Page 31 of Traitor Witch

Typical Val.

Nilsa’s cheeks turn the most adorable pink and her eyes darken with lust for just the briefest moment before narrowing at him.

Rysen manages to grab her hand before she can reach for another pan. His thumb strokes gentle circles over the pale, exposed skin of her wrist before he speaks.

“I’d be honoured to feed from you,” he murmurs. “However, Valorean is right, we’d be more comfortable with privacy.”

Nilsa swallows, her eyes on the grip he has around her wrist.

He won’t feed from there. Rysen always feeds from the neck, where the flow of blood is strongest and freshest. It’s also the place where immortals are the most vulnerable.

Our mate is a witch, barely stronger than a human.

My beast swirls under my skin. Panic taking over him at the thought of Rysen accidentally ripping that delicate skin. Logically I know our friend would never hurt her, but my other half doesn’t see it that way. He reacts instinctively, shoving to the front of my mind without warning.

“Hole!” I cry, shoving out of my chair and racing for the wall of the ship.

Val sighs and the boards separating us from the ocean outside spring apart. I have just enough time to launch myself through the gap and as far from the ship as possible before my beast takes over and my mind is gone.

Chapter Nine

NILSA

When Casimir yells, I’m so shocked that I jerk my hand from Rysen’s grasp. My eyes follow the blur of motion which is Cas’ body as he runs head first into the wall. The air in my lungs catches as I wait for him to slam into it.

But he doesn’t.

The ship’s hull springs open. Cas launches himself through in an uninterrupted dive straight into the ocean.

I lean forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever his shifter side is, but Valorean snaps the two pieces of hull back together again before I can get a look.

The whole ship rocks as if hit by a massive wave, and Nos sighs.

Damn, whatever he is it must be big if he moved the ship just by shifting.

“I’m sure he’ll tell you one day,” Rysen murmurs from behind me. “But Casimir’s beast isn’t something you want to see without being prepared.”

Opal jumps from his arms as he speaks, slinking out of the room with her ears twitching.

“What is he?” I ask, forgoing all shifter etiquette in favour of satisfying my curiosity. “And what set him off this time?”

As one, the guys all look at Noster. The Seer doesn’t react until the silence makes it obvious they’re waiting for him to speak.

“Cas will tell you,” he mumbles, “He’s the only one whose beast you need to worry about, anyway.”

I work hard to prevent myself from asking what he means by that. I glue my lips together as I gather up the bowls from the table and head for the sink. Cas promised to wash them, but it looks like that’s my task now.

Running water on the ship is something I’m secretly grateful to Valorean for. The mage might be an ass, but his magic was the reason I had a gloriously warm shower this morning.

I’ve almost forgotten about Rysen until we’re the only two left in the room together. I’m hanging the towel over the stove when I feel his presence behind me.

My spine stiffens in that primal response that all prey has when they’re caught in the eyes of a predator.

I agreed to this. I’ve got to witch-up and deal with it.

I don’t have the guts to look at him, but I pull my hair to one side and arch my neck.

“Breakfast time?” I force a chipper note into my voice.