Page 44 of Shifting Winds
Lord love a duck. “Then I suggest you find somewhere other than my driveway to go. If I smell wolf piss, I’ll push my wards out all the way to the road. Got it?”
Marek swallowed hard and nodded, a tinge of fear rolling over his face before he dropped his gaze.
I turned away and headed up the driveway.
Several hours later, Caelan came into the house and kicked off his shoes. I’d felt his presence as soon as he entered, thanks to the souped-up wards. With Marek’s still hovering around the driveway, I went ahead and juiced them up today, just as a precaution.
“The wards tingled this time,” he said by way of greeting.
“You came in from the back?” I guessed.
Caelan stilled. “Why? Is there something out front?”
“The wards must be blocking his scent.”
“Your favorite Lord sent a spy here?” he said in a deceptively calm voice.
“I assumed you knew about it. He was here when I arrived home from the inquisition.”
Caelan closed his eyes for a moment. “Shit. I meant to tell you, but I got caught up. They insisted on sending someone for monitoring.” He rolled his eyes. “Rowan jumped in and volunteered his person, and Ethan said something very interesting about your virtue.”
I winced.
“Is he still alive?”
“For now.” He let out a heavy sigh as he settled his bulk beside me and opened his arm.
I scooted under it and sighed. He was always so warm.
“You did quite the number on him.” Caelan’s chest rumbled with amusement. “He’ll be healing for at least a week. The vines got a little…animated once you left the building.”
Interesting. My power continued to grow in disturbing and sentient ways. “I deserve a little credit for not poisoning him.”
“Maybe let them cool down a couple of weeks before you ask for it.”
“My hope is I never see them again.”
Caelan shifted. “Being with me will make that hope all but impossible.”
I toyed with the buttons of his shirt. “They want me to ally with one of them. Same shit, different day.”
The hand he held around my waist tightened. “And your response?”
“Do I even need to tell you?” I rolled my eyes. “Of course I told them to fuck off.”
“What about me?” he asked quietly.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re already allied.”
“But nothing more permanent?”
I was tired of talking about this. Tired of worrying and being pushed. So very tired of politics I never asked for. I popped my head up to stare at him, those stormy gray eyes already carved deep into my soul. “I care about you. More than I’ve cared about any man in my life. But I am not the kind of woman who can be pushed into something she doesn’t want to do.”
At his darkening gaze, I shook my head and barreled on. “I’m not saying no forever. I’m saying no for now. If you need a forever commitment right now, I am not the one.”
What came next was a long and charged silence. I dropped my head onto Caelan’s chest and soaked up his warmth for what might be the last time.
A Lord was not used to being denied.
