Page 43 of Messenger of Death
I stuck my tongue out at Lucianandflipped him off with both hands. Was that a small smile I saw? Yeah, pretty soon, he was going toloveme. #bestiesforlife.
“Hey, what do you think Sage is doing right now?” I asked.
“Probably digging into snake gods like she’s supposed to.”
“Nah, I’ve read all kinds of shifter books. Khalid’s jackal wants to mark her. He’s already had a taste.”
“Khalid isn’t like that.”
“We briefly met the primal, animal side of Khalid in Sage’s bathroom.”
“My animal side keeps taking over when I’m sleeping. I don’t like it.”
“Yeah, but I’m guessing he takes you to Sage. You have to like that, right?”
I wasn’t as mad he was sneaking cuddles with Sage because she didn’t seem angry about it. If she wanted to stop it, she’d tell him and shut the window. I actually felt sorry for him. I loved hugs. If someone was giving out free hugs, I wanted one.
“I actually do and I hated shit like that before.”
“Sage has that effect on people.”
“I know. We need to get through everyone’s cell because Headmaster Mykene thinks she might be able to identify the Forsaken Ones, too. If they’ve framed Alexios because they can’t kill him because of his sun magic, Sage doesn’t have that. We have to protect her.”
Shite. I would raze this entire country to the ground if anything happened to Sage.
Khalid and I were trying so hard to sit in the library and research. We probably would have gotten more done if we’d sat across from each other. We were sitting right next to each other and couldn’t stop sniffing each other.
“Youhaveto be wearing some kind of cologne,” I said.
“I swear, I’m not. Maybe it’s my deodorant.Youhave to be wearing perfume.”
“I don’t own any. Blue Matthews thought only sluts wore perfume, so I wasn’t allowed. I never got into the habit.”
“I hate your baba,” Khalid growled.
I shrugged. There was this animalistic scent coming off of Khalid, but in a good way. It was like someone made a colognewith this really expensive musk, sandalwood, and a touch of vanilla. I just wanted to bury my face in his neck and inhale.
I didn’t know what I smelled like to Khalid, but he seemed to be having the same problem and his eyes kept flashing amber because his jackal was riding him.
I wastryingto read the text in front of me and my eyes would just glaze right over every time I tried to concentrate. My mind was really only on one thing and it was so fucking stupid considering everything that was going on.
I slammed my book closed, and the librarian shot me a filthy look. I mouthed the word sorry because I usually didn’t abuse books and turned to Khalid.
“I can’t concentrate with you smelling like that. Want to go back to your dorm room or mine?”
“Yes and no. I know what you want and I want it, too. I’m barely containing my jackal right now. He wants to throw you on this table and claim you in front of everyone. He’s a little possessive and there’s a table of other shifters over there who keep checking you out.”
I wasn’t a shifter, but that sounded really hot and I wasn’t mad at the idea. I’d also only gotten away with having sex on a teacher’s desk because the classroom was empty. The librarian looked like she’d stab me if I defiled her library.
“Maybe we could do that in the privacy of a dorm room?”
“No, he wants toclaimyou, claim you. Like, bite you where everyone can see it. Right there,” Khalid said, trailing his finger down my shoulder.
“Is that a bad thing? I don’t mind and we’re apparently fated. It’s going to happen, eventually. Why wait?”
Instead of just flashing, Khalid’s eyes went amber and stayed that way. He stood up, yanked me to my feet, tossed me over his shoulder, and started marching out of the library. The shifters Khalid pointed out to me started pounding on the table andhooting right up until the librarian shushed them and they sunk down in their chairs like they were trying to be invisible.
“Uh, Khalid, I can walk.”
