Page 81 of Veil of Shadows

Jax wastedno time heeding Bowan’s call. Within minutes, all of us were dressed and flying from the penthouse suite. Outside, the shifters transformed into their stag forms and took off through the capital’s sleepy streets.

The realm moved in blurred speed around us. I sat in front of Jax, atop Phillen, as the other males kept pace around us. We’d been in such a hurry to leave that neither Jax nor I had spoken a word to one another about what we’d done during the night.

But the evidence of Jax coming inside me again and again had been a sticky mess between my thighs when I’d gotten dressed in a hurry.

I’d used magic to whisk his seed away, but I’d hesitated initially. It was stupid. It was just sex. We hadn’t sealed our bond, and I took an annual contraception to avoid becoming with child, so it wasn’t like anything would come of it, yet wiping away the evidence of what Jax and I had done had also felt like I was wiping away the memory too. And I didn’t want that.

I wanted to remember each detail vividly, but regretfully, I made myself cleanse the remnants of our lovemaking away.

I nibbled on my lip as Phillen continued rocking beneath me. This wasn’t good. Already, my heart was beating too fast at the thought of Jax taking me again, which he couldn’t. This needed to stop. I couldn’t allow myself to become attached any further. Even if he was my mate, reality wouldn’t allow us to claim one another.

But despite knowing that, my heart was aching. Feelings were growing in me that I couldn’t ignore, even though Ihadto ignore them because he was thecrown princewho was to marry another.

Jax’s arm hugged my waist, pulling me back to the present. He leaned down and kissed me on the neck, his lips warm, and the kiss seemed so easy and natural that I wondered if he was even aware that he’d done it.

My breath stuttered as his head slowly lifted, but instead of saying anything, Jax merely straightened and splayed his hand over my stomach again. His entire body was tense, his magic pounding around him. He’d been like that since we’d mounted Phillen and had taken off.

It seemed that finding Bastian was growing into a reality, and it was demanding all of Jax’s attention even though his touches hadn’t stopped, but all of his focus had shifted to finding his brother.

I’d known it would end this way, and it only reminded me that last night was something I could cherish, but I would need to ultimately let go of it.

It was one night, Elowen. Only one night.

Bottom line, all of us were here for Bastian. We weren’t here so Jax and I could begin a scorching affair that would ultimately end in heartbreak.

The stags slowed minutes later.We were in the Wood. Soaring trees, colorful leaves, shrill bird songs, and chattering wildlings filled the space around us. Several pairs of eyes peered up at us from the brush when we finally slowed enough to see details again, and a few steps later, Bowan—who’d been leading the way—ground to a stop.

Jax slipped off Phillen, his hands automatically going up to assist me down, but I slid off before he could. He eyed me briefly, as though making sure I was steady, then turned his sharp eyes outward to assess the Wood.

I took in the prince’s broad shoulders, powerful build, and commanding presence. My lower belly quickened despite trying to stop it, so I snapped my attention away from him.Bastian. We’re here to findBastian.

In a rush of magic, all of the males shifted back to their fae forms.

Bowan pointed at the wildling trail we’d just traveled on. “He was on this trail, right here the last time I saw him.”

“There’s a stream just up ahead.” I waved down the wildling trail. “This isn’t far from Emerson Estate. I know this part of the Wood well. If Bastian got to the water, his trail might be lost.”

Jax took off, running down the trail toward the stream before anyone could reply.

All of us sprinted behind him. Wind rushed through my hair, and the scent of the Wood, heavy and humid, filled my nose. It was such a familiar, comforting fragrance.

The sprint was quick, yet I was still entirely winded by the time we reached the winding ribbon of water. Of course, none of the shifters were.

Panting, I looked for a sign of Bastian. Rushing water, rustling leaves, and the chattering of wildlings in the trees filled the Wood. It all appeared normal, and there certainly weren’t any signs of a half-breed anywhere.

Panic began to claw up my throat that we were once again so close to finding his brother, only to hit another dead end, because not even the distant sound of a fairy tromping through the Wood was evident. Instead, the only creatures within arm’s reach were in the water. Colorful schools of tiny fish swam lazily at the stream’s edge. The sound of bubbling water cascaded around them, and every now and then, one of the small fish would leap from the stream before splashing back down.

Jax crouched, his fingers going to the bank’s soil. My eyes widened when I beheld footprints in the mud. Some were siltenite, and others were hooves and paws. I hadn’t even noticed them.

“These are fresh.” His gaze sharpened across the stream.

I gasped. There were footprints on that side too, only they were cut deeper into the soil and muddier, as though whoever owned them had trudged through the stream to reach the other side.

Jax stood and pointed. “They went that way.”

My heart lurched that we hadn’t lost the trail after all.

Before anyone could comment, Jax leaped across the stream, crossing the eight-foot span as though it was nothing. The other males did the same.

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