Page 35 of Obsidian and Frost

“I’m here withyou.I came here to hang out withyou.Okay?”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “I know. He’s just been… a real fucking shithead.”

“Why?”

He shoved a hand through his hair, mussing up the green parts. “I just… do you mind if we don’t get into all that? I don’t want it to ruin our night.” He gritted his teeth. “Seeing his fucking face here just threw me off—and seeing him with you. All that charming, manipulative bullshit.”

“Do you want to leave?”

He took a beat.

“No.” He gave my hands a squeeze. “It’s a big deal that you came here tonight.” His gaze raked over me in my dress, flicking down to my thigh-high boots. “And you look incredible.” Humor sparked in his eyes with a flicker of dirty, pushing through all the rest previously dragging him down. “Good enough to eat.” He bared his fangs briefly and wiggled his eyebrows.

A thrill went through me, but it collided with worry. “You know that you can’t, right? Can’t feed from me? My blood would be toxic to you.”

“Yeah. Already noted.” He shifted his weight. “I’m just fucking about. I don’t actually feed from anyone. Just blood bags to stay alive and take the edge off.”

What?“Never?”

He eased his hands from mine. “Nah, I don’t like it.”

He meant he didn’t like that aspect of himself.

And it was worrying because it was a fundamental part of his makeup.

He was so free in some ways, but there was also this that I hadn’t realized the extent of before. I mean, I’d heard his comments about being more wolf than vampire, knowing he wanted people to see the wolf as prominent, but this was something else, much deeper repression at work.

And I knew a thing or two about that.

Heknew that about me. It was all over me. Hell, it was clear as day to anyone who got even a little bit close to me.

So, that was one of the reasons he was drawn to me.

I smiled.Right there with him on that.

“Come on,” I said, taking his arm. “Why don’t you show me around this place?”

His eyes brightened. “Actually, there’s a particular spot here that I want to show you.”

“Sounds perfect.”

He chuckled and I leaned against him, holding his arm, his hand clasping me in return, as we made our way throughThe Fade.

I felt the tension leave him bit by bit as we walked through the magical space, his fingers stroking mine and warming me down to the bone.

I noticed that he was keeping to the periphery of the space, knowing how I was with crowds. It was unbelievably endearing. He didn’t even call attention to it, or make a big deal, he just did it for me.

He led us down a corridor lined with ivy and hanging crystals, past a glowing curtain that shimmered like pearls. We passed through a narrow arch formed by two twisted trees, and then we emerged in another space.

A hidden hollow.

The ground had shifted beneath our feet to something softer—mossy and deep lilac, threaded with glowing roots. Above, the stars were gentler and warmer.

In the center was a blanket of stitched leather and deep velvet, all purple. On it were two crystal goblets resting on a curved stone tray. Different music played magically—a heated, sensual beat that actually had me wanting to move to it, to get lost in it.

I looked to see Lazriel eyeing me curiously. “Will this do?”

Was he kidding? “You did all of this?”