Page 203 of Halfblood Deceived

“And perhaps we can arrange to spend some time together?” Zeydan asked.

“Yes,” Aella answered.

His smile grew. He leaned in closer and brushed his lips over Aella’s cheek.

Her heart pumped so hard, and fast that she would have been worried had she been wholly human.

Zeydan gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then left for the door, sending her a look loaded with silent promise before stepping outside.

Aella all but collapsed against the nearest wall. Flustered and shaky with anticipation.

“See you later,” she said to the empty room.

Then she did her best to shake off the bubbling sensation in her… well, everywhere, and went back to work.

CHAPTER 41

Aella leaned her back against the wolf’s flank, watching the starlight reflected on the water of the creek.

They had found this spot a couple of weeks before. It was Aella’s favorite place in the world. A small clearing surrounded by giant trees—that created a private atmosphere—facing the clean creek. The murmur of the water soothed her as few things did.

Aella kept her hands stubbornly on her lap even though they tingled with the need to touch the wolf.

It didn’t feel fair anymore. Not knowing what she knew.

She sighed. Her original idea had been to confess the truth to the wolf, but she’d lost her nerve. Maybe the next night.

She straightened, placing her weight on her palms, and watched the night sky. Dawn was perhaps less than an hour away, and she was starting to feel tired. “I wish I could recognize more constellations than Orion. I would love to find yours. Lupus.”

The wolf turned to give her a surprised look.

Aella bit her lip. It was the first thing she had said to him in a whole week. “Sorry about the radio silence. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

He pressed his massive bulk tighter against her, green eyes intense and understanding as always.

Aella took a surreptitious deep breath. “So, can you find your constellation?”

He seemed reluctant to stop looking at her, but tilted his head up, watching the stars for a moment. He shook his head.

They remained in silence for a while. Aella yawned, feeling sleepy. She was tempted to curl into the wolf and sleep right there, as she had a few days before. But… it was best not to. She blinked hard, doing her best to stay alert for a bit longer.

When she nodded off so hard that her neck twinged, she knew it was a lost battle.

“We should get going,” she reluctantly said. “It’s a long walk back home and we’ll have less than five hours of sleep if we get up at our usual time.”

His eyes widened, the silent question more than obvious—how do you know what time I wake up?

Aella cringed inwardly, wondering if she should pretend she didn’t understand that look.

But then something mischievous poked at her. It burst the thick bubble of doubt that had held her back from doing what she should have done weeks ago.

She smiled at the wolf. “I have grown very attached to our breakfast texts. Maybe even a bit addicted to them.” She closed one eye and lifted a hand to show him the smallest gap between her forefinger and thumb. He gaped at her, not breathing, and she chuckled. “Besides, you start work earlier than me. I can’t be held responsible for the crumbling of all your businesses. We can’t leave Hecate without its supply of the finest, strongest whisky ever, can we?”

He blinked, something like panic flashing in his bright green eyes.

Aella’s amusement only grew. “I know it’s you, so don’t you dare pretend otherwise,” she said, mock-stern. Her heart galloped, anticipation burning through her exhaustion.

Green magic covered the wolf’s entire body. It flashed hard enough to be blinding and then dissipated, revealing a beautifully confused Zeydan, dressed in a black t-shirt, jeans, and boots. He was sitting beside her.

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