Page 44 of Sweethearts and Savages
I felt Kell’s eyes burning into the back of my head as I easily flipped the flatbreads. Cooking was something I’d always used as a coping mechanism, right back from the very first time X had sat me on the kitchen bench and made pancakes with me. I clung to the methodical actions of cooking. Measure, stir, cook, cool, eat. I worked in the Immortal Cupcake as a baker during the holidays too. It was therapeutic, like a safety blanket.
“I’m not going to kill you or anything.” He sounded pained by the fact. “I… can’t. It wouldn’t be right and it's not what I signed up for.”
I finished the bread and pointed to them. Instead of grabbing them and moving them back up to the couch, he climbed down onto the floor with me. We sat cross-legged, eating silently, until I stood up and pointed to the bed.
Kell didn’t argue that I was dragging him to bed at what was probably seven, but it was dark out. He stoked the fire a bit, moved the griddle onto the hearth and put on a large log. Then he followed me to the bed, lying down under the thin blanket on the couch while I snuggled under a slightly thicker down one on the bed.
I lay there in silence, pretending to sleep, until I wasn’t pretending anymore. I was in purgatory, and sooner or later, I was either going to die or go back to my life.
I just couldn’t stand the waiting.
22
Bohdie
I’d argued with Alexander until he’d allowed me to stay. Arguing with the head honcho of all head honchos probably wasn’t a great idea for a shifter—not to mention going toe to toe with a dragon—but I wanted to be here. I wanted to see the fear in this guy’s eyes and listen to every single word he had to say.
Within minutes of the chopper setting down, the guy had been bundled downstairs and put into a holding cell in the very lowest level of Eden Academy. You had to input a special code in the elevator to even get this low.
I was waiting with my back pressed to the wall of the interrogation room, and I jumped as the heavy metal door slammed open. Three guys in tactical gear dragged in a hooded figure, who seemed to have bloodstains on the front of his shirt and made the air reek of fear. They shoved him in a chair and pulled off the hood.
Although he smelled of fear, he hid it well, his eyes bouncing around the room until they landed on me. Or more to the point, the Academy crest on my shirt. Then his eyes got real wide.
“Holy-freakin’ shitzle. Eden. You guys fucking exist. I mean, I knew you existed but I thought you were just some preppy little school for rich kids, but you aren’t, are you? He was fucking right, but this is insane.” He sucked in a deep breath, and then kept going. “Are you guys all, you know, supernaturals? What kind of supernaturals? I mean, I’ve heard glimmers about it on the dark web, but there are people on there who claim to have seen Elvis too, so you can’t just trust their unverified information, but this?” He waved a hand. “This definitely verifies everything.”
He paused, his eyes traveling all over the room like they were detached from their sockets. It was like he was trying to catalogue everything all at once.
“Are you Cedric Frostmore?” Alexander asked, probably a little redundantly. The guy's eyes flicked back to Alexander and he froze, his eyes getting even wider, until I could see the whites around his irises. Yeah, looks like his hindbrain just caught up to his situation.
Enit’s mother, Raine, stepped toward the guy. Even I could admit she was pretty, and it was hard to remember she was Enit’s mom when she looked around my age.
She smiled sweetly at him, but there was a hint of something darker in there. “Cedric, isn't it? You know, he was my favourite character in Harry Potter. Such a shame when he died.”
Cedric screwed up his face in confusion. “You mean that old book series from like, the early 2000s?”
Raine reared back, horrified. “You know what, we should just kill him. Save humanity from itself.”
I snorted a laugh, which had everyone turning to look at me. “What? It was funny. Want me to try?”
Alexander waved a hand. “Go for it. I’m going to retrieve my tools.”
He strode from the room, and the guy turned his eyes to me. “Are you meant to be the good cop? Try and relate to me until I spill my guts?”
I stepped up close to him, until I was bathing in the scent of his fear. “No.” I circled his chair until I was behind him and leaned in close to his ear. “You stole my mate. What I’m going to do is break all your fingers. When that doesn’t work, I’m going to get my Pridemate in here, and she’s going to open you up and remove pieces of your liver until you talk. I’ve never had a liver biopsy without anesthetic before, but I can’t imagine it’s pleasant. And if anyone knows how to do it without killing you, it’s her.”
The guy shivered. “Okay, that’s terrifying as hell, but could you not whisper in my ear? It’s turning me on and confusing my dick.”
Raine threw her hands in the air. “You’re gay? Fuck, we should have just led with Judge and we’d be out of here by now.”
Cedric Frostmore’s eyes flicked back to Raine. “Not gay.” His eyes skimmed down her body. “Definitely not gay.”
Raine looked over at me. “You know, I really respect this generation’s ability to embrace their fluid sexuality. Do you know three of Carmen’s mates are bisexual? Why choose, right?”
I hummed in agreeance. “Each to their own, but I'm straight as an arrow.”
Cedric blew a raspberry. “Boo.” His eyes lit up at Raine, but she waved him away.
“I’m too old for you.”
