Page 48 of Ghostly Touches

“Perfect, get in.”

She raises a brow. “I’ll just call for a ride to take me home. Keep the bus for as long as you need it since you three went through the work of stealing it anyway. When you guys figure out the book thing, drive it back to my house, and we can talk about scheduling some soul dates.”

Chuckling at her made-up terminology, Willow steps back and looks up the streets.

She’s not going anywhere. Even if Theodon hadn’t pulled me aside before we left the new safehouse to tell me that Willow will be joining us until further notice, I wouldn’t allow her out of my sight.

“What’s at home? An empty house? Come on, let me get you something to eat,” I offer, keeping my voice light. “You’ve got to be starving.”

My eyes trail over her voluptuous figure. I’d hate for her to go hungry and lose those curves. With a dramatic eye roll, she crosses her arms over her chest and gives me a pointed look.

“Clearly, I can feed myself.”

With that, she walks off.

I swear before climbing out of the car. My feet hit the pavement as I trot after her, aware of the looks we’re getting. A man in a cloak chasing after a woman will certainly draw attention. To stop her, I reach out and let my fingers wrap around Willow’s dainty wrist. The contact causes a warmth to blossom in my chest. Will I ever get used to this feeling? I hope not. Willow turns around and raises a brow.

“Careful, Kwil. You’re the one who wants to stay inconspicuous. If you don’t let go, I’ll scream,” she warns me as her eyes light up. “I’m not going with you to meet up with the others. I’m going home.”

No,the monster in me snarls.

Fighting back the urge to blurt out the same response, I give myself a second before I respond.

“Willow,” I say calmly, despite my heart racing. “You’re cursed. You saw this morning how fast these creatures can move. Without help, you’re a dead woman walking.”

Worry flickers across her face as she turns her head away from me. She tugs her wrist free from my grasp. When the contact breaks, I feel the loss.

“I’ll keep moving. I’ve been doing that for a few years now anyway. They won’t find me.”

The determination in her voice and the way she sets her shoulders tells me she would try. But these monsters are unusually persistent. She won’t get far or last long. All it will take is for her to get too tired and fall asleep for them to creep up and kill her.

“They’re going to keep coming, and one day you’re going to be around people who can’t defend themselves. Like those around us now, who have no idea monsters even exist,” I point out. “Can you live with yourself if someone innocent dies because of you?”

The last part is a low blow, but I need to make sure she understands the gravity of the situation. Willow makes a face, and the tension in her shoulders relaxes. She huffs and glances around us as if looking for a way out.

“No, but I’ll figure something out. I can’t be in the same room as Viktor another moment longer. And what about you guys? Shouldn’t you be in the Third Realm killing these things before they even get over here?” she asks, looking back at me.

I understand her reservations about Viktor. The way he went for her throat almost sent me over the edge. As for her other question…

“We can’t go back now that we have a mate,” I tell her. “We can’t be parted, and you can’t be in the Third Realm. We’ll have to figure something out—”

“‘A mate’?” she repeats as she throws her hands in the air. “We’re definitely not mates, Kwil. What we are is an abomination. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. We can’t do this!”

An abomination? My metaphorical hackles rise in protest.

Can, the voice in my head protests.Will.

Willow’s foot slides backwards, a subtle shift of her weight that alerts me that she’s about to take off if I don’t nip this in the bud now. A wave of adrenaline courses through my veins. If she runs, I won’t be able tonotgive chase. The thought of running Willow down, tackling her to the ground, and having my way with her causes my dick to stir to life. A grin stretches across my face.My muscles coil, preparing to pounce. I move too. It’s not exactly a full step towards her, but it puts me close enough to grab her before she takes off.

“Be reasonable, Willow. For the time being, we need to stick together.” I can tell by the hard press of her lips that she’s not nearly as convinced as she needs to be. I try again, “I’ll answer whatever questions you have about the Brotherhood, how about that?”

Her eyes light up with curiosity. If this will get her to come with me, I’ll tell her anything. Vows be damned. Her hesitation gives me time to shift my weight again, rolling to the balls of my feet.

“Fine. I can’t leave Jonah with you guys anyway.”

She steps around me before heading back to her little VW bus. She climbs in before I can grab the door for her and slams it shut. With a sigh, I get in on the driver's side. It feels good to be behind the wheel. With Willow’s injured ankle, she tossed me keys when we left, and I haven’t let go of them since. Her VW bus doesn’t go fast, but it’s quicker than traveling by foot like we have been for ages.

We pull away from the curb and start our trek out of town. Willow startles me by reaching over and taking the hand I’ve placed on the arm rest between us. I glance down at the contact and watch as she intertwines her fingers with mine. I look up at her. She’s frowning as she stares over at me.

---