Page 86 of Hunted By Fear

“He’s doing something outside the castle.” Bast’s voice is quiet, and I know he sees it too. The way she misses him. Of course, she does; he’s her mate, and even if they haven’t had a chance to get to know each other very well yet, they’ve mated. That’s a universal tie, a merging of souls, and right now hers is craving his.

Now I’m jealous, but not because he has this bond with her, but because he’s wasting it.

“She misses him…”

Bast’s gaze snaps to mine across the room, and I see the annoyance in his pink eyes. I know he feels it too.

Glad to know we're at least on the same page. So many stupid asses.

Kai, Asta, and Luce all with their heads stuck up their asses.

“Come on,Tesoro.” She lets Bast tug her the rest of the way to the door, only glancing back for a moment to ensure I’m still there. I won’t be going anywhere, anytime soon.

I flash her one of my panty-melting smiles, and she gives me a small one in return. I can work with that.

Thankfully, the second we step outside, it's as if all her sadness is forgotten, and I can’t blame her.

The garden is breathtaking, which is why I suggested it.

The plants are dark and deadly, with lava pools running through them the way humans have fountains and ponds, but they are lush and wild, the lava giving everything a soft glow that sets a mood.

The paths run every which way with arches that are covered in vines and fruits that I’m sure only Lucifer is brave enough to eat. Benches and lone lanterns line the paths, and I light them with a flick of my wrist, watching some of the plants that have grown a bit wild shrink back. Everything in this garden is dangerous, from some flowers able to dissolve you in seconds, bones and all, to the ones that actually eat you. The greenhouse houses all the most dangerous variants, the ones that can paralyze you, make you hallucinate, or even kill you with just a smell of their sweet scent.

Bast makes sure to explain the dangers, and I make a mental note to put a spell on the greenhouse just to be safe.

“Oh, my god.”

“You’ll find he isn’t welcome here.” I can’t help but say as I move around her and head further into the garden, turning to walk backward and watch her.

She walks slowly, looking at every little detail from the flowers to the lava pond. The smile on her face tells me this was a great idea.

She and Bast stop and look at some of the plants I don’t know shit about, and I take a second to look at my notes.

Movie night

Trip to the garden

Picnic

Breakfast in bed

I cross off ‘trip to the garden’ with a smile before I flip toward the back and add poisonous flowers to her list of likes and hounds to her list of dislikes before I start to brainstorm ways to get Lucifer and her together.

Which is why I totally miss Bast leaving and Aeri coming over to me until she snatches my notebook away.

“Hey!” I attempt to snatch it back, but before I can, she’s off, running deeper into the garden, the sound of her laughter ringing back to me.

“It’s not nice to take things that aren’t yours, Darling,” I call, but even as I say it, I can’t help smiling as I take chase.

I didn’t intend for her to see my notes, but it’s not that big of a deal, and hearing her laugh like that, I can handle the embarrassment.

I hope.

“It’s not nice to keep secrets either,” she yells back with a chuckle.

She’s got me there.

I turn the corner, the same one I just saw her disappear around, only for her not to be there.