Page 403 of Primal Bonds

Adric swiped a hand down his face. “Gods, I made it easy for him. He just had to wait for me to arrive like a spider with a stupid-ass fly.”

“He couldn’t have Seen exactly what you had planned. Seers almost never See their own futures. I had no clue Luc was outside your den.”

She raised her hands, palms up, and swallowed. Twice.

Adric crouched before her. “What?”

“My visions—I have to touch someone to See their future. And in the last week, I’ve had my hands all over you. My bare hands. But it hasn’t set off my Sight.”

“So?”

She brought her hands down, met his eyes. “So a Seer can’t foretell her own future. That’s why I can touch you without setting off my Sight—my fate is tangled up with yours now.”

Chapter 34

A hesitant tap-tap on the bedroom door dragged Langdon from a sound sleep. Pushing himself up on his forearms, he bit back a groan. By the dark gods, he hurt. Even with his powerful blood, it was going to take a day or two to completely heal.

He could almost admire Adric and that river fada female of his. They’d fought hard and well. Not that the alpha wouldn’t pay for attacking him.

Another apologetic tap-tap.

“What?” he growled.

The door opened. Jessica, Olivier’s new assistant, peeked into the darkened room, her anxiousness palpable. A recent human hire, she regarded Langdon as a cross between a monster and a god.

At all that delicious dread, his mood improved. He pushed himself up on his forearms. “Come in.”

She took a single step and halted, her slender body framed in the light from the hallway. Just for fun, he nudged her fear up a notch and then sipped at the luscious, panicky emanations.

Her dark eyes rounded. She wrung her narrow hands. “I beg your pardon, my lord. I know you gave orders not to be disturbed, but this can’t wait.”

He shoved off the duvet and strode naked across the floor. Sensing movement, a handful of fae lights glowed on, casting a deep aubergine light over the bedroom.

Jessica froze and blinked rapidly, her gaze jumping from his half-hard cock to his bare chest and back again before settling on his face. He caught a spark of arousal mixed with the fear. Interesting…

“Speak,” he commanded softly.

“Yes, my lord.” Her head bobbed up and down several times.

A pause as he waited for her to enlighten him. When she remained silent, fingers tangling nervously in front of her body, he stifled a sigh. Olivier was going to have to hire another assistant. Although she had possibilities as a toy…

“Jessica. What is so important that you disturbed my sleep?”

She started. “I beg your pardon, my lord.” She licked soft, coral-colored lips and finally got it out. “The sun fae queen is here. She wishes to speak to you.”

“Cleia? She’s here?”

“Yes, my lord. Uh…not here, exactly. She’s outside the wards, of course, but…” She shifted from foot to foot and added in a rush, “She’s demanding to see you, my lord. Captain Quade tried to put her off, but she refuses to leave without seeing you.”

His mouth pulled down. He’d expected Cleia, of course—the queen had an inexplicable fondness for her mate’s young sister—just not so quickly.

“My clothes,” he said. “Now.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Jessica scurried to obey, rushing into his walk-in closet and reappearing with a shirt and pants in a shimmering blue-black fabric. Meanwhile, he sent a message to Quade, agreeing to meet the queen in a pine grove outside the compound. Cleia might be young for a fae, but she was too powerful to allow within his wards.

That done, he selected a few pieces of jewelry—a glittering diamond pendant the size of a walnut, a couple of hand-worked platinum-and-diamond rings, a platinum watch. Jessica returned with a pair of Italian leather shoes and knelt on the floor so he could step into them.

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