AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His hands settled on her shoulders, so gentle and kind, and concern came through their unfinalized mating bond.
“Don’t cry, Blondie; we’ll find them. I can promise you that.”
Blinking through tears, she gave him a watery smile. “I know. I’m just happy you’re here.”
For a beat, it looked as if he was dumbfounded by her comment, as if he couldn’t understand why she’d be happy for his company. A thread of confusion trickled through their bond, but it was almost immediately followed by a cocky smugness that felt far too false.
“Happy because I’m eye candy?”
“Well, there’s that.”
Glancing away as a blush rose once more, Ava finished the last of her wine, then turned back to Remmus … who suddenly had two plates of gourmet cheesecake, one in each hand. Ava’s nose scrunched up in surprise.
“Where in the world did you get those?”
“Magic.”
Setting them down on the counter before them, he smirked before plucking a fork out of thin air. Then, he proceeded to spear a delicious looking bite and lift it to her mouth.
“Open up, wolf.”
As soon as the creamy treat hit her tongue, she melted into the luscious flavor and hummed in appreciation.
She let him continue to feed her, encouraged by her wolf who was begging for more pampering. To her embarrassment, she’d eaten all of her dessert and half of his before she caught her own error.
“That one was yours!”
Remmus laughed, waving a hand dismissively. “I rather enjoy watching you. Besides, you fed me, so I’m just returning the favor.”
When he offered her another bite, she pursed her lips together and glared at him until he gave in and shoved it in his mouth instead.
“Isn’t teleporting plates of cheesecake into my quarters a colossal waste of energy?”
“Yep.”
“So, why drain your magic for it?”
The delightful dimple in his cheek made an appearance. “Because it’s good cheesecake, and you’ve clearly enjoyed it.”
Ava couldn’t deny it.
***
Ava’s fingers traced her lips. She’d replayed the moment their bond had surfaced a thousand times since it’d formed the day before. Its beating pulse was an ever-present link to the man she’d begun to fall for, who was currently catching up on a few hours of sleep himself.
On one hand, she’d never felt more alive than when she was with Remmus. When was the last time she’d even thought about making a snow angel or going for a joyride on someone else’s bike? The Raeth had sparked something new and exciting within her, and it didn’t hurt that he was wrapped up in a tempting, delicious package.
Even when they’d been playing in the bar, his lips kissing a trail up her neck had lit a fire in her.
But her past tainted her present. Ava had trusted a Raeth before, albeit unknowingly, and the result was the destruction of her entire village. Her parents had met their ends before her very eyes, and those responsible for their deaths had celebrated their victory and bathed in her parents’ blood.
Avelina!
Each shriek of her mother’s voice had imprinted itself onto her spirit. Her parents had called out her name while they’d been slaughtered by the psychopathic killers and their son. The memory was a brand on her soul. She hadn’t been able to bear hearing another person shout her given name after that. Her mother’s dying, desperate calls came to haunt her every time. She became Ava.
Ava had run and survived. She had packed what she’d needed, the bare minimum, before tacking up her father’s two steadiest horses and left before the murderers could return and finish her. The crimson-soaked earth and the slain bodies of everyone she’d ever known stayed behind. In the next village, she traded one of the horses for currency, quickly drawing attention to herself as an unattached teen. By the time she’d gathered the coin from her horse, three men had already begun trailing her. She’d thought to outrun them, but the most valuable possession she had—her remaining horse—was unsaddled and grazing in a paddock too far to bolt to.
Ava had sprinted toward an alley, intent on hiding until they lost interest. She hadn’t counted on there being a fourth man. Hiding behind a pile of rubbish, she’d screamed when he’d grabbed her by the neck and forced her to the ground while the others gathered around him. The only reason she’d gotten out unharmed was the man who’d rescued her: Aidan.
