Page 16 of Faking it with the Hybrid

“Your fingers seem to glow when you do that,” she observed, looking down at her small hand, swallowed up in his big one. “How hot can you get?”

Grath shrugged.

“Pretty damn hot actually—though I can’t flame up like a pure-blooded Flame Kindred.”

“Flame up?” She frowned.

“Oh, uh—a true Flame Kindred can actually burst into flames,” Grath explained. “A flame that doesn’t consume him, though it will burn the fucking shit out of anyone who gets too close. Unless it’s his bonded mate,” he added.

“Wow!” Madeline’s big brown eyes got wide. “I’d like to see that!”

“You and me both, but I can’t do it.” Grath shrugged. “The most I can do is generate heat to keep myself warm—or to warm someone else,” he added, nodding down at their hands.

“My hands do feel warmer,” she admitted, glancing up at him shyly. “Um…thank you. I—” She looked like she wanted to say something else but then she shook her head and stopped talking.

“What?” Grath asked, wanting to know what she was thinking. “Say it, baby.”

“I just…” Madeline cleared her throat. “You’re usually just so stand-offish when we’re together. I guess I’m just surprised at you being willing to hold my hand even though my family isn’t around to see.”

Grath felt like she’d reached into his chest and squeezed his heart in her soft little hand. If only she knew how much he wanted to touch her! To hold her and kiss her and taste her! But of course he couldn’t admit to any of that—they would be getting into very dangerous territory if he did.

“Well, I’m your Protector, aren’t I? Can’t let you fucking freeze to death,” he said gruffly. “Come on—let’s look at these fucking sculptures, okay?”

“All right.” Madeline pulled her hand from his and nodded as they entered the small park with the huge tree in the center.

The tree itself had been decorated with all kinds of colorful ornaments and lights, Grath saw. It glowed in the night and the ice sculptures arranged all around its perimeter were glowing softly too, thanks to the lights embedded in their pedestals. Madeline’s mother had been right—it was a fucking magical, romantic sight, he had to admit to himself.

“What are all these sculptures of?” he asked Madeline as they strolled around the circular path. There were more sculptures in the distance too—they had been placed on another path that curved through the park, between the trees.

“Oh you know—mostly Earth animals.” She pointed. “That one’s a butterfly and this one is…hmm, Ithinkthat’s supposed to be a lion. It’s kind of hard to tell.”

“Looks like a Felinus Monstrum Kindred,” Grath remarked, examining the softly glowing ice sculpture. “I guess not all the artists are equally talented.”

“No, probably not,” Madeline admitted. “They pretty much let anyone put up a sculpture if they make one. They just want a lot of them to fill the exhibit with, so visitors to Christmasville with have something else to look at.”

“I don’t see many visitors right now,” Grath said, looking at the mostly deserted park. “Should we go look at the other sculptures down that way?” He pointed to the curving path that wound away into the wooded park.

“Sure.” Madeline shrugged. “It’s cold out here but I guess it’s better than being scrutinized by my family.”

“I thought I did a pretty good job of fooling them.” Grath took her hand and she let him. It was already cold again and he sent her more gentle warmth.

She frowned up at him.

“You didtoogood a job. They’re all half in love with you already!”

Grath grinned at her.

“Told you I could be fucking charming, little girl.”

“Oh, you!” Madeline took a half-hearted swat at him and he pretended to duck, laughing as he did so. She looked so beautiful in the light of the glowing sculptures—her creamy skin was radiant and her cheeks were rosy from the cold. Grath thought she had never looked more gorgeous.

For a moment it almost felt real—holding her hand, laughing and joking together. It almost seemed like he really could bond her to him and stay with her for the rest of his life…

Except you can’t,whispered a warning voice in his head.Wake up, Grath—you don’t want another failed bonding! You need to stop this and put some distance between the two of you before things get the fuck out of hand.

He knew it was true, but it still hurt to make himself let go of her hand. Madeline looked slightly hurt too, but she didn’t reach for him again. Instead, she stopped to study one of the sculptures which was glowing softly beside the dark path.

“Oh look!” she exclaimed, looking down at the writing on the pedestal. “I know the person who made this one! I went to high school with her!”

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