Chapter 39 : Maturity
*Sasha*
I sat alone in the dark for what felt like hours, though it was probably less than fifteen minutes. Then the light came on in the bedroom and Phoebe popped her head in, wearing lingerie probably meant for Brady's eyes only.
But then I was sitting under the covers completely naked, so I wasn't one to say anything. “Is everything okay?" I asked softly.
Phoebe shook her head and motioned for me to follow her.
My blood ran cold. Had something happened to Lucas? I rolled out of bed and pulled on Lucas's shirt, then quickly followed Phoebe.
We tiptoed down the stairs, where Lucas, in wolf form, was pacing and growling on the front landing.
Brady had a splash of blood on his chin, his fangs still elongated. He was sporting a pair of boxers, thankfully.
“They got away," Brady said as Phoebe went to stand next to him.
“But they're gone?" Phoebe asked in a small voice.
“Yes." Brady put an arm around her and kissed her temple. “They're gone."
“Who? Who's gone?" I asked. “Did they take the orb?"
“They didn't get that far," Brady said. “By the look of things, they didn't even know exactly what they were looking for."
There were popping sounds, and then Lucas was standing there, naked, once more. He grabbed an overturned throw pillow for modesty, holding it in front of him.
“It couldn't have been the priestess if they didn't know what they were looking for," I mused. “And she already told me she was quite happy with what I was doing, so there would have been no reason–"
“f**k that orb. I swear to the Goddess...." Lucas snarled. “What is this, a youth hostel? We've got people coming and going at all hours."
“We're heading to the docks in a couple of hours," Brady reminded him. “We're leaving Egoren. When we get to New Dianny, we'll be a lot safer."
Phoebe looked at the door, then looked again. “What is this…?"
A scrap of paper was caught in the hinge of the door.
Lucas walked over and snatched it. “Fuck."
I went over to him, touching his arm. “Lucas?"
With an angry huff, he showed us the paper.
'Tell the dream dancer she has something that doesn't belong to her, and we are going to get it back.'
***
*Lucas*
The wind whipped through Brady's hair, blowing the longish locks into his face and mouth. He grimaced, pulling hair out of his mouth for the hundredth time since we'd boarded the ship.
at the sides and longer on top, but still not nearly
he smiled
man was completely lost… or found, depending on
state room?" Brady asked as we leaned on
we toss the orb in the sea.
emotional confusion, and the fact you're treating her like a two-year-old with a dangerous toy… I think
not treating her like a two-year-old,"
a two-year-old," Brady repeated. “You know you're treating her like a two-year-old. That's why you're standing here with me and not banging down the stateroom door to
want her to be safe.
wants to work with it or not," Brady said. “You know
don't think she's being smart," I
you have to stop acting like her father and forbidding her to do things," Brady
frowned at the sea. “I don't know what
“I'd be the same way about Phoebe. Probably. But I also don't want to have
never toss you
hasn't
rubbed the back of my
you didn't say anything about me saying you love her, so I'm assuming you've stopped fighting that,
fight? She's either my mate or she's not," I
“And?" Brady prodded.
“And what?" I asked.
She's your mate for sure," Brady
railing. “I don't know that she loves me back. She was… well… a virgin. She might just be
turd Brady punched me so hard in the arm I stumbled sideways. “Goddess, you're an
I asked peevishly, rubbing my arm. “She
her to do stuff," Brady said. “You interrupt her all the time. Yes, I've noticed. Okay, Phoebe noticed, but then I noticed,
five seconds away from tearing
no matter how much she likes you, no matter how much she loves you, she's not going to accept you as her mate.
the idea made me sick. And panicky. “Maybe I should go talk to
WITH her. WITH. You've been doing a lot of
gave Brady a powerful punch in the arm before stepping out of
was that for?!" Brady complained, rubbing
off quickly before we got into a punching war. Fun as that would have been, I had
and I sighed, wondering if I was going to have to sleep on
lock broke in my hand. I was going to have to talk to the captain about safety, but just this once,
the windows covered with curtains and the room lit by
on the bed…
back a snarl of anger. How had she even found it?
Obviously not well enough.
were unfocused and she was clearly “elsewhere," using the power of the orb
sat beside her, looking
“I'm sorry for treating you like a child, and for being an overbearing asshole. But you're scaring me to death. I love you, Sasha. I love you and I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't
I sighed, dropping my chin
felt before, and I'm almost certain you must be
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