Wild and Free (The Three #3)(78)

“I hear that too,” I muttered.

“But sometimes fate smiles down on us, giving us bounty instead of challenge.” Her hand curled tighter on my arm. “That’s what she gave us with you.”

That felt so good, I stopped walking.

She had no choice but to do it with me, and when I looked down at her, she was looking up at me.

“You’re making Abel very happy.”

“God, I hope so,” I whispered.

She gave me another smile, still small, but this one happy.

“You are.”

“I like him,” I told her, and her smile got less small.

“That’s good, since he likes you too. A great deal.”

I grinned. “I noticed that.”

She looked forward and started us walking again.

Then she commenced in destroying my world.

“I cannot say what it means, my delight at what he’s found in you, that he has what he’s been yearning for, even in the short time you’ll be with him as you live your mortal life. It will give him much to cherish as he continues his immortal one when you’re gone.”

I kept walking but said nothing, made no sound, carefully regulated my breathing.

Because I hadn’t thought of that.

Not once.

I had no idea why, though obviously a lot was happening.

I still hadn’t thought of that.

I was falling in love with him.

And evidence suggested he was doing the same with me.

But he couldn’t die.

And I definitely would.

Oh my God.

“We’re here,” Jian-Li said, and I jerked in surprise, blinking at Chen’s door. “Lilah, are you all right?”

I drew in a deep breath, pulling it together before I looked down at her. “Not really. Lots on my mind. But I figure I just need to find Abel and I’ll be okay.”

She studied me closely before she asked, “Are you sure?”

“Sure I’m sure,” I said on a smile I didn’t mean, but considering all that was happening, I hoped she didn’t read it as what it really was.

“Yes,” she agreed, squeezing my elbow before letting it go. “Find Abel. Then he’ll be okay too.”

God.

I bent to her and touched my cheek to hers, saying there, “Sleep well, Jian-Li.”

“I will. You do the same, Lilah,” she replied.

I moved away and she went into Chen’s room. I stood at the door and waved when he looked to it, catching me there. He lifted his hand and waved back.

Then I took off.

I checked Jabber’s room, but Abel was no longer there. So I hauled my ass to our bedroom.

Abel wasn’t there either.

I left and went in search of him.

Although I knew there were tons of people around, they all had to be busy because they weren’t bustling about the hallways. It took me a while of roaming the halls before I found someone to ask if they knew where Abel was.

I found her, a striking brunette with curling hair and fabulous blue eyes. She seemed on a mission, but I still flagged her to stop.

She did and I asked, “Uh, do you know where Abel is? Abel Jin. The—”

“I know who he is, Delilah, but I don’t know where he is. I’ll find out,” she said, lifted the cell in her hand, hit some buttons with her thumb, and put it to her ear. She asked. She nodded. She hit the phone with her thumb again and looked to me. “He’s in with Gregor. Bottom floor, south wing, three doors in on the outside from the main wing. You want me to take you there?”

“No, I think I got it,” I replied.

“I’m Stephanie, by the way. A friend of Lucien’s,” she shared.

“Oh, hi,” I said, sticking my hand out for her to take, which she did. “I’m, well, you know who I am.”

“Yeah.” She smiled, let me go, and her smile drifted away. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

“I’ll let you go find your mate,” she went on.

I nodded and repeated, “Thanks.”

She said no more and kept walking.

I did too and found the third door on the outside on the first floor of the south wing.

It was slightly ajar and Abel’s voice was floating out of it.

His irate voice.

“We talked about this earlier.”

“Abel—”

I recognized that voice as Gregor’s.

I stopped.

Abel cut him off. “You give my mate this. You give her family this. Just two days to put someone they love to rest. The day after tomorrow, we’ll all sit down and make plans to save the world.”

His words kinda made me want to laugh, but I choked it back.

“There’s much to go over,” Gregor told him.

“Yeah, I remember that from the other fifteen times you said it to me,” Abel returned, and I leaned a shoulder against the wall, settling in for my man’s show.

I didn’t have my shoulder against the wall for long, because Gregor said, “Delilah is just outside.”

“I know,” Abel replied.

Of course. They smelled me. Or something.

Whatever.

I moved to the door and shoved it open.

“Hey, gents,” I greeted, but I was looking at Gregor because, for some reason, I couldn’t look at Abel.