Chapter 27

Sandwich and apple in hand, I tromp from the strange cottage to the barn. Lila and Marjie had been all but silent, shoving the sandwich at me and pushing me out the door. I do a double take. The house, the one I was just in, seemed huge on the inside.

The house I'm staring at?

Tiny. Teensy. A cottage.

I crinkle my nose, trying to shake it off. It's clear they're magical. Maybe this is normal. I have no idea what is normal here. Hell, Lesath turns into a scorpion. I can talk to animals. Maybe the laws of physics don't apply here at all. Or the laws of chemistry. Or thermodynamics. Or you know, science in general.

My feet carry me to the barn while my brain stutters on the strangeness.

Lesath's baling hay, and I pause, my eyes widening as I take him in.

He's shirtless.

I don't know what I did to deserve shirtless Lesath, glistening with sweat as he uses a good old-fashioned pitchfork to pull hay down from the second story. Muscles bunch and coil, his tawny skin mouthwatering.

New tattoos traverse his thick biceps and muscled forearms. Unlike mine, they're done in bold black, symbols and bands all warring for space across his skin.

I never thought I was into tattoos, but damn. Damn. My mouth's watering.

Lesath drives the pitchfork into a bale of hay, then slowly, like he feels me staring at him, turns toward me. Heat flushes my skin and I clutch the sandwich and apple a little tighter, pulling them close to my chest.

"Hi." It sounds woefully inadequate, so I take a step towards him, ignoring Molmith's excited scream-neigh. A little bit bloodcurdling, to be honest.

He turns fully to me, and I lick my lips. His pants are slung low around his hips, highlighting the deep v of muscles. My gaze tracks downward before I think better of it, tearing my eyes away and back to his face.

Which looks highly amused, that cocky grin fully in place.

"Sorry, I, uh. Shit." I cross over to Molmith, feeling like an asshole. The whole time I was getting dressed, I had time to remember the way I acted the morning before we got here. The way I basically begged him to have sex with me.

Molmith snags the apple out of my hand, crunching down hard enough to spray me with a mist of fruit.

"Why are you embarrassed?" A big hand reaches out, calloused fingers grazing my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Are you feeling better? I would have waited with you all day and night, but the witches kicked me out of their house."

"That house is not normal," I say, evading his question. Molmith whickers, and I rub his velvety nose.

"It is most definitely not normal."

I peek at his arms from the corner of my eye. "I like the new ink."

"Thank you. I saw you looking."

Gah. This is so awkward. SO AWKWARD. "Erm."

"I like when you look at me like that. I thought maybe…" he reaches out his other hand, placing it on my hip, and my body begins to pulse with need. "I thought maybe your reaction to me was from magical poisoning."

I clear my throat. I don't know what to say. What does a girl say to someone who she tried her hardest to fuck while she was hallucinating, high as a kite on magic? Never read that in any dating advice columns!

"You are nervous, my Ali." He traces that thumb across my cheekbone, and I turn into his hand.

"I should apologize. For how I acted. I was out of line to try and," I gulp, squeezing my eyes shut. "Demand sex."

He moves closer to me, his bare chest pressing against mine, forcing me to tilt my chin up to see him through my lashes.

"The fact you feel the need to apologize for that tells me you still do not understand how I feel about you, Ali."

My chest tightens, and his hand cups my chin, his other wrapping around my back as he draws me even tighter against him. He smells like hay and sun and sweat and his normal spice, and I inhale it, drugged with his proximity. Dust motes flutter around us, glitter in the air.

He smiles gently at me, dipping his head until his forehead meets mine.

"You are everything. Everything to me. The only reason I did not take you up on your very, very tempting offer, was because I wanted to ensure that you did not feel compelled to help solve my control issues through the mate bond. I want you to want this," he nuzzles my nose, "between us. Because you want it. Not because you think you can solve my problems or for any other reason. I adore you. Not just because fate aligned our stars, but because of who you are. I want you to feel the same way, too." One shoulder raises in a slight shrug.

"And the tattoos are working?" I squeak out. It's inadequate and doesn't really address a thing he just said, but it's the first thing that pops out of my mouth. His lush lips are very near to mine, his dark eyes glimmering with heat that promises a real, real good time.

A roll in the hay has never sounded tempting before this very moment.

"They are working, my heart. Are yours?"

I nod once, and then, because I have no self-control, I tug my free hand around his neck, drawing his lips to mine. He groans against my mouth, and heat swirls through me, threatening to pull me under completely. His tongue traces against the inside of my lip, and I moan. Fireworks explode throughout my body, tiny concussions of sound and heat and sparkle that leave me gasping against him.

His hand grips my butt, pulling me closer to him.

Something squishes in my hand against both our chests.

Lesath pulls away, blinking at me. "What is that?"

"A sandwich," I say, and it sounds breathless. I've never said sandwich so sexily in my life.

He plucks a crumb off his chest, and a piece of meat off mine, a throaty chuckle rising from his lips.

"Not what I had in mind when I was thinking of feasting on you."

My eyes fly from the mess in my hand to his face, and he laughs again, picking a crumb from the top of my breast.

"Are the horses okay?"

NO.Molmith shouts at me. APPLES.

"They're—"

"Geez, okay, I'll get you another apple."

"Fine," Lesath finishes, his eyes confused. Then he swings his attention to Molmith, then back at me. "You can hear him?"

IDIOT.

I wince, glaring at Molmith. "Don't yell at me. And that's not nice."

NEITHER IS CALLING ME MURDER HORSE.

"Seriously, that's too loud. And you liked it."

Molmith flings his head up and down, snorting.

Lesath's eyes are wide. "That's something I've never seen before."

I hug my arms around myself, the sad sandwich flopping in my hand. "It's weird, right?"

"No, no… it's incredible."

"The women back there, they said my sisters and I needed to be together. They want me to give—" I open my mouth to tell him about Cassie and her letter, but the words won't come out.

Lesath's eyes narrow. "You accepted a task from them?"

I nod, wordless.

"You will not be able to talk about it if they do not want you to." He sighs, staring at the weathered beams tracking across the barn's ceiling. "Seems I am not the only one who has struck a bargain."

"You worry too much, Scorpio. Things are in motion now." The elderly woman stands at the threshold of the barn, a serious look on her wizened face. "There is no avoiding fate. All we can do is follow it. Ali, you must leave for Westshear. Take the Scorpio with you. He's good in a pinch, and between the sheets, if my old eyes don't deceive me."

"Wha—" I start, but she raises one gnarled hand.

"Don't argue with an old lady. It's rude. You need to leave. Your sisters need you."

"We've restocked your provisions." Marjie walks through the threshold, carrying our saddlebags. "The horses should be ready to go, considering they've had three days to recover."

"Three days!" My mouth drops open. Lesath rubs his hand across my shoulder, soothing me.

"I made you a purple quilt, Ali," Lila says, appearing beside the old lady. "You had just enough room in your pack. I thought you might like it." She narrows her eyes at Lesath. "She likes color. You should make her feel more at home in that dreary castle."

A spooky feeling rolls over me, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

"Thank you for the tip, lady maiden." I glance over my shoulder in time to see Lesath dip his head in acknowledgment.

She waves away the strange moniker. "Don't call me that. Be safe, and hopefully I'll see you soon."

"Do not forget your task, wild huntress," the old lady says. "Mina and the bull are important, but so are the two puzzle pieces you'll help lock in place."

"Important for what?"

Marjie lets out a low laugh, already turning to help her mother back inside, Lila grinning at me from their side. "For the survival of Vraya, obviously."

I laugh, thinking it's a joke, but the three trudge back toward their cottage without another word, and Lesath is quiet behind me.

I wheel around, shaky and on edge.

"What, and I cannot stress this enough, the fuck?"

A hint of a grin flashes across Lesath's face before it's serious once more. "I do not know. House Hecate is a strange one. I've never met their people before."

"Do you think they're serious?"

He nods, retrieving his shirt and pulling it over his head. I try not to sigh in disappointment, but I must have shown something in my expression, because Lesath is crossing back to me an instant, taking my hand in his and… taking a bite from the squashed sandwich.

"Eat that. I'll saddle the horses and we will be on our way to Westshear."

"What about the bond?" My eyes fly wide as I realize what I've asked. For sex. Again. I shove the sandwich in my mouth to keep any more idiotic questions inside. Or at the very least, muffled by bread.

Lesath stills, a predatory light in his eyes. "Do not worry, my Ali. We will be stopping to rest at night."

I make a garbled noise, the sandwich doing its job. A sweet, persistent ache has taken up residence between my legs, and suddenly, I can't wait to curl up next to Lesath.