Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,162

realms just seemed to mute the connection for me. And he'd been relieved of the burden of aching to return to me in the way he normally would have been with so much distance between us. When he returned, he’d said that the need to come back to me had been so much less potent while he was there that he’d actually been able to forget about it half the time.

"Roxy," I said, taking a step towards her but pausing before I could get too close and frighten her. "When we first met, I did everything wrong. I shouldn't have been the pawn my father wanted me to be. I was a coward and a fucking idiot and what I really should have done was follow my damn heart and just asked you to spend time with me. So I want us to try that. Like we should have done at the start."

"Try what?" she asked with a small frown.

"Let me take you out. I know somewhere we can go where the bond won't bother you and there are so many people that the stars won't be able to even suggest that we're alone." I offered her my hand and I didn't miss the flicker of fear that crossed her features as she eyed it.

"Where are we going?" she asked and my heart thumped hopefully because that sure as fuck wasn't a no.

"You're gonna have to trust me," I said, offering her the hint of a smirk as I dared the girl I knew to come out and play with me.

"Fat chance of that, asshole," she muttered and my smile widened tenfold. It really shouldn't have gotten me so turned on to have a girl insulting me, but I'd take Roxy Vega calling me every name under the sun over having a million compliments from anyone else.

"Come on - you said I'd have to ask if I wanted you to be mine. So I'm asking. Let me take you out."

"The stars won't let us," she said hesitantly, glancing out at the storm which had barely quieted even with Seth and Caleb here. "And even if they would, we can't be seen together."

"Just trust me, Princess," I teased, hoping it wasn't painfully obvious how much I needed her to say yes. But it had been a long, hard, miserable fucking summer without her and I needed this. I had to prove to myself that she was still her and I needed to put a fucking smile on her face to try and make up for all of the shit she'd been through when I should have been there to protect her from it.

She bit her lip as she considered it then hesitantly placed her hand in mine.

I fought the urge to yank her closer, that small point of contact between us making heat charge through my veins even though I knew it couldn't last.

"We're going out," I called to Seth and Cal as I drew her towards the floor length window by the back wall. "Don't wait up."

"But how are you going to-" Seth began but Caleb slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he teased and I rolled my eyes at him because I was pretty certain he had no goddamn lines so that left very little out of bounds.

I pushed the window open and the storm howled as it drove rain inside, but I used my water magic to push it back as I released Roxy's hand and tugged my shirt off.

"I'll race you to the boundary," I challenged, watching her eyes light up at that suggestion and she tugged her sweater off to reveal a racerback bra beneath and I fought off the urge to groan at the sight of her body.

She half shifted so that her wings were revealed, not igniting the flames and instead leaving the golden feathers on show. Without another word, she stepped over the edge of the balcony and let herself drop before her wings snapped out and she took off through the trees.

I grabbed a bag from the chest where we kept the clothes and quickly finished stripping as I stuffed my clothes into it before gripping the strap between my teeth and leaping out into the rain after her.

I shifted with a surge of power, my wings snapping out as my body multiplied in size and I took off and headed for the clouds, unable to dart between the trees the way she was but determined to