Page 111 of Ensnared

Axel takes my backpack and holds it open. “I don’t plan to pay any attention to what you tell me I can’t do.” He smiles. “But you seem to like telling me, and maybe making a list would be cathartic.”

I snatch the backpack out of his hands. “You’re pissing me off. If I’ve leveled up, maybe making me mad’s a bad idea.”

He grins. “No matter how much you level up, you can’t hurt me.” He taps the center of his chest. “Entwined, remember?”

I huff. “Then it’s all useless. You’ve always been the one I wanted to defend against.” If he won’t leave, I’ll escape. I grab my clothes and duck into the bathroom to change.

I hate that I can hear him chuckling outside the door. “Go away,” I shout.

“You don’t really want me to.” His voice is so soft that I shouldn’t be able to hear it, but I can. Clearly.

When I come out, my backpack full of toiletries, I scowl at him. “Why can I hear you crystal clear now, no matter how softly you speak?”

He presses his hand to my clavicle. “Entwined.”

“Stop saying that.” I bat his hand away. “And humans don’t touch women there.” Technically, it’s a little above where he shouldn’t be touching, but close enough.

“Why not?” He looks genuinely curious, his hand slowly reaching toward me again.

“No reason.” I turn to stuff my clothes into my bag. “And listen.”

“I’m always listening, as you pointed out.”

“It can’t stay like this forever, right? I mean, at some point we won’t need to be so close all the time, right? Please say that’s true.”

He chuckles. “It gets better, yes. The closer we get, the more we can stand some separation.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Our bond will force us to stay in close proximity until the bond in our lives mirrors the bond that now exists in our hearts.”

“Hearts?” I roll my eyes. “More like chests.”

“Sure,” he says. “Call it what you want.”

“I will.” I’m scowling as I walk out.

Gideon’s already holding his bag, standing at the top of the stairs when we emerge. Now it’s time for Axel to leave and shift into Azar. No one else can see that, clearly.

“I’ll check and make sure the kids have what they need,” I say. “You go see if Azar’s around yet.”

“Can’t you sense him?” Gideon asks. “How did you pass the bond, anyway?”

“It was an accident,” I say. “And I can sense him, so I know he’s closer, but it’s more art than science.”

“I’ll say.” Gideon crosses his arms.

“I’ll see the rest of you at the tower.” Axel leans closer, his head dipping by my ear. “Be safe, sweetheart.”

I know it’s just a bizarre cover, but it still makes my heart flutter a little, so I swat his shoulder. It physically makes me uncomfortable when he walks away, and I have to plant my feet on the ground to keep from following him.

“Liz,” Gideon whispers.

Once Axel ducks out the front door, my discomfort grows to actual pain. My body’s tingling, and an ache starts at the base of my skull. It’s a concerted effort not to start moving outside to follow him.

“How could you possibly be interested in a dragon? Especially one who passed your bond to that monster?” Gideon shakes his head. “I mean, they’re all monsters, but none of them compare to that red one.” His mouth twists in disgust.

“It’s not like that.” My arms and legs are trembling. I try to still them, but I can’t. Not quite.