needed to talk to someone like Freya. She had been faced with an impossible romance too, and somehow, she had made it work with Bayn.

Fuck, if Bron could end up happy with a fae, there was hope that Imogen could figure out whatever the fuck was going on with her and Arawan.

Aren't you jumping ahead of yourself?She was and couldn't stop.

She didn't have a word for what was between them. It wasn't something as simple as a crush. She couldn't get enough, which was the complete opposite of every one of her interactions with the opposite sex. She enjoyed men and then lost interest. Something told her she could fight with Arawan for the next thousand years and not get bored.

A few decent orgasms and you're pathetic, Ironwood,Imogen lectured herself. She had been having so many fake arguments in her head that, at first, she didn't notice the dark mist stretching out over Snowdonia.

A cold, creeping feeling of the dead slithered along her skin, and she slowed the bike down. She had to be getting close to Arawan's borders. Had she missed a turn?

The wards closed around her, and she felt the spiky snap of them over her skin. The castle was shrouded entirely in a black gloom.

Imogen didn't bother to take her bike to the stables. If they were under attack, there was no time. She leaped off the bike, grabbed her ax from her saddlebag, and ran to find Arawan.

19

Imogen was gone. Arawan was both furious and devastated. He had left her to sleep the night before, not wanting to disturb her. He had been too agitated from his interrogation of Owain and had gone up into his private library. He had fallen asleep in the chair, a book still open on his lap.

When Arawan woke and checked on Imogen again, there was no sign of her. Confused that she would just disappear, he had gone to her room and found her untouched breakfast. When he questioned the guards, they had said she had gotten on her bike and ridden away. He had been so deep asleep in the library that he hadn't even felt her go.

Lost her again.No. Not lost. She hadleft. Just like Brangwen had.

Arawan had spent the rest of the day not preparing for the night raid that they were planning but tearing himself apart, thinking about what he could have done to upset Imogen. The fucking woman was going to ruin him.

Arawan was pacing his chambers when his door was suddenly kicked in, and Imogen charged through, her ax raised.

"What's happening? Are we under attack?" she demanded, wild-eyed and ready to fight.

"Do we look under attack?" Arawan said. He stamped down his urge to smile at her, to show how relieved he was to see her.

"Ah, yes, actually. The whole castle is shrouded in darkness!" Imogen lowered her ax a little. "You're doing it? Why?"

"Where the fuck have you been all day?" he demanded, his temper rising.

Imogen's eyes narrowed at his tone. "Out."

"You could've had the decency to tell me you planned on leaving."

Imogen pinched the bridge of her nose. "Are you fucking serious right now? This whole black mist is you having a fucking pity party? I thought you were being attacked, asshole!"

"And you were what? Rushing in to protect me with your little ax like I fucking needed the help?" Arawan sneered.

"Yeah, what was I thinking?" Imogen's eyes lit with fury, and her grip on her ax tightened. "And for your information, I went to see Freya and update her as part of being a liaison. The job you are forcing me to do!"

Arawan crossed his arm. "Was fucking me a part of your job too? Did you think I would release you from your debt?"

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