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“The Wisteria Woods,” Casteel said, curling an arm around me from behind. “They follow the road to Padonia and all the way to the Blood Forest.”

“I forgot about them.” My gaze lifted to where I could see crimson staining the horizon. “It’s beautiful.”

“Magnificent,” he murmured, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw that his attention was fixed on me. He drew me close to his chest, and gods, I’d missed this. The feel of him—his body pressed so tightly to mine. The confidence in how his hand ran up the side of my body, and the ease in which I sank into his embrace. “I did think you’d like the view, but I also had an ulterior motive for leading you away from the group.”

My mind immediately went to very, very inappropriate places when I thought about those ulterior motives. I imagined he needed to feed again to fully restore his strength. Something which my body immediately gave its approval for with a flush of heat. “Ulterior motives? You? Never.”

His laugh touched my cheek. “I wanted to see how you were holding up. A lot of unexpected news was just dumped on you.”

My brows lifted. “Your ulterior motive is that you wanted to talk?”

“Of course.” His palm grazed the curve of my breast, causing me to gasp. “What else could it be?”

I bit my lip. “I’m okay.”

His hand made another slow, sweeping pass down my side. “Remember what you said to me in Stonehill? I said that first, Poppy. It’s okay not to be okay when you’re with me.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” My heart swelled as I watched a breeze stir the heavy stems of the wisterias below. “Secrets and new discoveries about myself don’t really rattle me like they used to.”

“I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing.”

Neither did I. “It just is. But I’m…I’m processing it all.” I turned my head to the side. “And you? How are you feeling?”

“I’m processing what all those tiny hooks in your vest are keeping hidden from me,” he said, sliding his hand over my stomach. “And the fact that it was I who clasped them.”

I laughed. “That is not what you’re processing.”

“Is, too.” His breath teased my lips. “And I’m also processing my need to rip my brother’s throat out. I can multitask like that.”

My heart stuttered. “Cas—”

His mouth took mine as his chest rumbled against my back, and that hand…it slid up over my breast until those nimble fingers, his thumb and middle, found the hardened peak through the thin vest and blouse beneath. He pinched. Not hard, just enough to cause my hips to twitch as a bolt of wicked pleasure darted from my breasts. “I don’t want to talk about him. Later, we can. Just not now.”

I wanted to know what he was thinking, but I could taste the tart conflict and confusion he felt. So, I let it go—for now. I kissed him instead, and received another teasing tug on my tingling, sensitive flesh.

“I’m also thinking about how amazing you are,” he said when our mouths parted. “You’re a force to be reckoned with, Poppy.”

The building heat cooled as that cold place inside me stirred, and the eather throbbed. I turned my head back to the valley. “I’m something, all right.”

His fingers eased from my breast. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the words to describe what it meant. It wasn’t like I didn’t have any words. I had too many. “I…I blew apart that house.”

“You did.” His hand at my hip moved then, sliding toward my navel.

“I damaged other homes.” My eyes closed as those fingers started to move over my breast. “I could’ve killed innocent people.”

“You could have.”

My heart lurched.

“But you didn’t,” he said softly, slipping his right hand past my navel. “You know that.”

All I knew was that I hadn’t sensed any pain as we left Stonehill, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t ended the life of someone innocent. That was possible. “Are you sure?” I whispered.

“I am,” he assured. “You didn’t hurt anyone innocent, Poppy.”

“Because you stopped me,” I whispered, my lips parting as he quickly undid the clasps on my breeches. The flap parted, and the material loosened. “Casteel.”

“What?”

The breath I took hitched as his fingers slipped inside the thin scrap of undergarments I wore. “You know what.”

“I know I had nothing to do with you not harming anyone innocent,” he countered, dipping those fingers between my thighs. My entire body jerked as my eyes fluttered open.

It was strange—the seriousness of the conversation and how my body responded nonetheless to the teasing touch. My stance widened, giving him more access. “How do you know that?”

“Because if that were what you wanted?” His finger dragged over the aching flesh. “If that was your will, you would’ve harmed those mortals before I could stop you.” He sank a finger into my heat, wringing another gasp from me. “You made a conscious effort to stop. I know that because I know how the essence works, Poppy.”