Page 42 of Crossed Fates

“How does this explain things?” he asked.

“You know the portal near E.V.I.E?”

“Of course.”

“This ring opens up one like that, but it gives me the ability to travel back and forth through the realms.”

He inspected the ring, turning my hand this way and that. “That’s incredible.” He sounded fascinated, but then a growl rumbled in his chest and his pupils went solid black for a few seconds, alerting me that his wolf adamantly disagreed with that assessment.

When Alaric’s blue irises returned, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth pressed into a straight line, clearly irritated. Although, it didn’t seem to be directed at me, and the moment quickly passed.

Alaric released my hand, and my wolf whined at the loss of physical connection with him.

“So if you had that, how did you end up in a cage?”

I grinned. “I let Vex catch me. It seemed like the best way to acquire some answers, you know, by playing the victim. He gave me a bit with that phone call about the silver poisoning, and I’d intended to find out more, but…”

I trailed off and waved a hand at him.

“Then I happened,” he muttered. “Okay, yeah. I guess I shouldn’t have killed him.”

I gave him a small smile. “It was hasty.”

“It was,” he agreed. “I’d been focused on what I knew he could do, and I had no idea that he’d…” His throat worked, his emotions spiking to the surface.

I had no idea that he’d poisoned my brother, was likely what he’d meant to say.

All I could do was nod. “I know.”

Determination hardened his features, chasing away his guilt. “I have to find out who is behind this.”

I closed the distance between us and put my hand on his forearm, giving it a comforting squeeze. “We will,” I promised him. It was such a natural reaction. A phrase I hadn’t really meant to say but couldn’t take back.

Because we would find out who did this.

There was no alternative now. I wanted to know more about the trafficking ring. He needed answers regarding the silver poisoning. It made sense for two lone wolves to work together to discover those explanations, and whatever links existed between them, and take down those responsible.

I told him that without words, squeezing his forearm once more.

Electricity hummed between us.

We were so close, the heat radiating from his body bathing me in warmth. My thoughts clenched, butterflies erupted in my stomach, and my pulse accelerated.

Alaric’s dark blue eyes blazed with fire as his gaze dropped to my lips before lowering to my breasts and traveling back up again.

We’d been lounging beneath the water, but we were both standing now, and the depth hit just above his hips. That put every sinuous, chiseled, wet muscle on display, including the sexy V carved into his abs and framing his hips. A thin trail of hair bisected the middle, leading to…

I swallowed hard, unable to stop myself from following that sensuous path to his prominent erection.

The clear water did nothing to hide it.

Just as it did nothing to hide me.

Because we were both naked.

And very,veryalone.

Alaric