Page 27 of Cursed Magic

Yet, the feeling persisted.

My wolf whined softly in agreement. But I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what and where the sensation was coming from. Nothing seemed amiss inside or out.

“Hey, I get it. Not seeing the face of the enemy is scary. Come here.” He scooted over and lifted the edge of the covers. “Lie down and get some more rest.”

Everything inside me yelled at me to oblige him. “I can’t.” I shook my head, and when the corners of his lips angled downward, I realized that I might have hurt his feelings. I continued, “If Briar wakes up and I’m not on the air mattress, she’ll freak out.”

He smiled, and my mouth watered. With his still-sleepy eyes and morning scruff, his entire essence made him delicious. He reached out and gently touched my arm. The connection between us responded immediately, sending a warm tingle up my skin. “I won’t sleep. If she starts moving, I’ll wake you first,” he promised. “Trust me.”

“Idotrust you.” When I hadn’t, it was a lot easier to fight this connection between us. “It’s just more important for you to get rest, especially since my wound has healed almost completely.”

He licked his lips, and jealousy churned in my stomach. I wanted it to be my tongue, not his. The spicy scent ofarousal wafted around us, calling my ass out. My face heated, and I wanted to cover it with my hands, but that would only make things worse.

His eyes glowed faintly, his wolf no doubt catching the scent.

I opened my mouth to argue, but the vulnerable look in his eyes stopped me. His injury was still fresh, and despite his bravado, he needed rest more than I did.

“Before you answer, just know that, after seeing you like this, there’s no way in hell I’m falling back asleep anytime soon. The best way for you to get me to rest again is to lie down here with me until we’re both calmer, and then I swear I won’t harass you when you leave to crawl back in bed with your sister.” He pouted a little, though his eyes danced with mischief.

I hadn’t seen this playful side of him before, and it melted my heart a little. Before I could stop myself, I exhaled. “Fine, but only for a few minutes.”

Ryker smiled, and he lifted the blanket higher, creating a warm invitation.

I turned and placed my legs on the mattress but didn’t lie down. “We’re keeping our hands to ourselves. Got it?”

“Scout’s honor.” He held up a hand with all fingers straight.

A faint giggle escaped before I could stop it. “It’s a three-finger salute, and we both know you were never a scout.” I moved to put my feet back on the floor, seeing as he clearly wasn’t willing to make that promise. My wolf growled in my head, but I had to ignore her.

“Stop.” He nodded toward the bed. “I promise to keep my hands to myself even if I don’t want to. Okay?”

“Okay.” My wolf huffed as I placed my legs back on the bed and scooted down. He settled the covers over me, and Iwas surrounded by the best smell in the entire world. Though our bodies didn’t touch, I could feel the heat gather between us, and before I even realized it, my eyes were closing.

The door to the bedroom banged open, startling me from sleep. I bolted upright as Ryker tried getting up beside me. He groaned, his injury still too fresh for him to move easily.

Kendric, Gage, and Xander were already on their feet while Briar gaped from her spot on the mattress as Raven strutted inside and slammed the door.

Her violet eyes were laser-focused, her gaze cutting through the room with an intensity that immediately set my wolf on high alert.

“We have a problem,” she announced in a voice as cold as winter frost. The air in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

“It better damn well be a fucking good one with how you just marched into our room,” Ryker snarled, finally managing to get to his feet.

The urge to reach out and steady him almost took over, but Raven answered, “It is. We have a visitor.”

Briar’s copper hair was tousled from sleep, and she pushed it out of her face. “Who?”

Raven’s gaze swept across the room and landed on me. “Someone who wants to speak to Ember alone.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ryker’s body went rigid, his muscles coiling as he prepared to strike. “Who is it?”

My heart thundered, and sweat pooled in my armpits. The way Raven’s lips pressed together and she straightened her back had my stomach in knots.

Flipping her long black hair over her shoulder, Raven leveled her gaze at Ryker. “I understand that you’re smitten with her, but the specifics are none of your business, seeing as they requested to talk withherand notyou.”

I sucked in a hasty breath and almost choked. I’d never seen her have an attitude with any of the shifters before. I hadn’t expected it.

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