Page 68 of Primal Bonds

“That’s Fane.” And it was true, but it hurt to hear it from Jace, because if the fada were right, she was fae, too. And besides, she loved her dad—she’d just learned not to count on him.

She blew out a breath and decided to think about it in the morning. “I’m for bed.” She crossed the room to drop a kiss on Kyler’s cheek. “Night, squirt. You should go to bed too. It’s late.”

He gave a big yawn and for once, didn’t argue. “’Kay. See you in the morning.” He gathered the empty plates and carried them into the kitchen.

“’Night, Jace.” Evie gave him a smile that she hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt. Jace had closed down. Apparently, the fact that she might have more than few drops of fae was a game changer for him. “Thanks for everything.”

“Don’t thank me.” He rose to his feet. “It’s my fault you got dragged into this.” They stared at each other across the coffee table, and then he said, “Have a good sleep.”

Her heart sank. So he wasn’t coming. “You, too.” She turned blindly toward the bedrooms.

Jace sat on the living room couch as Evie and Kyler got ready for the night and then retired to their separate bedrooms.

Adric called to check on him and to report that they were still looking for Corban. “According to Zuri,” he said, “the bastard never got on the plane. It was to Costa Rica, by the way.”

“Who the fuck does he know in Costa Rica?”

“Hell if I know. But he’s been gone for over a year. Maybe he met someone, or maybe it’s someone he knew from the Darktime—one of my uncle’s contacts. Leron used to send him on secret missions. But then again, maybe he just wanted to hide in the fucking rain forest. Anyway, I’ve got every tracker in the clan out looking for him. If he’s still in Baltimore, we’ll find him.”

“Good. And Ric? When you question him, I want to be there.”

“You got it. But meanwhile, you’re the best protection Evie’s got.”

“That’s the only reason I’m not out there with you right now.”

Adric ended the call and Jace glanced toward his bedroom. Evie was probably in bed now—his bed. Jace’s cat was awake and swishing its tail.

The woman. She waits. Go to her.

Jace remained stubbornly on the couch.

Why had he let Evie see him tonight? As he’d crossed the alley, he told himself that all he wanted was to make sure she was okay. His clan wasn’t rich. Hell, they were hanging on by their fingernails, with every spare penny going toward rebuilding the homes and businesses that had been destroyed during the Darktime. Anything left over was invested in this new venture with the smartphones.

But Jace had some cash set aside. He could help Evie if she wasn’t so stubborn about not taking his money.

He sure as hell hadn’t planned to kiss her. But she’d looked so damn brave, clutching her keys like she had a prayer of chance against a man who had six inches and sixty pounds on her. And holy singing crystals, that had been some hot kiss. He’d been seconds away from stripping off her clothes and taking her right there in the kitchen.

But what the fuck was he thinking? She was a human and a fae, and he had a policy about not mixing with other races. Look where it had gotten Takira.

The wall sconces sensed the lack of motion and dimmed, but Jace barely noticed. He was recalling how happy his sister had been with Silver.

“So he’s part night fae,” she’d said. “He’s not his genetics any more than we are. Who knows how much fae we have in us? You have a powerful Gift yourself. Does that mean you have more fae than me?”

“But a night fae,” he’d growled. “Mate with anyone but one of them.”

“Oh, Jace.” His sister’s dark eyes were knowing and a little sad. “You don’t choose your mate—you just know. He’s the one. And he’s a good man. If you’d just meet him, you’d see.”

“Is this what we’ve been fighting for all these years? For the right to mate with a fucking fae?”

“He’s half fae.” She’d lifted her chin. “And I thought we were fighting for the right to live our lives however we choose—instead of as Leron’s pawns.”

“You’re right.” Shame had tightened Jace’s stomach. “Forget I said that. Go with your Silver.”

“You’ll come to our mating ceremony?”

He’d crossed the room in two strides and wrapped her in a hard hug. “Try and keep me away.”

His sister was thin. Food had been scarce for a long time. Her stomach shouldn’t have bumped against his.

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