Page 20 of Hero of Havoc

“You like any eyes on you,” I retort, rolling my eyes, and he stops dead in his tracks, grabbing my chin and halting me along with him.

All I can do is gape at him, eyes wide as I tremble at his close proximity.

“Only you,” he breathes, certainty in his eyes. “Always you,” he reiterates before he drops his hold, taking a step back, and I manage an exhale. With a firm nod, he continues, and I somehow find the strength to fall into step with him once again. Only this time, I work twice as hard to keep my gaze locked ahead, my fingers itching to trace across my chin to relive the lingering heat of his touch.

Not another word passes either of our lips as we near the Land Protector dorms. Pausing at the entrance, I consider making a run for it, glancing off toward the Fire Protector dorms instead, but fingers wrap around my wrist before I can commit.

“Come inside.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I mumble, and he shakes his head.

“I can’t have you changing your mind. Come inside, and I’ll have everyone come over here.” I gnaw on my bottom lip, uncertainty warring inside of me. “If it makes you feel any better, you can do it,” he offers, and I sigh.

“I don’t have my device,” I offer, and his eyebrows pinch.

“Why?”

I shrug. “I was lured away by pizza,” I admit.

He nods, approaching the evergreens that block the Land Protector dorms. With his hand outstretched toward me, I lock in on my earlier decision and place my palm against his.

At his side, I approach the vines, watching in awe as they unravel, creating a gap big enough for us to slip through.

There’s no going back now.

Instinctively, I feel myself leaning into Sax and quickly retract my hand, wrapping my arms around my middle once again. I can sense the disappointment, but he doesn’t mention it as he approaches the stairs.

“Is everything good with Hugo?” he asks, and I shrug.

“It’s been better,” I admit, and he nods.

“I can imagine.”

Thankfully, he stops on the third floor, distracting me from dwelling any further on my brother, directing me to the first door on the right.

He glances back over his shoulder at me for a brief moment, a soft smile at the corner of his mouth, before he pushes the door wide open and I’m offered my first glimpse into his personal space.

“Come in,” he mumbles, swinging his arm out, and I take two nervous steps before he closes the door behind us. “Let me find some clothes,” he mumbles, an air of reluctance to his words, but I don't respond, pressing my lips together in a thin line as I stand rooted to the spot.

I want to blurt out that he should stay as he is, but instead, I focus on his room so I don’t get distracted.

His walls are an off-white that complements his forest-green soft furnishings, which offer a masculine yet homey energy. His bed is off to the left and his desk under the window like mine, while access to his closet and bathroom are on my right.

The layout is similar to the other dorms in the Land Protector building and is almost a like-for-like comparison to Meadow’s room. But what sets it apart from the other rooms I’ve been in is how personalized it feels.

I'm sure most rooms in the building have green furnishings for Land Protectors, but it's the wall, filled almost from top to bottom with framed photos, that screams Sax.

Curiosity gets the better of me, encouraging me farther into the room to explore the images.

My heart races in my chest as I take in each one, from delicate baby photos next to his twin, to entire family portraits with his younger twin sisters hanging off his arm or wrapping themselves around Baron's neck.

In every picture, his smile is wide, perfectly placed on his lips, as if it were always meant to be there. Yet Baron stands grumpy and distant like always.

Seeing Greta and the girls in the images eases the tension I didn't realize was rattling inside of me, but before I can bask in it any longer, the door swings open from behind me, making me startle.

My feet leave the ground in fright for a split second as my gaze snaps to the entrance, where three pairs of wide-eyed mates stare back at me.

I feel like I can't breathe as I take each of them in, doubt nestling in my veins as panic threatens to consume me.