Page 101 of Bellamy

I sat beside him afterward, my hand in his. Like always, his body temperature burned hotter than mine. I leaned forward and pressed my face against his arm, breathing in his woodsmoke scent. My thoughts were all over the place.

I wanted to be with him. I wanted to trust him. But was it possible to regain what we’d once had?

“I’m not giving up on you,”Phoenix had told me.

In that moment, I made my decision.

I chose not to give up on him either.

***

I dreamed I was sitting on the shore watching as the ships came into the harbor. It was a dream I’d had so many times and a memory Belphegor had tapped into and used against me. But this time, I didn’t feel that same desperation to escape.

I felt… at peace.

“Do you still want to leave?” someone asked.

I looked over to see Phoenix. His dark auburn hair ruffled in the wind, and an easy smile lit up his face.

“Not if you’re here,” I answered.

The scene around me distorted, then changed. I was no longer at the harbor. Instead, I was in bed, my arms around Phoenix as he rode me beneath the sheets. I kissed his chest as his fingers moved through the back of my hair.

“I don’t want to leave either,” he murmured in my ear. “I want to stay with you forever.”

The dream faded away as I opened my eyes to the morning sun streaming in through the arched windows. My cheeks were wet, and I wiped at them, confused. The sheets rustled beside me.

I had slept in Phoenix’s bed last night. After making my decision that I’d try—for a second time—to be with him, I couldn’t bring myself to leave his side.

He was still asleep. And gods, he was beautiful. I traced the line of his jaw before gliding my fingers down his neck. I missed his collar being there. Not because I wanted his magic suppressed. I had liked seeing the collar there. But what I’d liked most? The way his eyes had softened when he touched it, not knowing I was watching him.

“Meeting downstairs,”Alastair projected into my head.“It’s about our mystery stalker.”

“This early? I just woke up.”

“There’s coffee.”

“Fine.”

I slid out of bed and pulled on my jeans. After looking at Phoenix for the millionth time, I quietly slipped from the room and walked downstairs. I met Alastair in the kitchen and poured a large mug of coffee, adding a splash of milk and some sugar before taking that much-needed first sip.

“I hate you,” I told him.

“No you don’t.” Alastair stirred sugar into his tea.

The others joined us soon. They looked just as tired as me. All except for Gray. He was always on the hyper side after first waking up, but that energy normally tanked fast. We gathered in the living room to discuss the person we’d sensed watching us.

“I’ll go after them,” Castor suggested. “I can drag their ass here no problem.”

“Don’t make me strapyourass to a chair,” Kyo told him. “You’re not healed enough to fly.”

“Come on, little dragon,” Castor whined. He kissed the top of Kyo’s shoulder, then paid the same attention to the cherry blossom tattoo peeking out from the V-neck collar of Kyo’s shirt.

“That won’t work on me,” Kyo said. “I know all your tricks, Red.”

“You’re not going,” Alastair interjected. “We don’t know who it is or even how many there are. Could be one person or dozens. Your wound is mostly healed, but you’re still not at your full strength.”

“I’m the tracker of the group,” Castor said. “Let me do my damn job, Al. Let me go after the motherfucker.”