I have to swallow hard before I can get any words out, and then I only manage one. “Yeah.” The single word is embarrassingly breathy.
Oliver smiles a small smile that’s only for me. “I kind of liked that, too,” he whispers, then presses his lips to mine. I expect just a quick kiss, but Oliver hugs me to him and takes his time, building heat slowly instead of instantly igniting me the way Rook had. Before things get out of hand, he breaks the kiss. “I’ve been waiting for that kiss since midnight.”
My face is on fire, and I’m very conscious of the two other men in the room who seem content to watch me make out with my boyfriends, but I force my attention to stay on Oliver. He deserves it for being patient with Rook. “Happy New Year,” I mumble.
He smiles again and adjusts me so that I’m comfortably settled in his arms. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year,” Charlie chimes. When Oliver and I both turn to him, he flashes us a wide grin. “I thought your relationship with Rook was strong, but you two”—he points at Oliver and me—“you’re something else entirely. And the three of you together? Damn, that was sexy. I really am going to love it here.”
Illren clears his throat. He’s leaning against the wall, picking at the dirt underneath his fingernails with one of his smaller daggers. “Will one of you explain this man’s presence before I kill him?”
The smile falls from Charlie’s face. He gulps and shifts in his chair, squirming beneath Illren’s intense scrutiny. I pull myself out of Oliver’s embrace and sit up with a sigh. “Illren, this is Charlie, and like I said before, you can’t kill him.” Illren shoots me his infamous bored look. “I’m serious. You can’t touch him. He’s…he’s…”
I can’t get the word out, and neither, it seems, is Charlie willing to break the news to my personal assassin. Oliver decides to be the brave one. “He’s her mate.”
A brief look of shock passes over Illren’s face before he shuts it down with his usual blank expression. He slides a narrow-eyed gaze to Charlie. “Mate?”
Charlie tugs at his collar before nodding once.
“Bonded?” Illren demands.
Charlie forces another nod, and his face goes a shade paler.
A long moment of silence stretches out before Illren says, “You’re a cupid.”
Surprised by the statement, Charlie gives him a confused nod. “Yes.”
Illren pushes away from the wall and slinks toward Charlie. I climb to my feet as well, ready to jump in if Illren loses it on Charlie. Illren notices my movement and stops. “Did you do this?” he asks Charlie.
Charlie frowns. “Do what?”
“You’re a cupid.” Illren grinds his jaw. “Did you make her fall in love with you and claim you? Did you force the bond on her?”
Charlie’s eyes pop wide, and whatever blood was left in his face drains out of it. “No!” He gasps, shaking his head frantically. “I would never do that! I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I can’t use my magic that way. I swear.”
I push myself between Charlie and Illren. I’m pretty sure Illren won’t harm Charlie because I already asked him not to, but better safe than sorry. “Charlie did nothing wrong. If anything, I was the one who forced the bond on him. I lost control of my power and claimed him. He was under the spell of my siren’s song when he completed the bond.”
Illren’s eyes snap to mine, and his voice turns sharp. “You lost control of your power? How? Why?”
Now that Illren’s attention is focused on me, Charlie sags back in his chair and lets out a breath he’d been holding. I, on the other hand, feel the weight of Illren’s glare and attempt to scurry back to my seat beside Oliver. Of course Illren doesn’t let me. I’ve already put myself within arm’s reach of him, and he’s not one to miss an opportunity to invade my personal space. He steps in front of me, blocking my escape and bringing us toe-to-toe. “How did you lose control of your power, Nora?” he asks, that lethal calm back in his voice.
A shiver runs up my spine. His voice is always so powerful despite the quietness of it. It invokes a certain level of both fear and thrill in me. “I don’t know,” I breathe. “I just did.”
I try to sidestep him again, and again he matches my movement. He leans in a little, and I get a whiff of his tantalizing scent. He always smells so good. Like some type of tangy yet sweet berries mixed with a very fresh, crisp something that reminds me of a forest after a snowstorm. I love the smell, but I’m afraid to ask him what cologne he wears because it might just be his natural scent, and I don’t need him knowing I’m attracted to him on such a primal level.
“Nora,” he says, his tone a warning that he wants a better answer.
I shake my head and focus before I accidentally lean close and breathe him in deeply, giving away how much he makes my head swim. “How did it feel?” Illren asks when I meet his eyes again.
“Dark,” I answer. “Seductive. It wanted to come out and play, and not in a harmless way. It was consuming. And the scary part is I wanted to use it. I knew I shouldn’t, but I was almost desperate to unleash it. It was as if it was mesmerizing me as much as it was him.”
Illren watches me for a few moments of tense silence as he thinks through everything I’ve just said. Once he’s finished processing, his eyes narrow, and he nods. “We’ll visit the mermaid tomorrow. She will know more about this.”
I’m glad he’s concerned. Now that I’m thinking about it again, tonight really scared me. The fact that I came out of the evening’s events with a new mate sort of overshadowed the scary fact that I lost control. But Illren couldn’t care less about how many mates I have so long as he’s one of them. Never thought that would be a good thing, but I can trust him to keep his head clear and focused on the important things. “I think that’s a very good idea. Thank you, Illren.”
I try to move again, but he still won’t let me pass. “May I go now?” I ask, annoyed.
The corners of his lips twitch, and his unearthly violet eyes seem to laugh at me even as they fill with heat. “Will you not wish me a Happy New Year as you did the others?”
I gulp. Why does he always have to stand so close? “Happy New Year, Illren.”
“Happy New Year, Mistress.” He picks up my hand and brings it to his lips. As he kisses the back of my hand, he keeps his eyes locked on me and sends me a specific thought. Will you not also kiss me as you did them? As is custom on this holiday?
I rip my hand from his and step back, putting some space between us before he realizes how fast my heart is beating. Illren scares me, but there’s also something about him that draws me near. Like a child being drawn to a sharp object knowing it’s dangerous and they could get hurt but still wanting to play with it anyway.
When the moment is broken between us, Illren assesses me again but quickly turns his thoughtful gaze to Charlie. “Cupid,” he says.
Charlie’s eyes widen, surprised and almost fearful to be so directly addressed by the killer. “Yes?”
“You cannot make anyone fall in love with you, but you can make people fall in love with each other, correct?”