Page 84 of Shattered Veil
And I just hope that Callen and Lochan were successful and found something that could tell us what the Council is really up to. The sooner we figure this all out, the sooner we can be together with Brigid.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Rory
Iscan the room, making sure no one’s watching. The party’s in full swing, but I can’t focus on anything except Brigid.
Slipping out, I head down the hallway. She’s heading toward the bathroom, then she turns, catching my eye.
Without a word, I grab her hand and pull her into an empty classroom. The door clicks shut behind us. Darkness envelops us.
“Rory,” Brigid breathes, her voice a mix of surprise and desire. “We shouldn’t—”
“I know,” I say, crowding her against the wall. “But I couldn’t stay away.”
My hands find her waist in the dark. She’s warm, solid. Real. After the void, I crave her presence like air.
“Someone could see us,” she whispers, but her fingers curl into my shirt. “We should go back,” Brigid says softly. “Separately. Otherwise, all of this pretending we don’t like each other will be for nothing.”
I rest my forehead against hers. She’s right. But that doesn’t make it any easier.
“Yeah,” I sigh.
I step back, instantly missing her warmth. As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I catch a glimpse of longing on her face before she schools her features.
“This sucks,” I mutter. I run a hand through my hair, trying to suppress the feelings threatening to overwhelm me. It’s not just desire—though there’s plenty of that—but a soul-deep ache to be near her, to protect her, to exist in the same space. The wolf in me is desperate to claim what’s mine, and instead I have to pretend our mate bond doesn’t exist whenever we’re in public now.
“It does,” Brigid agrees. “But we have to be careful.”
“I hate this,” I growl, pacing the small classroom. “Having to pretend I don’t give a shit about you.”
My mind flashes to earlier tonight, when I had to force myself to look away as she entered the party. All I wanted was to pull her into my arms and never let go. Instead, I’d barely acknowledged her presence, knocking back a shot to dull the ache in my chest.
“I know,” Brigid says softly. She reaches out, her fingers ghosting over my arm.
Fuck it.
I pull Brigid to me, crushing her lips with mine. She responds instantly, her fingers tangling in my hair, as she presses her body against me. The kiss is desperate, hungry, like we’re trying to make up for lost time. I guess I am. For her, it was days. For me, it was… longer.
My hands roam over her curves, relearning every dip and swell. “Fuck, I missed you,” I breathe against her neck. “When I was gone.”
Brigid pulls back slightly, her eyes flashing in the darkness. “That redhead had her hands all over you,” she hisses. “I wanted to rip her throat out.”
I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. “Is that right?”
I tease, nipping at her earlobe. “Didn’t peg you for the jealous type, love.”
“Shut up,” she grumbles, but I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Nah, I like this side of you,” I murmur, trailing kisses along her jaw. “All possessive and fierce. It’s hot as hell.”
Brigid’s response is cut off as I capture her lips again. I back her up against the wall, one hand cupping her face while the other slides down to her hip. She arches into me, a soft moan escaping her.
“Rory,” she gasps, breaking the kiss. “We should... we should go back. Someone might notice we’re gone.”
I groan, pressing my forehead against hers. “Just a few more minutes,” I plead, my hand already sliding under her shirt.
Brigid shivers at my touch. “Rory,” she warns, but there’s no real heat behind it.
