Page 186 of Power Shift

Three foreign jolts of desire and pure obsession shoot through me before they’re followed by a fourth, this one the strongest. I swallow when my gaze is drawn to the three healing marks showing on her skin.

Briar’s chosen to wear a pastel pink tube top that shows off her throat and shoulders and the three marks spread across them. I lean forward, gripping my knees in anticipation when she jumps off the last step.

She winks at me before spinning, her hair already held up in a clip so I can see every curve of the bite I laid on the back of her shoulder. The only one on that side of her body.

“Well? Do you think they look good?” she asks in a sing-song voice.

Ronan, Jasper, and I throw ourselves off the couch while Landon jerks to his feet, guarding the basket.

“I’ve never seen anything I’ve loved more than our marks on your body, love,” Jasper declares.

She quirks her lips. “Nothing? Are you sure?”

“Got something you want to show us to try and change our mind?” Ronan asks, his tone deep and rumbly.

“Nope. You can use your imaginations for that one, Ro.” She shifts her attention to Landon, cocking her head with a sharp curiosity while lifting a hand to press against his mark. “Why do you look so weird right now?”

Landon’s eyes flare wide at the same time we all feel her nerves.

“I could stare at my mark on your neck for the rest of my life, Haven,” he rambles.

She releases some of her worry. “So, what’s going on?”

When her eyes land on Jasper, he abruptly looks away. He’s such a shitty liar, and it’s almost comical that he hasn’t tried to get better at it by now.

I chuckle, and Briar snaps a look at me. Smirking, I offer my hand for her to take. Once her fingers are in mine, I’m linking them.

“You’ve got the pack leader still stumbling all over himself, Bright Eyes. Coming down here looking like a goddess certainly isn’t helping. You’ll have to excuse him.”

“I’ll excuse him once I know what he’s hiding,” she sasses while I spin her into my arms.

Her skirt flares out, exposing a flash of the pale skin of her thighs not hidden beneath fishnets this time. The high-top sneakers on her feet are ones I chose to slip into her closet when we set out to fill it.

I bring my mouth to her ear, keeping my voice low. “He’s hiding something for you. Go easy on him.”

“For me?”

“Act surprised.”

When I release her, she goes right for Landon. The sassy sway of her hips puts me under a spell. I dig my heels into the ground to keep from following her.

“So, do I get a kiss? You were already up and out of the nest when I woke up, so I got one from everyone but you,” she says, lip jutting out in a pout.

Landon reaches for her with ease despite his lingering anxiety. She cuddles into his chest and wraps her arms around him, squeezing tight. When she tips her head back, Landon’s already bending down to kiss her.

“We’re going to be late to see Sadie if you don’t hurry up, Landon,” Ronan says, purposefully cutting them off.

The sooner Landon gives her his courting gifts, the faster he can be proven wrong and see that there was nothing for him to worry about in the first place.

Landon pulls back from Briar and eyes Ronan with annoyance. “You won’t be able to go with us with two broken legs.”

“What’s with all the threats recently? First Thorne, now me?” Ronan palms his chest and sighs, laying it onrealthick.

Briar rolls her eyes at the two of them. “I actually think it’s kind of sexy.”

“In that case, I’ve got a few threats to make myself,” Ronan says, straightening.

I snort. “You’re shameless.”

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