Page 43 of Unbound By Shadows
The bartender gulped, then rushed to pull two glasses hanging from the ceiling with shaking hands.
Selene turned to Sam. “Are you all right?”
“Fine,” he snapped.
“You’re being rude.”
“Yes.”
The Vowa placed both drinks before them and quickly headed for the other side of the bar. He retrieved two keys from a row of hooks, then slid them down into Sam’s waiting palm.
Selene took a sip of the pink liquid and was surprised by how sweet it tasted. Minty, floral, and fresh—almost like drinking liquid springtime. Sam was not one to savor his drink, apparently. He tipped back his mug to swallow the entire contents. Then his eyes continued to dart back and forth throughout the room.
“I… I need to excuse myself for a moment,” he said. “Keep your head down and don’t talk to anyone.”
Selene nodded and watched as Sam traveled through the room, seeming to size up every Aurelian he passed before disappearing through a doorway at the back. He was thrumming with tension, and Selene wondered if the Harpy incident had bothered him more than he let on.
She still couldn’t believe the birthday song had saved her. She mentally proposed a toast to herself and took a sip of wine. Already her limbs felt pleasantly warm, and the knot between her shoulders was loosening.
It was nice to have a moment to herself. There was no buzzing phone in her pocket, no emails to check, no deadlines looming. Being in another dimension wasn’t exactly a vacation, but it did have its perks. She could justbein Aurelia.
Gazing across the bar, Selene caught a reflection ofherself in a mirror tacked to the wall and lifted her chin to examine her profile. Not bad for no make-up and a one-step cleansing routine. It was dark in the tavern, but the woman staring back wasn’t what she expected. The Nereid disguise made her skin glitter, but there was something more. This version of her looked confident and capable. Mysterious and interesting. Almost like a secret agent.
Dressed in black, with a hood that cast mysterious shadows on her face, she didn’t stick out nearly as much as she expected. Honestly, she looked quite comfortable in The Golden Gust. And then a thought came to her:I can be whoever I want to be here.
Tilting her face, she looked into the mirror again, and a smile appeared on her lips. No one knew her in Aurelia or had any expectations of who she was supposed to be. She was free. She didn’t have to play Simpering Selene to suit her insecure boss, Therapist Selene for her friends, Manager Selene for Kevin, or Peacekeeper Selene with her family.
After swallowing another gulp of wine, her mind raced with possibilities. She scowled menacingly at her reflection to become Secret Agent Selene. The one who travels through strange towns unnoticed and unseen.
Fluttered her eyelashes to be Charming Selene. The one who ingratiates herself to queens and Harpies.
Lifted her chin to be Badass Selene. The one who faces her fears and overcomes all obstacles.
Puckered her lips to be Temptress Selene. The one who propositions her sexy demon lover.
Wait…what?
Abruptly, her game turned sour, and she dropped her gaze from the mirror. It was a stupid idea. Ridiculous even. He was ademon.They wouldn’t work on so many levels.
But then she paused to reconsider. What was the harm in a little fantasy? It wasn’t a crime to wonder what being with Sam would be like. This was the new and improved Aurelian Selene. His deep voice skimmed over her nerves like a caress, but what would it be like torun her fingers through his inky black hair? Or snuggle her cheek against his broad chest? Lose herself as he kissed her senseless?
She rubbed her temples. It was official—she was attracted to him. Big time. It wasn’t a schoolgirl crush, Stockholm syndrome, or even a weird fetish for horns. This was legit. A grown-up, big-girl attraction to the ultimate bad boy. Except he wasn’t that bad. Sure, he could be grumpy and gruff, but not all the time. Underlying that bluster was a tenderness she found irresistible.
The large group of Lycahs playing darts began to howl like jubilant wolves. Selene looked over her shoulder, worried Sam might come back before she got a handle on herself. She traced her fingertip over the crack in the wood that Sam had made with his fist. Yes, he had a soft side, but he could be volatile too. How would that work in bed?
He was all muscle and menace. Would he be violent? No. She didn’t think so. Passionate?Yes.Wild. Maybe a bit rough, but not from aggression. He would take care with his size and temper his strength. And what he might lack in finesse, she imagined he would make up for in enthusiasm. The man would be thorough, of that she was sure. His smoldering gaze seemed to promise it.
She shifted her position on the barstool, trying to ignore the ache growing deep in her belly. The phrasedemon in the sackhad to come from somewhere, didn’t it? The thought made her shiver.
Oh God, I don’t just want to kiss him—I want him to fuck my brains out.
Wet heat flared between her thighs, and she quickly took another drink of wine, scandalized by her thoughts. The tavern suddenly seemed unbearably hot, and she fanned herself, bracing for a wave of guilt for the thought of cheating on Kevin.
But hang on, was it cheating? When Kevin told her he wanted a break, he had certainly made it clear thathewas free to see other people. Wasn’t she free to do the same?
As she pondered this, it surprised her to realize that there was nothing about Kevin she missed. Since coming to Aurelia, he hadbarely crossed her mind outside of the times Sam had mentioned him. She felt a little guilty at first, then angry. It was time to face facts. Kevin wanted to “press pause” so he could sleep with anyone he wanted on tour. She had always known that, deep down, but the reality was too painful to face.
She sighed, thinking about all the other times Kevin had hurt her, and she had brushed it aside. All the texts and calls he ignored, the little insults he made “as a joke,” the way his attention drifted when she spoke, Selene had grown used to it, really. He was the complete opposite of Sam, who looked at her like she was some rare, exotic flower and listened to her as though nothing else mattered but what she was about to say. Traveling with someone as capable as Sam had also made her realize how much she did for Kevin, yet what did he do for her? She thought hard and could only come up with that time he’d brought flowers on her birthday.
