Page 70 of To Crave Madly
“And we will. Butyouwill remain here. You have proven you can’t be trusted and as such are hereby confined to the base,” Jasper roared.
My heart sank. I knew I deserved the punishment, but it didn’t make it sting any less. I couldn’t even stomach the pitying eyes from the rest of the team. Well, except Cassian. He seemed to be enjoying my uncomfortableness immensely.
“Now. Any ideas on how we get into the gathering without making it known something is going on?” Jasper asked the room.
“My father is hosting it so I will have an invitation. I never go, but I could make an exception this year. I might be able to get invitations for all of you but as you aren’t magic users, it wouldn’t be likely. I could get one for Lori—”
“Absolutely not.” Jasper declared, interrupting Fenris. “She is never going to leave this base again.”
“W-What?” I stammered, unable to believe my ears had just heard those words fall from his mouth. I expected some sort of restriction, but not an eternal one.
“That seems a tad excessive, Jasper,” Alec interjected. I was glad someone was interceding on my behalf. I was surprised it was Alec, though. I didn’t think he cared that much. Maybe I was wrong?
“It’s what she deserves,” Jasper growled back.
“Do you really believe that? Haven’t we all done something a little naughty once in a while? I mean, there was that time when you and that fae got caught doing—”
“Alright, enough!” Jasper shouted at Alec, stopping what sounded like a most interesting story.
“Or the time you went and got yourself stuck in the –”
“I said enough, Alec!” Jasper muttered something under his breath, no doubt a string of expletives, and Alec turned to me, grinned and gave me a saucy little wink. He was terrible. And clearly full of interesting stories. I needed to get him to tell me some of those sometime. Especially if Jasper didn’t want anyone else to hear them.
“Security?” Cassian asked.
“Already hired. As are the caterers, wait staff and musicians,” Fenris replied dejectedly.
“Shame,” Alec drawled. “I was looking forward to getting my hands on a G-string.”
My lips gave a decided twitch as I held back my smile at Alec’s awful joke.
“What are you smiling at, Lori?” Alec whispered so as not to be heard by the rest of the team currently arguing about ways to gatecrash a party. There was a particularly devilish grin on his face, and I found myself enjoying his attention.
“I’m not smiling,” I replied. I certainly wasn’t going to let him know he’d made me laugh when I’d been moments from crying. His head was big enough already.
“Well, then you must be on the verge of a sneeze or a seizure judging by the way your face is crinkling.” He leant forwards as if to get a closer look at my face. His intense honey-coloured eyes held my gaze so strongly that my breath hitched, and my heart raced. It felt like he was looking deep into my very soul with that penetrating stare and seeing far more of me than I wanted him too.
“Neither,” I stuttered.
He gave me an arch look. “Oh, really?”
“Really. I was merely thinking that I should very much like to throttle you.”
He leant closer still. I could feel his warm breath as it tickled my cheek, and my heart skipped a beat. “I think I’d like that.”
“I think she might be a valuable distraction at the Yule Gathering.”
My head snapped to Elissa. I’d been so wrapped up in Alec and his devious flirting that I wasn’t sure I had heard her right. I had to stop letting Alec get under my skin like that. I sent a scowl his way, but he just chuckled and smiled wickedly. My traitorous stomach fluttered at the sight and I had to look away before I did something stupid. Like smile back. Urgh.
Fenris held Elissa back but she brushed him off and stepped forward to confront the very angry, very pissed off vampire.
Someone’s got balls. I think that made me like her a little bit more.
“Think about it. She’s a brand-new female mage, which makes her rare and sought after. We could present her as a new guild initiate. She’d be able to travel with her own entourage and there would be so much excitement around her that you’d be able to meet everyone there. You’d have the free run of the place.”
Sounded like a good plan to me. Except for one thing. “I can’t actually do any magic.”
Elissa beamed at me, her smile wide and genuine. “We can work on that. I am sure I can get you performing the neophyte incantations in no time at all.”
