Page 109 of Scavenger's Oath

This is the first time I’ve been totally alone with him since the attempted name-carving. The first half of that encounter was earth shattering but my body only remembers the fear he induced after.

“You're not in Zane's room,” he says in a friendly tone.

My stomach drops with the reminder. So, I don't answer right away, afraid my voice will give me away.

“I didn't think I should be,” I say quietly. “He’s been acting kind of weird.”

Myles narrows his eyes slightly, something flashing there,almost satisfaction, but he hides it fast.

“Yeah,” Myles scoffs, something smug in his tone. “He usually follows you around like a lost puppy. Always checking on you like you're gonna run. But you and I know you’re not going anywhere,” he chuckles as he steps forward slowly and tosses the peaches down on the coffee table.

It clatters loudly and I jolt, the blanket slipping off my shoulders again.

Myles inhales and raises both hands as if surrendering. “I'm not gonna hurt you,” he grinds out, annoyed. “Relax.”

Idon'trelax. He almostdidhurt me. Only last week.

Now he’s acting suspiciously nice, and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.

“I'mnot, Ivy,” he insists, tension rising in his voice. “I swear to God.”

I only nod.

He exhales harshly and backs off a step, dragging a hand down his face. “Shit. That's not how I wanted… I just… I brought you that 'cause I thought it might make you smile or some shit.”

Glancing at it again, Idon'tsmile.

“I don't know how to do thissoftshit,” he grinds out.

He huffs and grabs the chair across from me, spins it around and drops into it backward. Arms resting on the chair’s back, he stares at me as if I'm some puzzle he's trying to solve without the box.

The white shirt pulls tight across his broad shoulders and my traitorous eyes trace every contour of muscle and lines of ink before I can stop them. Heat rises in my chest—desire and dread tangling until I can’t tell them apart.

“You know, I haven’t seen Zane act like this in a long time,” Myles says after a moment, dropping the ‘nice guy’ act completely. “He's kinda acting like he’s pissed off.”

Myles’s lips tug at the corners. I know he’s trying to bait me, but I hate how my chest tightens anyway.

“I noticed,” I say dryly, refusing him the satisfaction. If Phoenix can order him around, maybe I can too. I just need to be firm, and Myles will submit like when we were in the showers.

His smirk widens, and his voice drops lower. “I thinkhethinks you did something wrong. Or maybe… he's finally realising you're not his to protect anymore.”

That hits harder than I expect, like a slap across the face I didn't see coming. My throat tightens and I swallow past the painful lump.

“You don't know that,” I murmur.

He shrugs, eyes never leaving me. “He’s barely even looked at you, Ivy. Not once. That's not like him. He’s usually glued to your hip like a fucking shadow.”

Wrapping the blanket tighter around me, my eyes burn, and I bite the inside of my lip hard enough to taste metal.

“I didn't come here to make you feel worse,” he says, suddenly softer. “I just… look, I thought you might want a sweet treat.”

He gestures toward the peaches like there's some kind of redemption. I frown at them.

“I don’t,” I snap, the words sharper than I intended, but I double down. “Just leave me alone, Myles.”

He freezes. For a second I think—and hope—he’ll obey.

But then he straightens and throws his head back, laughing loudly. “Nah, I think I’ll stay for a bit.”