King Cave (40 page)

After at least a half-minute of stillness, his lashes lowered lazily. When they lifted, his eyes were green. Normal green. Rubbing the back of his neck, he muttered, “Fucking shit.” Then he was outside the door before I could track him, slamming it closed so viciously that I watched as a crack webbed its way in the golden paint from the doorframe to the ceiling.

Staring at the closed door, I sucked air, breathing in an echo, “Fucking shit.”

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

I groaned, letting my head fall into my hands. I was left high and dry, and had just possibly awoken a predator of epic proportions if he couldn’t get himself under control. I wasn’t even going to think about my own predator. Hell, I wanted to leave the room right now and hunt.

For Jessica.

Mumbling to myself, I criticized, “Lily Ruckler, this may have been the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” I pounded my forehead against my hands, sighing heavily when it didn’t clear the bloodlust any for Jessica. “Shit.” I stood from the couch.

And instantly fell to my knees.

Shaking my head, I placed a hand on the ground, trying to breathe through the lust that had bizarrely turned my body to jelly, which I was thankful for since it was overriding what I would have liked to do to Jessica. His mind hold had definitely taken a toll. Spending a good five minutes on the ground, I tried for calming breaths, sneezing sporadically. Ezra’s scent was dissipating and that damn fireplace was tickling my nose.

Wiping my free hand on my pants, I rubbed my nose once it didn’t stink of slut so badly. Gingerly, I got to my feet and stayed there for a full minute, feeling dizzy and aching everywhere he had touched. Rolling my head on my shoulders and windmilling my arms a few times, sneezing twice more, I made my wobbly legs move and started blowing out the candles he had lit in the room. As I began picking up the items that had been knocked to the floor, I noticed my hands were shaking.

I stopped and stared at my hand, watching it tremble in front of my face. Well, that was a new one. Pathetic, really. It was like Ezra withdrawal or something. I growled and picked up the pace, wanting to get out of this literally odd-smelling room.

Then I paused with a specific item in my hand.

A brown leather book.

I knew this book. But previously it had been glowing golden. Antonio’s book.

Scanning the room again, I groaned. Fuck, this was his frigging office. Not even curious about what was inside, nor stupid enough to chance reading from it, I placed it on his desk.

Only to sneeze.

And freeze with a damning thought.

My senses were wacked without Ezra in here distracting me with his touch and scent. I was shaking and wanted to growl. The symptoms were all there. But, God no…

Deliberately, I rose, lifting a pencil from the desk. Dread began to fill me as I walked toward the lounge couch we had been on only minutes before. I sneezed again, my whole body beginning to vibrate. Taking a calming breath, I chucked the pencil at the fireplace.

As if in slow motion, I watched it fly end over end through the air.

It bounced off thin air, that area a dot of golden magic as the pencil fell to the floor.

I felt the blood drain from my face.
Oh, dear Lord above.

Beginning to hyperventilate, I whispered, “Drop it, Antonio.”

He had done this once before. Snuck up on us, while we had been sleeping in Ezra’s bed, before my surprise funneling attempt. It had wreaked havoc on my senses then, the same as it was doing now. But this time, Ezra and I had been doing much more than sleeping. If Antonio was in this room, hidden behind a Mage spell, there could only be one reason why.

Holding my breath, I waited.

It didn’t take long.

A too large fucking golden bubble appeared before my eyes, encasing a fourth of the room, an edge only a few feet in front of me.

Then it was gone. The room as it should be.

Dizziness rushed over me as I began gasping for air, very nearly on the verge of fainting.

Directly in front of me, standing at the fireplace, was Antonio. To his right, sitting on the far couch, was Elder Merrick. To his left, on another couch, was Elder Jacobs. Directly to my left, which I could see only from the corner of my eye, sitting on the gold leather chair, was the fourth to their group. Elder Zeller.

Ezra’s dad.

I was pretty sure I whimpered as I swayed on weak legs.

Mutely, they stared.

I gasped, my vision blurring.
An excuse! Goddamn it, think of a fucking reasonable excuse!
My mouth flapped a few times in an attempt to obey my frantic thoughts as I desperately sought plausible scenarios that might actually fit this predicament.
Shit!

Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he had a Com migraine. “Lil, don’t even bother.”

Snapping my mouth shut, I stuffed my shaking hands in my pockets.

I was well and truly caught.

His hand dropped to his side, and his gaze returned to mine, as he growled, “You couldn’t sense us until now?” He was mighty upset.

I sputtered for a few seconds, then cleared my throat, trying again. “I was distracted.”

Elder Jacobs replied dryly, “So we noticed.”

I still hadn’t looked at Ezra’s dad. Nor did I really want to. But, I did — carefully — ask the infuriated Mage, “Why didn’t you tell us you were in here?”
Peeping Toms!

Antonio bristled.
Uh-oh.
“You sneak into my damn office and ask me why I didn’t show myself?” He stalked forward, and I moved backward. Best to keep a safe distance.

But still… “Yes.”

He stopped dead in his tracks at my response, clenching and unclenching his fists, and jerked his head toward Ezra’s dad. “We were having a private discussion we didn’t want others overhearing when Ezra walked in. He wanted to see how badly you two were lying to him.” A pause. “Then the whole situation turned,” another head tilt at Cahal, “and he wanted to know his son’s decision.”

He ran a hand over his face, suddenly appearing tired. “I’m going to have to buy a new lounge couch.” My face flamed so hot it had to match my hair. He pointed over my head. “And Ezra’s fixing that crack and anything else he broke by throwing my things about.”

I nodded quickly, watching him warily. Right now, he was running hot and cold.

He shook his head, muttering, “I seriously didn’t want to see that.” He glanced at the desk and the couch, making my flush stay bright. “You need to work on your willpower, kiddo. He played you like a fucking fiddle. I thought we were going to have to watch the whole damn thing,” he shuddered, “to its conclusion.”

I choked, turning my gaze from him, entirely mortified. This resulted with my eyes landing directly on Ezra’s dad. I froze as my gaze collided with his. Antonio didn’t seem to notice as he rambled on about burning his precious candles, and so on and so forth, striding back to the fireplace and muttering to himself.

Ezra’s dad rested with his elbow on the arm of the chair, two fingers propping his chin up as he regarded me with a blank expression.

I had no clue what to say to the man. To any of them, as the room went mute again. An apology seemed ridiculous since I wasn’t, in fact, sorry. Denying the action was just ludicrous. Telling them it wouldn’t happen again wasn’t an honest way to start with a clean slate since, if Ezra wanted to be exclusive, it very much would happen.

Into the strained silence, my face still flaming bright, Elder Merrick drawled, “I do believe I’m going to have to watch my back for a few days.” His chuckle was gravelly. “It could be fun.”

My gaze wasn’t going anywhere from Cahal’s, even when Elder Jacobs mumbled, “And your front and sides.” A pause. “And from below and above.”

Silence extended again after their humor during my undignified experience.

Time sluggishly ticked away as I awaited my fate. No great outcome came to mind.

Finally, Cahal deigned to speak, and still in no hurry, he enquired casually, “You have nothing to say?”

I cleared my throat. Actually, I did. “This was all my fault.” Cahal’s gaze never wavered from mine, even if blank. I straightened my shoulders. “I originally seduced Ezra.” Pulling my hands out of my pockets, I extended them in supplication. “He’s more like an innocent party.”

That did get a reaction. Just not from who I wanted.

Elder Merrick made a gurgling noise.

Antonio sighed heavily.

Elder Jacobs’s jaw fell open.

And Cahal just blinked once — no change.

Again, I cleared my throat, ‘cause I had to keep trying. “Really.” I pointed at myself. “It was me who initiated it.” Kind of the truth. I was the one who had been caught ogling his lips and ass. “There’s no reason for you to be upset with your son.” I had no clue what his dad would do to him, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be all warm and fuzzy.

Ignoring the other three, who appeared to be choking, fainting, or possibly dead, Cahal lifted his chin from his fingers and folded his hands across his flat stomach. Reclining further on the chair, and also ignoring everything I had said, he stated bluntly, “You two lied to me.”

Gulping, I nodded once. “Yes.”

He stared, dark eyes fathomless. “You two share a bedroom?”

With my thoughts quickly assessing what had been said earlier, my lips pinched. “Yes.”

“He was the father of your twins?”

My nostrils flared.
Oh, God.
“Yes.”

His head cocked. “He said they were a boy and girl. How did he know this?”

Lie.
“A guess,” I stated evenly, keeping my eyes firmly off Elder Merrick, knowing he would sense the fib. Bindi was a good doctor and I didn’t want to get her in trouble.

Cahal’s thumbs started ticking together, and I realized it was to the cadence of my heartbeat. “Other than the five of us in this room, who else knows about your relationship?”

Sweat began to bead on my forehead. “No one to worry about.”

His lips curled cruelly. “Who, Ms Ruckler?”

My lips stayed firmly shut, watching him warily. As soon as I saw the very beginnings of his eyes glowing, I quickly dropped my gaze. Anger and fear overtook my emotions. The fucker had been about to mind trap me into telling him.

He chuckled quietly. “Maybe there is some intelligence in that brain of yours.” Still with the soft chuckling. “But I will have that answer.”

It was my only choice on how the situation was dealt.
Asshole.
“King Venclaire knows.” He could handle Ezra’s dad the best out of the few others who knew. I only felt slightly guilty handing over his name.

He hummed. “Interesting.” He paused. “How did he figure this out?”

My lips lifted on their own accord, glancing up at him. “He’s smarter than the rest.”

He watched me, eyes roaming over my features. “Is he the only one?”

“Yes.” I kept my heart rate steady, having to take a chance Elder Merrick wouldn’t blab.

I jolted when my new cell phone in my pocket began ringing. Not sure what to do during this inquisition, I only lifted it from my pocket, trying to figure out where the ignore button was, but Cahal stated, “Answer it.” Well, guess that made up my mind.

I flipped it open. “Hello?”

“You’re not back in our room yet,” Ezra growled over the line, apparently having better luck tracking down cell phone numbers than I’d had. “You said you were going to
handle
your issue yourself, but you’re not here doing it.” He sounded all kinds of put out. “Where the fuck are you?”

My gaze lifted over Cahal’s shoulder, thanking God that King Kincaid had told me the phones were spelled so no Vamps could overhear what the caller was saying. Go Shifter paranoia. “I got held up.”

“If it’s not important,” Cahal’s lips were pinched slightly, probably because he couldn’t eavesdrop, “hang the fucking phone up.”

But I knew instantly the spell didn’t go both ways when there was dead silence over the line, before Ezra asked quietly, “Where are you, sweetheart?”

“I have to go,” I stated evenly. I hung up without another word. My phone instantly rang again, but when I couldn’t find the damn button to ignore the call, I stuffed it in my pocket with it still ringing. Eyes steadfast on Cahal, I murmured, “Sorry.” The ringing stopped, only to start again instantly. “It’s new, I don’t know how to shut it—” I jerked, my voice silenced when the door slammed open behind me.

Everyone’s gaze, including my own, snapped in that direction.

Ezra stood in the doorway, nostrils flared, his green eyes instantly doing a sweep over my person before traveling over everyone in the room, his gaze honed and assessing as he snapped his cell phone shut next to his leg and placed it in his pocket in an efficient motion. My phone instantly stopped ringing, and I realized that was how he had found me — by the ringing. His hair was a wet mess all over his head, as if he had just gotten out of the shower. He was only wearing a pair of athletic shorts. And that was it for clothing. Even his feet were bare.