Bailey’s eyes are puffy from crying, and she shoots a suspicious look at me before averting her gaze and pulling her lips into a tight line.
“We’ll be out of here tomorrow,” I tell her, pacing some more. Of course I know she just heard all that; I hate the look on her face right now so feel like I have to say something.
I feel like I’m in the wrong skin. The wrong place. And fuck, I wish we could do this over. I wish she’d stayed home and I could’ve figured this out there, without this between us, without me spouting off in anger and frustration. Because I’ve hurther feelings now. Though I know I’ve been doing that a while already.
I grew up in a house outnumbered by females with strong personalities, emotional personalities, so I know I’ve got work ahead of me. I couldn’t help but hurt her feelings thinking she was carrying this torch for me that wasn’t going away, hoping she’d set her sights elsewhere before I identified my mate. I’ve been wigging out for weeks now about the pending mating thing. And now there’s this bullshit in the way.
Of course there is. It’s Arcana Falls and the first four had to wade through a whack of drama before getting to the easier part. Why would I rate an easy ride?
Fuck, I hope Linc and Joel get off easier than this. Because this drama shit surrounding finally knowing who’s mine getting in the way of what’s supposed to be the good part… it sucks.
“Bailey,” I say.
She huffs, but doesn’t look at me.
“Bay?”
Her light brown eyes dart to me and … shit… that’s some angry fire blazing in them.
Fuck, she has pretty eyes. Our eyes are nearly the same color, mine a darker brown. Same goes for our hair, though mine is a little lighter than her natural color. My thoughts flit to pups with her. I’ve got nieces and nephews and I love kids. Bailey is great with the kids in the pack. Putting on puppet shows for them in the library, doing different voices for each character. I’ve watched her doing crafts with them, being patient with them when I’ve stopped by to drop off or pick up one or more of my nieces or nephews. A strange, new affection rises in me.
My thoughts now flit to Sherry, and what she’s just gone through, being identified by that asshole brother of Stacy’s. And I wonder how she’s doing, if she’ll find someone else and give me more nieces and nephews. My thoughts don’t stay there long, because at least Sher is surrounded by family right now. And that fucker is nothing but a pile of chewed bones we threw into the river at the same place that other Starling witch fell.
Bailey is playing with a thread of her torn and grass-stained pantleg, an angry look on her face.
“You ignoring me?”
She doesn’t answer.
“Why?” I ask. “Because I’m pissed off about not being able to get out of here? Because I’m pissed I can’t do much to keep you safe from these fuckers? You’re mad at me for being pissed off that I’m in a cage, unable to shift, not able to protect you?”
“Fuck you, Jason,” she fires back.
“Fuck me?” I ask and let out a low, astonished laugh. “You know what? We’ll talk about all this shit when we get out of this mess you dropped us in.”
“Oh, I’m the one who put us here, am I? Get real.”
“You’re the one who made it so I can’t get us out of this.”
“Or maybe you being in under that magic is why you’re conscious. Maybe they would’ve done something worse to you if I hadn’t put you there. Maybe I saved your life. But forget it. Sit there and be mad if you want but I don’t want to talk about it, so feel free to ignore me like you usually do.”
Fuck, she’s being feisty. And it’s a direct line to my cock. Too bad I can’t use it on her right now, give her an attitude adjustment.
“Got nothing to say to me, huh?” I challenge. “Nothin’ at all to say about the fact that we’ve just found out you’re destined to spend the rest of your life with me?”
“I have nothing more to say to you. As far as I can tell, probably nothing ever again.” She folds her arms across her chest, pushing her tits up higher, giving me a fantastic view that I feel zero guilt for drinking in.
A spark lights up inside me, an overwhelming urge to grab her and kiss that angry look off her face. Kiss her with everything I’ve got and watch her melt into one of those expressions she always aims at me when she thinks I’m not paying attention. I want one of those and this time, I suspect I’ll pay very close attention.
Yeah, giving myself permission today to look at her, really look at her, I’m very much looking forward to getting free of this bubble and giving Bailey Blackwood that attitude adjustment.
“Thinkin’ your tune’ll change after I kiss that angry look off your face and introduce you to my knot and my canine teeth,” I say.
And I could have never, ever in a million years predicted how good it would feel to say something like this to Bailey. But watching the shocked pink hit her face before it turns angry is a beautiful thing.
She asks, “Oh, so now you decide you want me?”
I smile. “Fate decided it, kiddo.”