Page 21 of Lower World

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“I mean her no harm.” He snorted, glancing at me sideways. “She’s annoying like a pest, but I will not hurt her. She’s earned my respect without your threats.”

“I didn’t threaten you. I was just telling you.”

“And anything coming from an Atua mouth is worse than a threat.” He winked, softening the insult. Well, I couldn’t take offense if it was true, so I said nothing. “Now feed.”

My heart jumped to the roof of my mouth, rattling there. Dominic held my eyes as he tilted his head, offering me his neck. Stunned, I could only stare at him. His green irises began glowing softly, his animal coming to the surface and giving permission as well. I wanted nothing more than to sink my fangs in his throat, but we were in a bedroom with the door closed. And I still remembered that kiss, which brought his taste on my tongue just thinking about it. With that in mind, I reached for his wrist, bringing it to my lips without losing eye contact. I paused, waiting to see what he would do. If he got offended, he would tell me to fuck off and walk out.

I held my breath.

Dominic gave me a nod an eternity later.

As my fangs penetrated the skin on his wrist and his blood filled my mouth, sliding down my throat, I closed my eyes and wondered. How long would I be able to resist the shifter?

How long before I fell to temptation and doomed us both to a fate worse than death?

13

“Idon’t understand why the jerk doesn’t shift back,” Alice told me as soon as I stepped inside the kitchen. “Dude, I know you’re not a dog. Just shift so I can understand what you are saying, or I swear to God I’m going to hose you down with ice-cold water.” She was shaking her fist in the wolf’s face. “And I’ll stick a large thermometer in your ass, don’t think I won’t, because I do have one.”

The wolf sat on his haunches, his head tilted to the side, giving her puppy eyes. Dominic was hunched over the table, covering his mouth with a hand, but the wrinkles around his eyes and the laughter dancing in their green depths gave him away. His shoulders were shaking, too.

“Maybe he still needs to heal?” I offered, hoping to help the mongrel. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t shifting either, but until I was sure he wouldn’t hurt her in any way, I was good with him staying a wolf. It was easier for me to judge his actions that way, plus it would be easier on Alice as well.

“I’ll give him something to heal, aright, if I seriously shove that thermometer up his ass.” She huffed, planting her fists on her hips.

Dominic laughed.

Throwing his head back, a deep belly laugh bust out of him, sending butterflies in a frenzy inside my belly. I could feel his blood in me, the power in it different yet as potent as mine. Heat crept up my neck, warming my cheeks as he turned to me, his mirth-filled gaze dancing on his handsome face. The knowing look he gave me made me turn to stare at Alice. Both of them had changed just as I did when I woke up.

We no longer resembled apocalyptic refugees, thank the fates.

Alice had a black tank top and a two-sizes-too-big white shirt on, paired with dark blue jeans ripped at the knees. She rolled the sleeves up to her elbows, so they didn’t dwarf her hands, no doubt. Her hair was freshly washed, falling in soft waves around her shoulders, and they must’ve found her glasses because they were perched on her nose with white tape holding one of the handles in place. At least the lenses were not broken. I knew it bothered her when she didn’t wear them.

Dominic, on the other hand, had a grey t-shirt, a size too small, stretched over his large frame to the point of bursting at the seams. My eyebrows crawled up when I saw the black tactical pants hugging his powerful legs, but I said nothing. The place had a couple of large bins full of clothing in various sizes that were placed there just in case, or so Alice said. She never explained in case of what, and we didn’t ask. The shifter’s hair was also freshly washed, and I gulped when he stabbed his fingers through it, brushing it off his face. He even shaved, although the shadow from his facial hair remained dusting his jaw. The dimple on his cheek winked at me, telling me I’d been staring too long, and I jerked my gaze away. Both of them seemed better rested, which was good.

I felt much better, too.

The ping in my lower belly reminded me I felt better because of Dominic’s blood. That and the magic Alice performed yet again. Skirting around the wolf planted in the middle of the kitchen, I creeped up to a chair, lowering myself on it as far away from Dominic as I could.

“They do that to cats too, you know,” I murmured to the shifter and grinned when he bared his teeth at me. “Just stating facts.” I lifted both my hands in a mock surrender.

“We can try to see if it works on Atua anytime you want,” Dominic grumbled, not too happy about my snark.

“You checked her temperature by shoving your tongue down her throat yesterday.” Alice snickered like a hyena. “Damn boy, that was really hot, if I can say so myself.” She fanned her face, grinning at Dominic like a fool.

My face was on fire.

It was worse than the pain I felt when I woke up on the train.

“You can’t say anything yourself and let’s focus on our situation instead of stupidities.” I regretted my choice of words before I was done talking, but it was too late.

The cheeky smile disappeared from Dominic’s face, and I missed it the same second. Alice was also glaring at me like I’d just kicked her puppy, which made my stomach dip, and I felt sick. It was almost as if I could feel the disappointment thrumming through her like it was my own. Which was crazy because Atua didn’t connect empathically to anyone unless it was a mate—that made my stomach flip flop around, too—or a mutual relationship with a donor. The Atua would need to drink blood from the person while that person took blood from the Atua as well. None of that was true for my connection with Alice, so I fidgeted uneasily on the chair.

“One of these days I’m going to hose her down with cold water, too,” Alice told Dominic, and to my surprise, he smiled at her. A genuine smile that transformed his stern, handsome face into something breathtaking.

“I just might help you with that, human.”

“I’ll hold you to your word, saber tooth.”