Page 94 of The Stone Secret
“Stop. I know how fated matings work. There is no one else for you. Not when it comes to your heart. But, Cameron, you need to be careful. If you slip and consummate with him…”
“I know. I won’t.Wewon’t.”
He dropped his chin to his chest. “But you’ll want to. You’ll have needs.”
My cheeks heated. “I can handle it.”
“Like you handled it last night?”
“That was…that was an episode.”
“Which could happen again. Did he get you off? You think it’s safe for him to do that?”
He was right: Serath and I had taken a huge risk last night by being together like that. If he’d lost control… “We’re doing the best we can.”
He nodded. “I believe it. But please, don’t take risks like that. If you need release, then come to me. I’ll give you what you need, no strings.”
“You just said you were falling for me.”
“Was. Not anymore.”
His gaze was cool and flat, and damn, I believed him. But I doubted I’d ever take him up on his offer. When in my right mind, the thought of being with anyone but Serath made my stomach hurt.
What if you’re not in your right mind? What if Serath isn’t here the next time this happens?I wanted to ignore the voice in my head, but it had a point.
I might not want to take Curi up on his offer, but knowing it was on the table helped.
He was offering me a lifeline, and there was no harm in accepting even if I had no intention of using it. “Thank you.”
He gave me a wry smile. “You have no intention of taking me up on my offer, do you?”
I returned his smile. “I’m going to make sure I never have to. I value our friendship too much.”
He sighed, his expression softening. “Me too, Basque. Me too.” He reached over his shoulder and tugged off his shirt. “Now get out of here unless you want to watch me dress for class.”
We were back on even footing, and it felt good.
CHAPTER40
“Everybody, gather ’round!” Yarrow called from the academy gates.
Levi stood next to him with his arms crossed, sleeves rolled up to expose his strong forearms. A backpack hung off his shoulder.
“Willowman has set up a warp zone outside the walls which we’ll be using to get to our destination today,” he said.
“Why am I so nervous?” Palia muttered.
“Because bad things happen every time we leave campus,” Ginia replied.
I couldn’t deny the moths in my belly.
The last time I’d gone through these gates I’d been with Bax, and I’d come back alone. “We’ll be okay. We’ll be together.”
“You’ll need to work together to get to the extraction point,” Levi said. “There will be threats along the way, and each will have a metallic plate on its body fixed to an area which represents its weak spot. You’ll need to strike the plate to disable the creature. Sometimes more than once. The threats are real. They can, and will, hurt you. I’ll be on hand to step in, if need be, but if I intervene, then that’ll be marks off to the goyles that needed assistance.”
He was coming with us?
He didn’t look at me, not once, and I should be glad, but it bothered me. I’d have to get over that.
