Page 21

The kiss is careful and sweet. Not like Mars’s fire, or Jace’s intensity. Something softer. The exact kind I need right now. And damn if that doesn’t undo me more.

When he pulls away, I open my eyes to see Caspian smiling at me, his pale blue eyes warm in the firelight.

“You’re so pretty when you get lost in music,” he says. His thumb brushes across my cheek. “I wish the world was safe enough to play music more often.”

There’s something wistful in his voice that makes my chest tighten with emotion.

He studies my face for a moment longer before tucking the bottle cap back into his pocket.

He glances at the dying fire. “I should keep the fires fed so we don’t risk more rotters stopping by to say hello.

You should try to get some sleep if you can.

” He stands with that quiet grace of his and disappears.

I watch him tend to each flame, and I feel something warm in my chest that has nothing to do with the heat from the fires.

Caspian notices everything, and he remembers what matters to people. It’s truly a gift in a world that’s forgotten how to be gentle.

A pair of glowing eyes reflecting firelight watches me from the edge of camp.

Luna lies with her body curled around the dented metal bowl that’s now filled with fresh water Caspian set out for her.

Her ears twitch when she sees me look her way, but she doesn’t move.

We’re slowly earning her trust, and I intend to be as patient as she needs.

I shift to get more comfortable on the concrete, and a sharp jolt of pain shoots through my wrist. I wince.

Mars notices. His head snaps up, and he abandons his task of cleaning his blade. He’s up and moving before the weapon clatters to the ground. He crouches beside me in an instant with concern etched into every line of his face. “Wrist still bothering you?”

“Not much,” I lie.

I don’t want to be the reason he frowns like that. The face with the laughter is my favorite look for him.

He raises a brow. “Liar.”

Dammit.

Caught. I roll my eyes with a low groan, but I don’t resist when he shifts closer. He takes my arm with surprising gentleness for such a brute of a man and unwraps the bandage.

His fingers are warm, and his touch is light. “Let me know if it hurts,” he says, his voice low and sincere. Then, with that familiar Mars grin, he adds, “I’ll kiss it better.”

I narrow my eyes at him. He’s been a big flirt lately, but it’s hard to tell if he’s serious or just joking to mess with Jace. “You’re not funny.”

“Didn’t say I was joking.”

Heat flares up my neck and floods my face. I glance away, pretending to find sudden interest in the nearest fire. Was fire always so orange and bright? Fascinating.

He finishes rewrapping the bandage, making it a little tighter this time since it came loose while I was swinging a torch around. It feels better already.

Well, it feels supported. Not perfect, but better. He glances up at me with a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” I ask, puzzled.

He glances over his shoulder at the scorched edge of the camp, where rotter blood still stains the dirt. “Whistling earlier. I was just happy, you know? Didn’t think anything of it. Should’ve stayed alert. Should’ve noticed I was being followed by every rotter in the area.”

“You were happy?” I ask, surprised .

His pitch-black eyes find mine. It’s so odd to see happiness there, yet it somehow fits him perfectly. “Yeah. Because of you.”

Happy. It’s such a strange word here. No one says it anymore. Hearing it from him almost makes my throat close.

My breath catches. Not in panic this time, but in something softer. It’s the way he says it, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Like the admission costs him nothing, though I know better. Mars hides a lot behind those smiles.

“I thought I was doing something good and helping you. All I wanted was to make you stop shivering, and my flannel wasn’t doing the job,” he says with a sadness to his voice

His gaze drifts over his flannel shirt I’m still wearing. It’s wrapped tight around me, hiding how almost half of my tank top is missing now, so the fabric is only enough to cover a couple inches below my breasts.

He continues, “I wanted to give you something better, even if it was just a damn blanket.”

“You were, and you did,” I say, my voice soft.

He sighs and reaches toward where the bloodstained blanket had been before he threw it into the fire. “I’ll get you another one. A better one. One that smells like flowers and doesn’t come with undead party crashers.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Thank you, my favorite planet.”

Then, unable to help myself, I lean in and kiss him. It’s only for a moment, but it’s not long enough. When I pull back, his hand rises to brush a lock of hair from my face. There’s a new kind of light in his eyes. It’s softer than fire but just as warm.

“Anytime, my favorite season,” Mars says, his voice husky with promise.

I look over at where Caspian is trying to get Luna to play fetch with a big stick, but she refuses to move. Jace is still lost in the shadows, but I remember how he was here for me recently when I needed him most. He didn’t abandon me, despite the distance he so badly insists on keeping.

Three men who put their whole lives on hold for me.

Yeah, I am absolutely fucked. And the worst part is…I don’t even want to stop it.