Page 17

Chapter seventeen

Jade

T his feeling of unease is getting annoying. I’m home. Lying on my bed, scrolling on my phone. Earbuds in, listening to my favorite Spotify playlist. I couldn’t be any safer.

There are six other paranormals here, seven counting Mal. And Brodie and Carter are both former Council Enforcers. Even Monty is a powerful mage. All in all, this house is probably the safest place in the universe.

Morgan and Sammy are human, but that’s still extra eyes and ears. If something was wrong, somebody would have spotted it by now.

So I’m being stupid. Everything is fine. I haven’t had any more freaky dreams about the fey. I haven’t contacted Flyn, so he is safe. I’ve blocked his number, so there are no messages or missed calls weighing on my conscience.

It’s all good. Except for my heart, but I’ll live. Flyn being alive and well is more important than anything. I cannot put him in danger. The risk may be small, but it’s not one I’m willing to take.

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. But it’s no good. I’m still feeling on edge. Grunting my annoyance, I pull my earbuds out and sit up.

At first, I hear nothing. Then I realize there are a lot of murmuring voices coming from the dining room. Why has everyone gathered there ?

I get to my feet. Have I been excluded on purpose? My stomach twists uncomfortably. I’m being silly. I’m sure it’s nothing.

I leave my phone on the bed and pad quietly down the stairs. As I approach the dining room, I hear a voice that I would recognize anywhere. My heart pounds, fast and strong.

Flyn? Flyn is here? But why?

I burst into the dining room, and sure enough, Flyn is sitting on the sofa. Everyone is surrounding him and none of them are looking friendly.

I rush to Flyn’s side. He sees me and the look of relief on his face makes my heart flutter and guts curl. I stand by him and glare out at my friends.

“What’s going on?” I demand.

“He tracked you down without knowing your address and turned up here uninvited,” snaps Ned.

An icy shiver races down my spine. He’s right, I haven’t given Flyn my address. I wouldn’t do that. Not without checking with everyone first. Not without being more certain about where things with Flyn were going. My found family’s safety and security is not something to be messed with.

I twist my head to look over my shoulder at Flyn. He looks up at me with a sheepish expression.

“I know a guy who can track phone locations.”

My eyebrows rise. I turn back to my friends.

“He’s explained himself,” I say sternly.

I’m surprised, I really am. I didn’t think Flyn knew people like that.

I’m taken aback that he’d be so motivated to find me.

But, this is Flyn. The most honest and sweet person in the world.

There is no way in all the worlds that he has a single nefarious bone in his body.

He has probably never even had a bad thought cross his mind in his entire life.

I look out at the sea of dubious, unconvinced expressions. My heart drops. They don’t know Flyn, so their concern is entirely reasonable.

I take a deep breath. “He is not a Revivalist. Or a hunter. Or someone employed to capture a new harem.”

Behind me, I can sense Flyn squirming. I can also sense his confusion. Most of what I just said must be like gibberish to him.

I hold my head up high and glare out at everyone. They don’t have to be worried about Flyn, and I’m certainly not going to let them do anything to him. The man is innocent.

“Do you vouch for him?” asks Red.

“Yes!” I reply immediately.

The atmosphere in the room lightens. People shift position. From one breath to another, it is not as tense as it was. They are starting to believe me, to trust my judgment.

Carter sighs. “I guess if Gray wipes his mind…”

“No!” I yelp.

Oh goddess! Flyn doesn’t deserve that. It can’t happen. It is deeply unpleasant. And the results are unpredictable. It may be selfish of me, but the thought of Flyn forgetting me is beyond awful. I can’t bear it.

I swallow tightly. “He… hasn’t. I haven’t… given him the talk yet. But he is still mine. I claim him. Flyn is my boyfriend.”

I’m shaking so hard I’m going to be sick.

I haven’t told Flyn about the paranormal world.

I’m not sure I ever intend to. As for claiming him as my boyfriend?

Oh hell, I can’t believe I’m doing this.

Where have I found the audacity? But it’s the only way I can think of to stop his mind from being wiped.

The sofa creaks as Flyn moves suddenly. I twist my neck again to give him a furtive glance. He is sitting up ramrod straight now. With the hugest grin I’ve ever seen on anyone’s face. Butterflies take flight in my stomach and I snatch my gaze away.

Lello has his hands over his mouth, and his eyes are bright. Pink is beaming. Red is smiling softly. My gaze tracks around everyone else. They don’t look quite as happy, but the mood is thoughtful, pleased. Accepting.

Thank goodness. I could cry with relief .

Blindly, I reach behind me. Flyn’s warm hand slips into mine. I pull him up from the sofa and then out of the room. I tow him up the stairs and I don’t slow down until we are in my room. I don’t breathe until the door clicks shut behind us.

I turn to face Flyn and I find myself caught in his blue gaze. We are standing alone in my bedroom, still holding hands. And I just declared to a room full of people that he was my boyfriend. He definitely would have understood that bit.

Oh crap. I try to swallow, but I don’t quite manage it. Talk about awkward.

“Sorry!” we both say at the same time.

I chuckle nervously. Flyn grins. Then his gaze slides off of me to look around my room.

He whistles. “Nice!”

Is it? I turn around and try to see my room through new eyes. It looks perfectly normal to me. A little plain and dull, if anything. It’s a good size, I suppose, and it has an ensuite.

Flyn, however, looks genuinely impressed.

I blink. I guess my perception could be skewered. While I grew up in slavery, it was on an earl’s country estate. And then I lived in a billionaire’s penthouse in London. There has been an awful lot wrong with my life, but I guess a lack of fancy surroundings has never been an issue.

“I am sorry for being a stalker,” Flyn says softly, snatching my attention back to the here and now.

I squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry about my friends. And for saying you are my boyfriend.”

He grins, flashing perfect white teeth. “I’d love to be your boyfriend.”

My heart does something strange inside my ribcage. Almost like it is trying out dance moves. How can Flyn be so lovely? So open, honest? So very confident in his own skin.

I give him a weak smile. I have no idea what to say .

“But you know, no pressure. I only tracked you down because I was worried about you.”

Guilt gnaws at me. I drop my gaze. “Sorry.” Ghosting him was a shitty thing to do.

Soft fingers brush under my chin. Gently, Flyn tilts my face up so that I’m looking at him again.

“Don’t be sorry,” he says softly. “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

Yeah, my fey ancestors might abduct and torture you as a way of getting me to open interdimensional portals and allow them to come to Earth and conquer it.

A wave of despondency washes over me. So intense it takes my breath away. But then, suddenly, Flyn’s soft lips are pressing against my own. Sensation shoots through my entire body, all the way down to my toes.

My body doesn’t wait for my mind to process. My body moans. My body kisses Flyn back with passion. Eagerness. Hunger and need. I’m acting like I want to devour the poor man.

He pulls away, just a little. Just enough to catch his breath. “Sorry,” he gasps. “I should have asked before pouncing on you, but you looked so sad.”

I grab the back of his head and shove him towards me. Our lips collide. I’m the one doing the pouncing now. We are equal. All is fair in love and war, I think the saying goes.

Having Flyn in my arms feels like a dream come true. My version of heaven. I’ve missed him. Two pathetic days and I missed him. Did I really think I could bear to spend an entire lifetime away from this man?

Because I can’t. Kissing him now is making that perfectly clear. It may be weak of me, stupid and dangerous. But I’m not strong enough to resist. I want Flyn. I need him.

Gray didn’t tell me to stay away. That’s going to have to be good enough.

A rustling noise by the door startles me. Flyn hears it too, because he breaks our kiss to look over his shoulder .

There, on the carpet, where it has just been shoved under the door, is a strip of three condoms still in their silver foil.

I hear Lello’s footsteps running away. Oh hells. This is the most embarrassing moment of my life, but Lello, bless him, has a point. Flyn would expect to use condoms. He doesn’t know about the paranormal world, let alone the whole ‘paranormals can’t carry or transmit human diseases’ thing.

My cheeks are burning. I remember Lello telling me in far too graphic detail about how he was curious about condoms and wanted to try them. I guess Carter indulged his mate, and these were left over.

Flyn chuckles warmly, and the sound eases the tension in my gut. I should have known he’d take it well.

Nevertheless, I close my eyes. “Can we go to yours?” I plead.

Flyn laughs again. “That’s the best idea you’ve ever had!”

I don’t know about that. But it’s a start.