Page 38 of Welcome to Bone Town

“Don’t call Lunara’s temple a hell hole.” I chastise. He has the decency to look contrite. The wrapper of the granola bar crinkles as I tear it open. “Hmmm, chocolate chip,” I mumble, nearly moaning as my whole body vibrates in excitement. “I haven’t had chocolate in weeks.” The small supply I brought with me ran out after only three days in the desert. “Goddess, I love chocolate.”

Jax, of course, hears me and snuffs a laugh against my shoulder. “I’ll dip my dick in chocolate for you everyday, if you want,” he whispers with a smile in his voice.

My cheeks feel like they’re sunburned, and I drop my face to hide my smile. He’s so ridiculous, but the thought of licking my favorite food off him is rather tempting.

He kisses the side of my neck. “Seriously, though, I’ll get you all the chocolate you want once we get out of here.Anythingyou want, little mate.”

If he keeps making promises like that, I might fall in love with him.

33

“Speaking of out,” I growl, trying to get us back on track, “I think we should head that way.” I point in the direction the cave-in would be if we were a level above still. “Maybe there are stairs or something that are still intact.”

“Maybe.” Jax says, then points his finger the opposite way. “But I want to see what that is.”

There’s a blue glow a ways down the hall that I didn’t notice. It must have been my worry for Cora that made me miss it, because I sure as fuck see it now. Is he fucking serious? Why the hell would we willingly approach some weird ass glow in an unexplored ancient temple? It’s clearly not daylight—the color tone is all wrong. I can’t think of many things that naturally glow that color. This is how horror movies start.

Jax may have been helpful in getting us down here after Archer fell, but I still don’t trust him, and every time he looks at Cora, it makes me want to growl.

Bear helps Archer to his feet while Cora picks up the torch on the floor.

“I kinda want to see what that is, too?” Cora admits with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Of course she does. She’s curious and inquisitive, something I find annoyingly attractive.

“It could be the way out.” Archer bends his neck side to side, like he’s stretching out a kink. I imagine he’ll be sore for a while after that fall. “That way seems as good as any to me.”

“Guess we’re following Jax.” Bear keeps an arm around Archer as they head off.

Seriously? Comeon.

“I’m followingyou.” I take the torch from Cora, my other hand coming to the small of her back.

My skin prickles with awareness from where I touch her, and my heart beats anxiously as we follow the rest of the group. I don’t like walking into things blind. I’m the kind of guy who wants to know what to expect. Uncertainty gets my hackles up and puts me on the defensive. But the group seems set on heading toward the creepy glow.

We barely make it a hundred feet before we’re all stopping again. A tangle of green foliage blocks the path, thick curls of plant life hanging from the ceiling like a natural curtain, albeit one too thick to just shove through.

“This is… wait, what is this?” Archer steps forward, bending to get a closer look at the vines. “I’ve never seen a plant like this.”

“Don’t you have a degree in biology?” Jax asks,holding the flashlight closer so that Archer can examine the green shoot.

“Yeah, biology, not horticult—” Archer is cut off by Bear’s protective growl.

“How do you know that?” Bear demands, turning on Jax.

Unphased, Jax shrugs and turns back to the indomitable flora. “Researched all of you.”

“What? Why?” Cora asks apprehensively at the same time as I say, “Fucking hell?!”

“Know your enemies,” Jax winks at her before tilting his head toward the three of us. “And your competition.”

“There’s nothing we’re competing for,” I say.

“You sure about that, professor?” Jax’s gaze slides from me to Cora and back to me, his implication clear. The bastard goes a step further, reaching out to gently tuck a piece of Cora’s hair behind her ear.

“Yes.” I clench my teeth and grab a fistful of vines intending to pull some out of the way. “Are we still going this way?”

Cora looks nervous.

“What?” I ask her, a little too harshly.

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