Page 353 of Primal Bonds

“Then I’ll wait for you outside.” He pulled on a cashmere sweater. “I’m not letting you out there alone. The night fae have you in their sights.”

She sheathed a second dagger in her other boot—her mate-gift from Fane—and laced the boot. Her custom-made iron switchblade was already in her pocket.

“They haven’t caught me yet.” She rose on her toes to kiss him. “And the sun will be up soon.”

He caught her arm. “I’m not asking your permission, Jani. You’re not going without me.”

She narrowed her eyes. Her easy-going mate rarely put his foot down, but when he did, he was as immovable as a boulder. A large, house-sized boulder.

However, she was the Baltimore second and Fane was now a clan member. Which meant she outranked him, although his place in the hierarchy was…fluid. On the other hand, was it worth a fight? She hadn’t been mated long, but she was learning compromise was key, especially with two people as different as her and Fane.

“I’ll only follow you anyway,” he added.

She expelled a breath. “I’m leaving in two minutes.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m a wayfarer, love. I’ll be waiting on the surface.” There was a blur of motion, and then their bedroom door opened and she was alone in the room.

Her lips twitched. Sometimes she forgot how fast he was.

She grabbed her leather jacket. Time to stop her brother before he did something stupid.

Chapter 20

When Adric awoke just before dawn, Rosana was curled up in his arms, their bodies spooned together. He watched over her shoulder as she turned the amethyst pendant in her fingers, examining it like it was a fucking diamond.

He nuzzled her temple. “You really like it.”

“Well, yeah.” She rolled over to face him. “You gave it to me.”

She had that soft, open expression that hit him like a fist to the chest. Didn’t the woman know how to protect herself?

He swallowed and touched the pendant so that he didn’t have to look at her face. “You’re not what I expected either.”

She circled his nipple with a fingertip. Petting him again. Like she couldn’t get enough of him.

“What did you expect?”

He shrugged. “A brat. You’re the alpha’s baby sister.” He only just stopped himself from saying spoiled baby sister.

The hand on his chest stilled. “Doesn’t mean I got a free pass. I worked my ass off in the training cave, and I made warrior with the rest of my cohort.”

“I know.” He captured her fingers, kissed her knuckles. “That’s what I’m trying to say. There’s more to you than I expected. You’re smart, tough. Good in a crisis. And sexy as hell.”

A roll of her eyes. “Thanks.” But she resumed petting him.

Tracing his collarbones, teasing his nipples, bumping a fingertip down each rib. He closed his eyes, drifting in a satiated haze, until she touched his pendant.

“Your quartz—there’s a swirl of green inside.”

His whole body jerked—an instinctive reaction. He yanked it away from her.

“Oh, gods.” She clapped a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

He gave a taut nod. Only another earth fada could know how bad it hurt—worse than a knee to the balls.

“It’s all right. But nobody touches our quartz except family.”

Or a mate.

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