Page 124 of Burn of Obsidian

Without a word, he reached over, and the bands opened with little effort. Having to hold on to the headboard to keep herself from collapsing entirely, she glared at her naked wrists.

Pressure points – that was how he’d opened them. So fucking simple, yet she hadn’t been able to figure it out.

Thea turned, only to burst into laughter at his cocky expression.

“Seriously?” she groaned, content to lie against his chest when he swapped their positions. “All this time?”

“I told you only I could unlock them.”

She grinned, pressing her ear against his heart, hearing every beat.

He really was okay.

And she will be, too.

Chapter 47

Jax

“Stop sulking; it’s important that you’re here.”

Jax turned to his Alpha, knowing for a fact his face displayed nothing but militant boredom.

Riley smirked, clearly able to read his expression even if it was empty. “You know she’s fine.”

Thunder growled inside his mind, and Riley’s eyes shimmered silver in warning.

Enough, Jax warned his beast, who grumbled, but retreated to the back of his mind.

“Just because you’re mated, doesn’t mean she’s attached to your hip,” Lucifer chuckled, crossing his arms. “She’s a big girl.”

Jax shook his head, disregarding the Daemon that was supposed to be his friend. She was safe, because he continued to track her phone, cards, and even the CCTV outside her flat. When he wasn’t acting as her shadow, he wanted to know exactly where she was.

He knew it was unusual to stalk your own mate, but found he didn’t care.

“Do you think Cassiel’s going to be pissy?” Lucifer asked, clicking his tongue. “He doesn’t seem like a particularly understanding guy. Probably because of that stick up his arse.”

Xander shook his head. “Astute observation.”

Lucifer snorted out a laugh before returning to impatiently waiting.

Jax stood silent, his own patience waning quickly. It had only been a few days since he’d awoken, so he ignored each time one of his brothers glanced his way, assuring themselves, and their beasts, that he was indeed alive.

He’d done the same thing when one of them had been hurt, which was why he’d agreed to a full physical. Otherwise, they wouldn’t leave him the fuck alone. And right now, all he wanted was to be alone… with his mate.

Despite looking healed, there was evidence of arcane burns against his heart, which was how they believed he’d survived. He remembered the blade had pierced, and along with his other injuries, not even his curse would have been able to heal the damage in time. Shifting to Thunder had given him a few extra seconds, and in those seconds Gideon had hit him with arcane. It seemed the magical flames had cauterised the wound enough for him to survive.

It was the one and only time he’d ever thanked the Fates.

Riley looked up. “Ready?”

Everyone straightened, turning to the sky.

Copper wings blocked out the sun for the briefest moment before Cassiel landed with a scowl. “Mr Storm,” he said, a dark ripple within his voice. “What’s the meaning of this?”

He glanced across them all, lingering on Jax before returning to Riley.

“Gideon has the chalice, and all three pages.”