Jackson crawls out of his tent, looking carefully around, trying to figure out…well, if there is actually someone here even if he can’t smell or hear them. But as far as he can see and sense it’s just rippling grass and the wind moving softly around him. He sighs, looking down at the little stone in
Slowly, Jackson’s mouth pulls into a smile as he realizes that this isn’t a maze at all.It’s a cage.A cage with nothing in it. And if there’s something that the Atalaxians have built here that they’re either trying to keep in, or protect themselves from? Well. That’s something he wants to know mor
“No, Jesse!” Midnight laughs, stumbling forward outside of her yurt and grabbing his shadow panther right out of the air, making it dissolve away to smoke and reeling it into herself. Jesse gasps as he loses control of it, letting it pass into Midnight’s capable hands. “Why do you keep making animal
“Fuck, Ariel,” Jackson whispers, trembling a little in shock and relief. “I’ve missed you so much – I’m so sorry –““Sorry,” I say, lifting my face and sniffing hard, even as tears continue to fall from my eyes. “Why are you sorry.”“Because I let them take you,” he murmurs, sticking an arm through
Jackson snarls down into my face, though I don’t budge an inch, completely unafraid. Because even if fear and anger ripple through him at that confirmation, I know that none of this is for me. For my grandmother, perhaps – but not for me.“Hey,” I whisper, reaching a hand up and cupping his cheek in
He blinks once, I think shocked.“I’m serious,” I say, squeezing his hand, holding his gaze. “I’ve had time to think in here – time is the only thing I have – and when I get home? You’re the only mate I want. I don’t want Gabriel – and I don’t want Luca, okay? I just want you. Me and you – and that’
Jackson kisses me softly through the bars of my little Atalaxian cage. I lean my full weight against them, letting my hand slip up over Jackson’s stubbled cheek and then back into his hair.He pulls away, snarling a little, both for want of me and, well –“I hate these fucking bars,” he growls, glan
“Oh, just be quiet and let me concentrate.”Jesse does as he’s bid, only grumbling a little. Because they’ve been here for hours, and while the blob at the center has shifted a couple of times, there’s no way to really know if it’s people or…something else. Either way, it seems thoroughly encaged, s