Bound by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #2)(32)

By the time I reached Lakin’s house, my tail was dragging from exhaustion, but I managed to reach up on my hind legs and press the doorbell with my paw. I dropped back down onto all fours, then sat on his front step as I wearily waited for him to answer.

“Who is it?” he called through the door, sounding tired. “This isn’t exactly the best time.”

“It’s me,” I said, using mindspeech to communicate. “Please, Boon, let me in.”

“Naya?” There was a click, and then Lakin opened the door, shock on his lean face that quickly melted into sympathy. “Are you here about Mika?”

“Yes,” I said, and he stepped aside so I could come in. “Melantha just came by my house for a visit.”

“Shit,” Lakin muttered as he shut the door behind me. “I hope she didn’t trash your apartment. I know all about how crazy mothers can get when their young are in danger.”

“The apartment’s fine, thanks.” I hopped up onto the stuffed green couch – a new addition – and curled up, resting my chin on top of my paws.

Lakin paused at the annoyance in my words. “I didn’t mean to imply I wasn't concerned for your own well-being,” he said gently, coming to sit next to me on the couch. He stroked a hand hesitantly over my fur, reminding me of how Iannis had done the same back on the bridge. “You seem exhausted. I’m guessing you had to heal yourself?”

“Yeah,” I admitted with a little sigh. “And I already hadn’t eaten. Guess it’s going to take me awhile to recharge.”

“Let me get you some food,” Lakin said, standing up. “You need the fuel.”

My stomach twisted at the idea of eating, but I knew I wasn’t in any position to turn down food. My fridge was empty, and I wasn’t going to make it to the Palace tonight to raid their kitchens. Eating while I was already there was one thing, but I’d never live it down if Iannis discovered I was making trips to the Palace just for a meal.

Lakin came back with a huge stainless steel bowl filled with steaks, and my stomach growled at the scent of raw meat. My beast half took over, pouncing on the bowl as Lakin set it down on the ground, and I ripped into the meat with savage intensity. Lakin said nothing, simply sat on the couch and watched as I devoured the steaks, and I kept my own gaze focused on my food, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes.

“Feeling better?” he asked after I’d finished and laid myself down on the floor.

“Yes.” Not completely of course – my heart was still a roiling mass of emotion – but the weight of food in my belly helped calm me a little. I raised my eyes to Lakin’s. “Thank you. I’m sorry for intruding like this.”

“It’s not a problem,” Lakin said gently. “You’ve had a rough day.”

He didn’t know how rough. And I wasn’t going to tell him – the phone call from Rylan wasn’t really Lakin’s business, and there was nothing Lakin could do about it anyway. I was just going to have to tell Iannis when I saw him next, and as Rylan said, watch my back.

“So have you found anything?” I asked. “Any clue as to who might’ve taken Mika?”

“The only clue is that phone call you received yesterday,” Lakin said, his lips thinning. “I canvassed the neighborhood, but nobody saw who took Mika. The only lead we have right now is that fighting ring you’ve dug up.”

“Got it. You’re coming with us to the Shifter Royale tomorrow, right?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss out on the chance to investigate such an important lead.”

I got to my feet, then turned my mind inward and reached for the human half of me so I could shift back. I had enough food in my belly, but mentally I was so exhausted that by the time I finished I collapsed onto the couch next to Lakin.

“Do you need a place to crash?” Lakin asked, studying me with concern. “Sometimes it can be tough to be alone in situations like this.”

“Thanks, but it’s not necessary.” I shook my head, smiling a little. “I’ve been alone long enough that I’ve figured out how to deal.”

“Just because you’ve figured out how to be alone doesn’t mean you have to be,” Lakin said softly. He cupped my cheek with his hand, and my heart started beating faster at the tender look in his eyes.

“Lakin –”

“My name is Boon,” he murmured, and then he closed the distance between us. I drew a sharp breath in through my nostrils as he kissed me, softly, slowly, his lips a gentle caress against mine. Warmth stole through me, softening me up, and I closed my eyes, leaning into him. Cupping my face with both hands, he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue in my mouth. He tasted dark and smoky, like a hot fire on a cold night, and he warmed me from the inside out.

“I can smell your need,” he murmured against my mouth, hot gaze boring deeply into mine. “I know you’re going to need a male soon.”

“Yes.” I licked my lips, tasting the desire on my own tongue. It slowly built with each passing day as my heat approached, and though I still had a few weeks until that day came, that didn’t necessarily mean my body wanted to be celibate in the meantime. But as I stared into Lakin’s reddish-yellow eyes, a pair of iridescent violet irises flashed in my mind’s eye, and heat for a different individual rushed through me.