Page 162 of Balance

“What does she think about me?” Damen asked, not forgoing the opportunity to make everything about him.

I rolled my eyes, pushing past him.

“Ow, shit, Julian,” he protested, stepping back and pressing a hand against where my arm had brushed his chest. “Are you sure you’re not trying to kill me?”

“No.” If I killed him, it wouldn’t be like this.

Besides, I’d just spared his feelings.

Titus’s face was easy to read, and so was Bianca’s… One of my favorite pastimes was watching her when Damen was acting like a moron. It would be cruel to clue him in this early.

I wasn’t that heartless.

I turned to Titus, moving on from Damen’s ego. “Okay, try it.”

Titus was already shifting before my short sentence was finished. Then he was a dragon, his large, reptilian body twisting through the space, tail swishing behind us as he stood alert and closed his eyes. Even Damen, who’d been about to butt in, remained silent as we watched the dragon suck in a breath, whiskers swaying with the movement.

A long moment passed. Even the air stilled and the rustling leaves quieted. For the first time since our journey began, my heart began to race in excited unrest.

It hadn’t taken him this long before—and now that we knew what he was doing, hope began to swell in me. This was a good sign.

But then blood-red eyes flashed open, and my heart sank as his face lowered to the ground, defeat heavy in his frame.

Nothing yet.

Damen grumbled, glancing away. My stomach twisted. My disappointment wasn’t only for my own sake and worry, but for Titus’s crumbling and spiraling state. Of course, I wasn’t a shifter. But from what I’d heard, an unsealed mate bond created a painful time of unrest for both parties.

Whatever we were going through, he had to be feeling Bianca’s loss ten times worse. I hoped we’d find them soon: an unstable dragon was a dangerous thing.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Bianca

Grounded

Miles trailed along after me, dragging a branch in the dirt behind him. Originally, when he’d chosen the walking stick, I assumed his injury was acting up. However, his pain seemed to be forgotten in the wake of his sudden interest in beingoverly communicative.

“—and that was my first kiss. I was only eleven, but my grand-père used to say that it was good for a young man to gain experience, especially in kissing.” Miles rambled as he drew a line in the dirt behind him. “She had a pixie cut and red hair. Did you know I usually like short hair on women? It’s odd, isn’t it? Because you have long hair. I also prefer my women to be tall, but—”

“Miles, what is yourpoint?” I interrupted, sighing.

My ire had been steadily rising over the last thirty minutes, which was exactly how long it had been since he’d started reminiscing over all his past crushes.

And we hadn’t even gotten to the teenage years yet.

I’d thought Damen had been bad—I’d even requested not to know about his past fraternizing. I might have to establish similar boundaries with Miles as well.

And since when did he talk so much? Was it a family trait? Colette had been the same. Normally, I loved the sound of his voice, but my head was pounding.

Not to mention, I had no idea where we were.

But my annoyance at being lost evaporated under his relaxed demeanor. Although he’d mostly returned to his usual self, sans the abundance of conversation, there was something else different in his mannerisms. There was a change in him now—his aura was softer, more relaxed, and the uneasy lines of his face had lifted.

Miles had finally found his confidence.

He’d always been attractive, but there was something irresistibly appealing about a man who carried himself with worth. His large, imposing form seemed stronger somehow, and currently, his grin was causing my heart to flutter dangerously.

“But don’t you want to knoweverythingabout me?” he asked. “We’re together now.”