Page 45 of Stone Crest: Rise of a Raven
“She knew about Raven.”
“How?”
I look back down to Raven’s face. “I don’t know. But she warned me to get her out of there. Told me she’sspecial.” I close my eyes. “She knew she was my mate and he she knew about her mark.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” He crosses one ankle over his knee. “Raven just moved here.”
“I know.” I stroke her cheek, her eyes still closed, her breathing soft. “After Nyko handles Frankie’s bar, I need Autumn here.”
Declan nods.
“And call Callum too. We need to have a conversation.” Then another thought hits me. “Presley. Raven’s roommate. Raven would want her here. If someone is trying to harm her, her place would be first on the list.”
He fishes his phone from his pocket, standing to his feet.
“The blonde chick?” He asks. “The asthmatic?”
“The what?” I question.
“I found her having an asthma attack in the bathroom tonight. I went in to help her and she kneed me in the balls.” He cups himself. “Come to think of it. They still fucking hurt.”
“Yes her.”
He nods again, mentally jotting down all of my demands.
“She saw me shift," I admit. “Tonight, he was going to kill her, and I couldn’t.” I clear my throat. “She can’t die, Dec. I need her.”
His eyes lock onto mine. I haven’t said the words. But he knows. He knows she’s important. He knows she’s mine.
“Does Nyko need to do a cleanup?” He asks, thumbing on his phone.
“No, I didn’t kill the attacker.” I watch Declan stall his movements.
“Why not? Who was it?”
I grab a bottle of whiskey that someone had left on the coffee table, taking a long pull before swiping my hand over my mouth. My priority was Raven’s safety tonight, but my next one, is much more complex.
“Locke,” he presses.
I let our gazes collide again before I say the words. “My brother.”
Chapter thirty-three
Raven
Ifeel my body ache when I try to move, then my eyes spring open. The first thing I see is a wood beamed ceiling, before I shift my eyes to see Locke’s face. His human face.
I dart up, bringing my hand to my cheek on instinct. Hitting the dirt like I did hurt like a bitch.
“Here.” Locke hands me a bottle of water, then takes a seat beside me.
He doesn’t have a shirt on. Just a pair of loose jeans and bare feet. His body is a work of art and that happens to be my area of expertise, so regardless of the latest events, I still can’t pull my eyes away. The silence between us is tangible as I take a sip of water then face him.
“Are you ok?” He asks.
His hand reaches up to cup my jaw, but I flinch away.
He winces at my reaction. Like it hurts him to see me this way. Shirt torn, skittish, and I can only imagine my face.
