Page 69 of Fated

“Watching you handle that gun back there was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

I froze, his words igniting a spark deep inside me.

My entire body reacted to his nearness in ways beyond my control. Heat flooded my face, my pulse racing so wildly it felt as though my heart might burst right out of my ribcage. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if Ash could hear it—if he knew the effect he was having on me.

The doors slid open, snapping me back to reality. I bolted inside, freeing myself from Ash’s spell. The cool air of the arena hit my skin as I took off into the maze, the blue glow guiding my way. At first, there was a palpable relief from the break in contact between Ash and me, but it was quickly replaced by an aching sensation growing with every step away from him.

“You are going to want to stay very close to me.”

His words echoed inside my head.

I moved through the maze, but with every step, the pull toward Ash grew stronger, my body desperately begging to return to him and close the distance between us.

Was the sensation merely the result of his mind control, or was it something else entirely?

Did it even matter anymore? I couldn’t find it in myself to care what was causing me to crave his nearness. Whatever it was, nothing had ever felt so good—and so unquestionably right.

“Sixty seconds untilgame begins.”

Forcing away those thoughts, I attempted to focus on the game. Following the blue-lit path, I reached the pedestal and scanned the area. Ash was nowhere in sight, so my attentionshifted to the two illuminated paths ahead, choosing the one to the right.

Hurrying down and around the corner, I memorized each turn, creating a mental map. Hopefully, the other team’s side would be a replica of this one.

Reaching a set of stairs, I climbed up to a platform overlooking the dividing line between the red and blue zones.

“Game has begun.”

I needed to find Ash. We could strategize. One of us could stand watch up here while the other ventured into enemy territory to search for the orb.

Just as I turned to head back and find him, a strange sense of direction pulled me toward a path, as though some invisible magnet was urging me forward. I leaned into that sensation, following the growing tug until—I ran right into his arms.

“Easy, princess,” he purred.

How the hell was I supposed to make my brain work with him stealing my breath every time he opened his damn mouth?

I pushed down every distraction and focused on my words. “There’s a platform above; one of us should stand watch while the other goes into red territory and looks for the orb.”

“Lead the way,” he said, motioning ahead.

I turned and took the path I’d memorized back to the large platform, acutely aware of Ash’s presence behind me. When we reached the top of the platform, he nudged me. I looked up to find him peering down the barrel of his gun, focused on something. Following his gaze, there was only darkness.

“Do you see someone?” I whispered.

He nodded, his eyes still trained on the blackness ahead.

“You can see in the dark, can’t you?”

He nodded again.

“That’s cheating.” I elbowed him.

“Do you want me to shoot Keo or not?”

My competitiveness quickly overpowered any sense of fairness, and I eagerly nodded.

Ash fired, and immediately, the red lights on the other side of the arena began to flash, accompanied by a loud blaring alarm.

“Red team deactivated for sixty seconds.”

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