but I can’t remember anymore. It wasn’t important. There’s a sudden current of energy zapping into my body. It feels like I’ve been hit by lightning, but the power of the bond is stronger. It gives me the endurance to withstand the blast. Eventually, the zing fades into the background too.
I’m about to tear Aurora’s pants so I can plunge my cock inside her hot pussy when rough hands yank me away from her. At once, the savage beast mode takes over. I roar at the motherfucker who dared to interrupt, fangs bared and ready to shred him to pieces. He looks familiar, but I don’t care. I pounce, hitting an invisible barrier that sends me flying in the opposite direction.
I hit my head against something when I fall, which stuns me for a moment. The lights hanging above me are blurry. Or are they stars? They look like pesky fireflies. The buzz in my ears is annoying as hell too. Suddenly, Aurora’s face appears in my line of vision. I smile, reaching for her face.
“Not now, Sax. Quickly, drink this,” she urges me.
Then she shoves something into my mouth. A bitter liquid hits my tongue, almost making me gag. She keeps the vial against my lips until I’ve drunk it all. At once, a familiar numbness takes over my body, and at the same time, my mind becomes sharper. She moves away, giving me room to sit up. There’s a small crowd around us, staring, pointing, gossiping. But the only people I recognize are Aurora, Rikkon, and Aurora’s younger sister. Wait. Why is she here?
“What happened?” I ask.
“You and Aurora went crazy,” Rikkon answers.
Slowly, the memories of what we were about to do return. Damn it. I almost fucked Aurora in the middle of the market. She must hate me now.
“Can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?” her sister asks.
Aurora steps in front of me with her arms crossed. I think she’s trying to cover the top I’m sure I tore open.
“Not until you tell me what you’re doing here,” she replies.
The teen makes a face that spells guilty. We don’t get to hear her answer, though. Lucca and Vivienne arrive just then, and it’s clear they have something important to say.
I jump back to my feet with my body already tense. “What now?”
“You need to get Vivienne and Rikkon to the institute at once. Jacques is here and he’s not alone,” Lucca says.
Of course. When it rains, it pours.
22
Aurora
“What do you mean I have to take them back? What about you?” Saxon asks, clearly not happy with Lucca’s orders.
“I’m not running away from Jacques. If he wants a fight, he’ll get one.”
“Oh, that’s fucking stupid. You can’t turn the Nightshade Market into a war zone. Do you know how many mages and witches are here? They would hex you so hard it might send you back into hibernation.”
Vivienne steps closer to Lucca. “No. He can’t go into hibernation again.”
“I’m not a coward. I’m not running away,” Lucca replies through clenched teeth.
“What if we hex the crap out of Jacques?” Miranda suggests.
“We can’t attack him unprovoked, especially you and me. We would be breaking the Accords,” I retort.
“He doesn’t need to know the hex came from you,” Rikkon suggests. “Can’t you cast a spell from afar?”
Miranda glances at him with a mischievous smile on her lips. “That’s a great idea.”
“What’s the fun in that?” Saxon whines. “That’s sneaky and cowardly.”
His remark should annoy me. We’re trying to avoid a major conflict here and save lives. But even under the effects of the potion, he beguiles me like no other. He’s my mate all right, but there’s more to the feeling than just ancient magic. The warmth that spreads through my chest when I look at him feels natural, real. Oh God. I can’t be falling for him. When we break the bond, I’m marrying Calvin.
At least the aches are gone. I’m glad that I had the foresight to bring the potions with me. I don’t know what would have happened otherwise. I pull the lapels of my jacket closer together. Saxon ripped it open in his lust-infused frenzy, and now the zipper is busted.
“This is not a show, Sax,” Vivienne retorts. “It’s life-and-death. I’m not risking Lucca’s or Rikkon’s lives so you guys can dick around in a testosterone contest.”
A chilly, unnatural gust of wind licks the back of my neck, making me shiver. I glance over my shoulder, certain that I will find someone