Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 257(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Cassandra sighs dramatically, reaching her fingers out to stroke Talon’s fur. He’s taken up the form of her jaguar again, her real one safely being taken care of in the residence. “Sometimes I swear he likes his animal form more than his real one.”
Talon growls, low and rough, and Cassandra laughs again as she continues pushing up the hill.
Aurora is behind her, followed closely by Saint, just a few feet ahead of Annika and myself. I’m impressed with Aurora’s endurance. She hasn’t complained once or needed to stop to rest, something that would’ve been completely understandable in her condition. But she looks healthier, and there are moments where she’s completely lucid. It’s incredible. Whatever Saint has been doing to help her is truly working.
We climb, coming to a sharp bend in the path. Talon easily navigates the difficult foliage, Cassandra taking a bit longer behind him as we near the top. Aurora moves to mimic Cassandra’s steps, but Saint is there, hands outstretched to help her.
“I can do it myself,” she fires at him.
He jerks his hands away. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen him so surprised.
Aurora’s shoulders drop and she blows out a breath. “I don’t need to be babied,” she says a bit softer as if she’s speaking just to him.
“I don’t baby you,” Saint growls.
Annika slips just in front of me, and I immediately balance her, my hands on her hips.
“Sorry,” she huffs as she regains her footing.
“Not a problem,” I say, totally forgetting about our friends ahead of us, two of them arguing quietly, the other two trekking on ahead. I grin down at her, slowly moving my hands from her hips to the globes of her perfect ass. “You wore these shorts to torture me, didn’t you?” I whisper in her ear.
She gasps, and I relish the spike of lust I scent in her blood. “Dagon,” she quietly chides me.
“What?” I ask, innocently enough. I give her ass a good squeeze, and she bites down on her bottom lip.
Fuck, I want that lip in my mouth. Want her body beneath mine. Want my fangs sunk deep into her thigh.
“They’ll hear,” she whispers.
“We totally already can,” Cassandra calls back with a laugh from where she and Talon have already made it to the top of the hill.
Annika bites back a smile, shaking her head. “Try to focus,” she says at a normal volume.
“If you wanted me to focus on anything, you shouldn’t have worn these shorts.”
She laughs as she continues climbing, Saint and Aurora now at the top, silent and with at least ten feet between them. “It’s hot,” she says. “Shorts are a requirement.”
“It’s certainly hot,” I say as we clear the top and join our friends. “Damn,” I say as I take in the immaculate view. The night sky stretches wide over the dark ocean, the waves crashing against the base of this hill on the other side.
“You were right,” Annika says to Cassandra. “This was absolutely worth it.”
“There’s so much air up here,” Aurora says as she walks to the very edge of the hill, the toes of her boots hanging off an inch.
Saint moves like smoke. One second, she’s there alone, the next he’s behind her.
She doesn’t scold him. I’m not even sure if she knows he’s there. She has her eyes closed, her head tipped back toward the sky.
I tear my eyes away from the scene, suddenly feeling like I’m intruding on something private. I can’t imagine what she feels like…the shit she’s been through, the healing and adjusting she’s had to do to even remotely put herself back together again.
I reach for Annika’s hand as I watch her admire the view. “Beautiful,” I whisper.
Her eyes meet mine and her smile takes my breath away.
It’s over two hours later when Annika and I finally make it back to my bedroom. We’re worn out from the hike, but not enough that we go our separate ways. I’ll never admit my relief when she followed me back to my room instead of moving toward hers. I would’ve followed her, if she let me, but it’s hard to admit that I don’t want any separation between us. Especially when I don’t know how I’ll manage it when we get back to Edgemont.
Acid threatens to steal my levity, but then Annika starts peeling her clothes off the second I lock the door behind me, and I forget every worry I’d had before.
“After that hike, do you need a shower as badly as I do?” she asks, already heading toward my bathroom.
“Definitely,” I say, yanking my shirt off.
She peels off her tank top and lets it fall to the floor just as she reaches my bathroom. She bends as she slips off her shorts, smiling at me over her shoulder.
I freeze.
I’m sure my heart stops beating.