“Look at my ass any harder, and you will fall over.”
“It’s an ass to fall for,” I tease as I speed up and practically walk behind her, my breath wafting over the base of her neck. “Especially in the way I was just thinking about it.”
I can’t help myself anymore. No matter what I tell myself about staying away, about walking away… I was strong enough to do it once, but am I again? Especially after eating those lips, feeling the force of her violence and strength, and seeing my mate in all her glory? Could I really leave? But if I didn’t, would she kill me?
Betray me?
Remi doesn’t strike me as the loving, relationship type, yet I have hope. A dark little tendril of it winds around my soul and heart, telling me it’s worth a shot.
“All right, stalker, no need to walk so close,” she retorts.
“No?” I murmur. “But then I can brush against you while you walk.”
“What a weird thing to say.” She laughs. “You are this super old face god, and that’s the best line you have? You must be rusty.”
“Worked on you, didn’t it? I almost got in your pants at least twice now.” I grin.
She turns and presses her finger into my chest to stop me. Smirking, I look down at the tiny digit. How can someone so small be so strong? Well, I guess she’s tall for humans, just not as tall as me.
“Almost being the important word there, buddy,” she snaps, glaring. “Now, where the fuck are we going?”
“My friend’s place.” I grab her hand and lift it, ignoring her snarl as I drop a kiss on the back before twining my fingers with hers and turning her so we can walk. “Well, friend might be a stretch—”
“Yes, I’m betting you don’t have many of them,” she interrupts, tugging on her hand to free it, but I just hold it tighter as I lead her through the forest.
“He’s the historian of our races. The Librarian, as they call him, holds all prophecies, history, and futures. Race lines and studies, everything. If anyone knows of a way to stop the council, it will be him and his books.”
“And you’ve met him before?” She sighs, giving up trying to get her hand loose.
“Once or twice, mainly when the new laws for the council were put into place so many, many years ago,” I answer. I sense she wants to ask more, but just then, we break through the foliage and the Librarian’s home becomes visible.
She gasps. “Holy fucking shit, this dude has a goddamn castle.”
I turn to see her gaping as she stares at the medieval castle with turrets, and yep, even a moat around it. He might be a librarian, but he sure as shit is paranoid. He even has a magically infused fence around the property at the front with ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs and ones that say, ‘Trespassers will be killed and eaten by the werewolf.’ The building itself is dark black and covered in overgrown vines, which is not surprising considering he’s a hermit. It reminds me of my childhood and my brothers, which only sends a pang of loss through me. I wonder if they are doing better than me. Do they have mates? Have they found them? Did they mess up their chance as badly as I did?
When you’re never expecting to find that one person who was made for you, you stop caring what people think, and instead, do everything for yourself.
“I have a castle,” I grumble when I see her admiration. She glances over at me.
“Wait, really?”
“Fuck yeah, wanna see it?” I smirk, and her eyes narrow suspiciously. “I have one of them right here in my pants.” She goes to punch me, so I catch her fist and back her into a tree, grinning down at her as I press my body against hers. “Just teasing, amore, don’t get all stabby. I do have a castle. I’ll show you one day, and you can hunt me around it to your heart’s content.”
“Shut up.” She tries to push me away, and I lean closer, ghosting my lips over hers.
“If—when you catch me, you promise to fuck me like you hate me?” I whisper.
“I do hate you,” she replies, her lips moving against mine.
“Try telling your body that,” I point out as I step back, letting her see she was leaning into me and free the whole time. I laugh as she throws a knife, ducking it