Page 91 of Witch Unexpected
Leif’s gaze hardened, and the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. “Does he force you?”
I looked toward the flames. “No. It’s not like that. Jasper has… He has a magnetic power I find irresistible, and I hate myself for it.”
There, it was out. The truth. That I liked what Jasper did to me. That I fuckingcravedit.
Leif touched my chin lightly, coaxing me to look at him. I steeled myself, expecting to see disgust or confusion, ready to lash out to defend myself, but all I saw was compassion.
“We all desire things that aren’t necessarily good for us from time to time.” He gave me a half-smile. “You were in a position where you had no choice but to give in to that craving, and now”—he touched the amulet hanging between my collarbones—“you’re not. You have control. You took control. And that says a lot about your character.”
I let out a dry bark of a laugh. “Yeah? And what does it say about my character that I still want him?” I studied the amulet. “This thing is supposed to mute his effect on me and make it easier to resist and say no, but it doesn’t work. I found out recently that Jasper can feed on my energywithoutsex, and I thought, fuck it, I’ll make a deal with him to take sex off the table, but I haven’t because… ” Urgh, I didn’t even want to finish that sentence.
“You like the sex,” Leif finished for me.
I covered my face with my hands. “I’m so fucked up, and I can’t believe I’m admitting this.”
“Cora, you said you wanted to be friends, so let me be a friend.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t want to be a battery, especially for a malevolent spirit, but it’s getting harder and harder to watch him getting hurt and not rip the damn thing off.”
He sipped his whiskey and looked thoughtful. “It sounds to me like you care about him.”
“Pfft.” I took a gulp of my whiskey. “I’m grateful. That’s all. I’d be dead if not for him, and yes, I know logic dictates he’s only protecting me to save his own ass, because my dying leaves him untethered, and as far as I’m aware, that’s a bad thing.”
Leif watched me with an intensely shrewd expression. “I don’t know your history with this spirit, but I can tell you that the bond you’re about to make with us is powerful and all-consuming, and if there is any outside influence messing with your emotions, once you’re the anchor, those influences will be gone.”
Ifthere was an outside influence.
But what if there wasn’t? Something between Jasper and me had changed. My conviction that he was a cold, heartless bastard was waning. If I was honest, I no longer believed he was saving me just for his own gain. I could be wrong, though, and that was the problem.
I could be so fucking wrong.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Iwas half expecting Jasper to show up in my room, but he didn’t, and I finally got the sleep I desperately needed.
I woke to the midday sun. Leif had let me sleep in. Fuck.
I scrambled out of bed then stopped. Why was I in such a hurry? I had nowhere to be until later this evening. Okay, this was kinda cool. I dressed in black jeggings and a deep green tunic, then pulled my hair into a messy bun.
The house felt silent and empty as I made my way down the stairs, but then Leif’s baritone drifted up to me.
He was pacing in the kitchen, cell phone held to his ear. Barefoot, in jeans and a cream T with the sunlight streaming in and turning his hair into silken flame, he was a vision to behold. Even his pacing was graceful, pantherine, and fluid. It was impossible not to drink him in.
“Yes, for the hundredth time, she’s safe,” he said into the phone. “No, you can’t join us… Why? Because this is an alpha safe house… Because she’s the anchor… No, Charlotte never came here… Bramble, stop. Cora is fine. I’ll get her to call you—”
He caught sight of me in the doorway and rolled his eyes.
I held out my hand for the phone, and he passed it to me eagerly.
“Bramble?”
“Oh, thank god!” Bramble exhaled so heartily I imagined I could feel her breath in my ear. “I only just found out what happened. I should have come back to the mansion with you. I should have slept on the floor!”
“Whoa, calm down. You weren’t to know I’d be attacked. The mansion is supposed to be safe. Besides, Charlotte needed you.”
“Shewaspretty sick. She hates the alphas seeing her like that, but by the time I got there, Sten had already taken care of her.”
Yeah. Charlotte had looked icky yesterday morning. “I get it. I’m fine. Wren protected me, and Lauris showed up and kicked the revenant’s ass.”
