Page 75 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

“Speaking of fish,” I said, dropping the pile of sticks at the entrance to our hideaway. “Did I watch you catch that with your teeth?”

Jase looked at me blankly. “Have you ever tried to swim with a fish in your hands? No. I didn’t catch it with my teeth.” A smile crept across his face. “I could have, though.”

I smiled at his playfulness. I’d never seen this side of him. His tough demeanor was slowly softening. He was in his element out in the wilderness—seemingly more at ease here than I’d ever seen him before.

I watched intently as he effortlessly started a fire. “Where did you learn to do that?” I asked as he tended the delicate spark, blowing at its base ever so softly, coaxing out a flame.

“Finn and I spent countless nights camping in the woods. It was a reprieve from our father’s never-ending lessons.”

“You and Finn? Are you two close?”

“Finn is more than just my brother,” he paused, gutting the fish. “He’s my best friend.”

“I can relate to that.” I nodded. “My sister has always been my best friend. When our parents died, she became my everything. I owe my life to her.” My heart winced at the thought of Gwen. We’d never been apart for this long. “I miss her.”

“Here.” Jase handed me a stick skewered with fish, motioning to the small fire. “Work on this one while I gut mine.”

“Do you really think we’re going to pull this off?”

“Did you make this journey with doubt in your mind?”

“Life’s about taking chances— even risky ones. If I hadn’t taken a chance with Gwen, I wouldn’t be here in Hiraeth now.” I paused, thinking back on all we had been through in such a short period of time. The entire trajectory of our lives had changed in a matter of weeks. “My life has been filled with difficult choices. Some downright scary, with no guarantee of a happy ending. The ‘treatment’ for what you call Tribulation in my realm is to blindly trust your ‘healers’ while they pump you full of poison, hoping it might kill off the cancer before it kills you.” I reached up, feeling the lumpy port still embedded under the skin at my collarbone. “I guess I’m used to jumping into the unknown, hoping it works out.”

“What were you just rubbing at?” he asked, pointing at my chest, his brow furrowed.

I placed his hand on my scar, allowing him to feel the device still implanted beneath.

His eyes widened. “What is that?”

“It’s called a port, where the doctors—healers—would administer my so-called ‘medicine.’ It was supposed to reduce the number of times they had to stick you with needles.”

“Seems barbaric.”

“To be honest, it was. But in my realm, it was the only option I had. Well, that or death.”

“Sounds like we’ve both had to make a few questionable choices along our way.” He offered a knowing smile and continued on. “I spent my childhood in Mathenholm. I know every hidden passageway, every dark shadowed nook and cranny. I could navigate her halls in complete and utter darkness. That has to offer us an advantage. Besides, Johan’s guard is no match for my shadows. We’ll succeed, Mic. Of this I’m certain.”

“Your confidence is all I need.”

“Good! Now eat your fish, and we’ll get some rest. We have a long day before us.”

Jase collected a few low-lying evergreen branches to pad the floor of the den. That, paired with the small blanket I’d tucked into my belt, would have to suffice.

“It doesn’t look very comfortable, but it smells lovely,” I said, trying to find something to take my mind off what loomed ahead.

“You brought a blanket?” Jase asked, his brow rising in question.

“What? I get cold.” I hadn’t grabbed much before we left, but it was getting cooler outside, and a blanket seemed like a necessity.

The den forced us to share a tight space. We could lie flat, side by side, but there was no getting away from each other. Jase laid beside me, resting on his elbow before pulling me back against his chest.

“I can think of much more effective ways to warm you.” His words tickled the shell of my ear, instantly heating the part of me he’d ravished that night in front of the window.

Was this an invitation? My interest piqued. Feeling bold, I challenged his offer. I pushed my hips back, pressing my assagainst him. A low, growling vibration emanated from his chest. Before I could react, his arm was turning me onto my back.

He had a way of making me fearful and excited all at once. My heart was pounding. Nervous energy coursed through my veins as he slid his hand up my body. He tilted my chin toward his own, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. His icy blue eyes held my gaze, dropping to my lips before he leaned down gently sealing his to mine. It was soft and sensual, as though he were testing the waters—seeking some form of nonverbal consent. The heat of his breath mixed with my own as I parted my lips, deepening the kiss. Jase had never shown me this kind of intimacy. The night at the window was something altogether different.

His hand was in my hair, gripping the back of my head to pull me in closer. We were lost in the moment. Consumed with lust. What had started out as a soft sweetness quickly devolved into fevered need, feeding that starved piece of our soul.

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