Page 45 of Secrets and Shadows

I take a step back, wiping the blood from my knuckles on my cloak, ignoring the stains. That’s the best part of wearing black—better to hide the evidence. I hear shuffling behind me and, glancing over my shoulder, I see the two idiots scrambling away down the hallway, their faces pale with shock.

Not feeling too brave now, hey, boys? Assholes.

But I stay where I am, savoring every second of the moment. I expect to be punished for the chaos I’ve caused, but the headmistress only throws me a side glance before saying, “Clean yourself up.” Then she turns on her heel and walks away, her crow flapping after her.

Well, shit.

The crowd that had gathered around us quickly disperses, leaving me standing alone in the hallway. Right as I’m about to turn and leave, my eyes catch sight of Lilith at the far end of the corridor, her arms tightly folded across her chest. And I drink her up like I’m dying of thirst in a desert.

She looks surprisingly well, considering everything that’s happened to her. But there’s a noticeable shift in her gaze. It’s not the same burning hatred I’ve grown used to—or at least, I don’t think it is. I make my way toward her, using my black shirt to wipe the blood off my face, trying to play it cool, and if I happen to flash a bit of abs she happens to notice while I do it, even better.

“Looking good, Fox. It’s nice to have you back on your feet.”

Her nose scrunches up adorably. Fuck, she’s cute when she does that. “I wish I could say the same. Why are you causing trouble?”

I’m not about to spill the truth and risk making things awkward between us. I like our relationship the way it is now—filled with hate, but also an undeniable sexual tension that Iwant nothing more than to explore. Again and again. Several times in a row even.

“If you haven’t noticed, that’s sort of my default setting…”

She shakes her head, her expression an interesting mix of concern and frustration.Awww, she’s worried about me?

“Not like this. I think you broke his noseandhis jaw. And you took a punch to the face too,” she says. She reaches a hand out to wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth, and I let her. Her touch is surprisingly gentle, and I’d lie if I didn’t admit I lean into it a bit, craving more of her warmth. I’m completely addicted. “I can’t say it wasn’t deserved, but I still feel a twinge of pity for you…”

“Is that so?” I raise an eyebrow, an amused smirk tugging at my lips. “In that case, I don’t suppose you’d be open to fucking me out of pity?”

Her gorgeous purple-flecked gaze hardens for a second before softening slightly. “No. I will not fuck you out of pity.”

“Oh? Then out of sexual attraction, then?” I push, craving more of her banter and wanting, no,needingher to go back to her earlier fierce confidence.

She rolls her eyes with an exasperated sigh. “You’re making this really fucking difficult, Vaughn. I won’t fuck you, but Iwillhelp you clean that nasty cut on your face. Unless you’d prefer to go to the healing quarters and file a report, which willdefinitelyland you in Bennett’s office.”

I tilt my head, studying her with a smirk. “And when did you become so caring, Fox?”

“When I almost died,” she admits, and I lose my smirk. “And when I saw you stand up for me.” I tense at that, wanting to downplay it, but she continues quickly, “But don’t get any ideas. I still can’t stand the damn sight of you.”

Now that’sexactlywhat I need to hear.

Even though thecut on my face is minor, I’ll take any excuse to spend more time with Lilith. Watching her get riled up is one of my favorite pastimes. Surprisingly, with her usual fiery defiance dialed down, I find myself simply enjoying her company.

We retreat to her bedroom for some privacy, and the moment feels strangely intimate, being in her personal space like that, but I try not to overthink it. The room looks like the rest of the Predators’ quarters but surprisingly bare, with no personal touches that usually tell a story.

She comes out of the bathroom carrying gauze, alcohol, and herbs, and sets them on the wooden desk next to where I’m sitting.

“You know, if you wanted me in your bedroom, all you had to do was ask. I would’ve come willingly,” I tease.

She fights the urge to roll her eyes at my comment—I can tell, I know her that well—but she doesn’t let me off easily. With a little more force than is really necessary, she presses the alcohol-soaked gauze against my face. The sharp sting makes me wince, but it quickly fades into something bearable.

“Consider this your welcome party,” she says, a hint of a smile creeping onto her lips as she meets my gaze.There she is, my fox.

“Ouch.”

“You deserve worse for being so damn irritating,” she retorts, her gray eyes focused intently on the wound. The pain almost fades into the background as I watch her. The way the faint sunlight catches her features makes her look almost otherworldly. She’s beautiful in a way that seems unreal, and Idon’t even bother hiding the fact that I can’t take my eyes off her. I drink up every little detail, desperate to memorize all of it so I can overanalyze it all later.

“Yet, here you are, enjoying my company regardless,” I say, unable to resist another jab.

She sighs, the sound exaggerated and annoyed. “Beggars can’t be choosers, I guess. It’s not like I have a lot of people to hang out with. I’m stuck with you if I don’t want to isolate myself completely.”

“Stuck, huh?” I raise an eyebrow, feigning surprise. “That sounds like a real hardship.”

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