Chapter 35

Thirty-Five

Talon only hesitates a second before dipping his head. My eyes slide closed, and I wait to feel the press of his mouth against mine, but it doesn't come. His breath brushes against my lips, making them tingle.

I crack my lids to find his face lined up with mine, his mouth a hair's breadth away. "Talon, what are you doing?" I whisper, and my lower lip brushes against his, sending a shock through my body.

He shifts his head, his nose gliding over my cheek. My eyes slide closed again of their own accord, and I go lightheaded. His lips graze the shell of my ear, making a shiver run down my spine.

"The first time we kiss, Freckles, it won't be to make another guy jealous. It'll be because we can't live another second without tasting each other's lips. I'm a patient creature. I can wait."

Wait. What?

"Lock?"

Becks' voice breaks me out of my daze, and I rear back from Talon so quickly I almost trip over my own feet. Only Talon's arms still locked around me keep me from falling. I try to pull away from him, but he holds tight and gives me a look, which is the only thing that keeps me from blowing our lie before we've even had a chance to spin it.

Still within the cage of Talon's arms, I glance at Becks, and what I read on his face almost breaks me.

Disbelief. Hurt. Betrayal.

"What's going on here?" he asks, and I know he's hoping that his eyes are playing tricks on him, that there's some reasonable explanation for why I'm in Talon's arms. And I know that because if the situation were reversed, that's what I'd be hoping for too.

Talon chuckles, and Becks visibly bristles. "I didn't think I'd need to spell this out to you. I wouldn't have had a chance with her if you didn't pass. Thanks for that."

I smother a gasp and Becks clenches one fist, the dragon tattoo on his left arm rippling when his muscles bunch. His gaze tracks back and forth between the both of us, and he shakes his head. "No. I don't believe it."

He looks so angry yet so broken that I can't stay silent anymore.

"Becks," I say, tugging free from Talon. When I take a step toward Becks, he takes one back and a sharp pain shoots through my chest. "It's—" I can't say it's not true, because he has to believe it is. There's nothing I can offer Becks in this moment. "I'm so sorry."

Becks makes a strangled noise that I think's supposed to be a laugh, but just sounds like bitterness.

"No. I'm the one that's sorry," he spits at me before turning to stride out of the courtyard.

A pit opens up in my stomach.

It's done. I've lost him.

But he's free.

I'm still staring at the swinging doors when Ensley runs into view. She glances over her shoulder, shooting me a wounded look right before she disappears after her brother.

When I look back at Talon, he's holding his Chaos tracker and wearing a somber expression.

"It's time," he says. "This ends tonight."

The last trial is just outside of town in the ruins of the original settlement. Everton was founded over three hundred years ago and was becoming a bustling village when most of it burned down. When they rebuilt the town, they decided to go to higher ground, but the ruins of the original settlement still exist. They're open to the public during the day, and at night it's a notorious spot for secret parties or couple hook-ups. We went there on a class field trip in middle school, but since I'm not a partier and have never had a boyfriend, I haven't been back since.

I'm holding my phone hours later, trying to decide who to call or text for a ride. The original plan was for Ensley to drive me to the last trial. I've already cleared a sleepover at her house tonight, promising my parents Becks is gone for the evening, but after the stunt I pulled with Talon at lunch earlier today, I'm not even sure if my best friend is my best friend anymore. Talon's number is still programmed into my phone, and I'm sure he will take me if I ask, but the thought of being on the back of his bike again after what he said to me earlier today makes me feel a certain type of way.

The first time we kiss, Freckles, it won't be to make another guy jealous. It'll be because we can't live another second without tasting each other's lips .

Talon's words ring as clearly in my ears now as when he said them. And just like then, I don't know what to think about them. My mind is a confusing mess of contradictions and I only know one thing for sure: Becks and I are over.

Something squeezes painfully in my chest, and I rub the spot, convinced I'll carry this pain with me for the rest of my life.

My phone buzzes and I start, almost dropping it. When I look at the screen there's a text from Ensley.

"I'll be there in ten minutes. Meet me out front."

My cowardice rears its head and I consider messaging her back that I already have a ride but stop myself. I can't tell Ensley the truth, but I owe it to her to at least face her.

Ten minutes later, Ensley pulls up as I'm waiting outside with a backpack of overnight clothes and toiletries to sell the sleepover to my parents. I scramble into the car. Ensley isn't looking at me as she pulls away from the curb, and I can't help but think the red and black streaks in her hair match her mood right now.

"Do you know where you're going?" I ask, and she nods.

We drive for five minutes in silence before she breaks.

"What are you thinking?"

When I don't answer her, she glances over at me with fire in her eyes before turning her attention back to the road.

What do I say to her? "It's complicated."

She barks out a bitter laugh. "That's where you're wrong. The dragon council called a special meeting last night. They let Becks out of the life-mating all together. He isn't under a time limit anymore and they won't have any say over who he picks as his life-mate in the future. It will be completely up to Becks who he's with."

"I know," I say as I hunch in my seat, feeling about an inch tall.

"I've never seen him so excited. He couldn't wait to tell you the news. Because he wanted to be with you for real and publicly. But then he had to watch you in Talon's arms—" Ensley cuts herself off and her brow scrunches. "Wait . . . you knew?" She glances over at me again, pinning me with her stare. "How?"

Oh shoot . That was a mistake. I should have acted surprised at the news. I wasn't thinking. "Umm. I overheard some dragon shifters talking about it in the hallway this afternoon."

"No, you didn't," she says, calling me out. "And do you want to know how I know you didn't," she asks. I'm about to shake my head, but she goes on anyway. "I know you didn't overhear anyone talking about it because the only ones who know about it are the council members and my family. They're going to make an official announcement about it tomorrow because Becks wanted to tell you about it himself first."

"It must have been leaked," I say, trying desperately to hold on to my lie, but Ensley knows me too well.

"Locklyn, what did you do?"

I know I shouldn't, but the whole story comes spilling out of me. About Drake Brayden, our deal, Talon. I don't finish until we've already turned onto the dirt road that leads to the ruins.

"You can't tell any of this to Becks, ever," I say, hoping I don't regret everything I just told her.

Ensley stays silent until she pulls into a spot on the side of the road; the small parking lot is already full. She shifts the car into park and then turns it off before facing me.

"You have to tell him," she says.

I shake my head, ignoring the noises of the creatures walking by us and heading toward the ruins outside the car. "I can't, Ens. If I do, the council will take away his freedom again. He'll be mated by the end of summer."

"This is Becks' decision as much as it is yours."

"But that's the point. If I go back on my word, it won't be Becks' decision anymore."

"This isn't your fault. You have to know that. This is the council's doing. The blame lies at their feet."

I clench my fists. "I know the dragon council is a group of bastards, but if it wasn't for me they never would have put pressure on him to mate so early. That's just facts. If I have to pay the price to get him out of it, so be it."

"Locklyn, you're not the only one who's suffering. He loves you." It couldn't have hurt more if she'd stabbed me with a rusty knife. "What happened in the courtyard at lunch today, he was completely blindsided by that. It gutted him."

"He'll get over me." But will I ever get over him?

"Maybe, maybe not."

"I did this for him. Don't take that away from me, or him," I plead, and Ensley starts chewing her bottom lip.

"I don't know. This doesn't feel right."

"I know. I'm gutted too. But this is what had to happen to get him out from underneath the council's control."

"There has to be another way."

"We've spent weeks trying to find another way and there isn't. We both know that."

Ensley leans her head back against the rest and groans. "Why did he have to be named heir?"

"I don't know," I say, even though it's a rhetorical question.

Ensley sighs. "Come on, we've got to get you to the ruins. Let's just get through this last trial and put Chaos behind us, then we can try to figure something out."

I don't think there's any fixing this situation, but I still give her a small smile, and nod anyway.

Ensley's about to open her door when I ask, "Is he coming?"

She looks back at me, her eyes softening in understanding. "You might have stomped on his heart today, but you still mean the world to him. He wouldn't miss it."

I let out a sigh of relief. It's probably not fair, but even just knowing that he's going to be here tonight gives me strength.

"All right. I'm ready. Let's get this competition over with so we can all move on with our lives."