whispered hoarsely. “You couldn’t help it. It wasn’t real. I know all that. It just doesn’t help how it made me feel. It’s too new. It was only a few hours ago that I saw him touching you like you belonged to him. I just need a little time, please.”
My throat tightened at the rejection. I couldn’t speak. I nodded and ran from the room.
Back in my room, I ripped the shirt off, the buttons popping and falling to the floor. I put my jeans and T-shirt back on and sat on the bed. The tears flowed as I lamented my life.
Why did we have to choose Moab? Why did Trey have to choose me? Why can’t Johnathan and I catch a break?
As tired as I was, I couldn’t fall asleep. I found myself wandering quietly through the house. In the library I found a picture of Trey that Johnathan hadn’t blasted. I studied the face in the picture. He was looking off to the side of the camera with a dazzling smile on his face. I didn’t feel one bit of longing or desire as I looked at him. Without him here in person, the spell he’d held on me was broken. Yes, he was a very handsome man. But that alone wasn’t enough. In the photo, I could see the emptiness in his eyes. I could see through his façade. I only wanted Johnathan. I hoped with a desperation I had never known that he would be able to get past this. That our love would be strong enough to weather this storm.
I looked at the picture and tried to see any resemblance to Alec. Their eyes were different colors—Trey’s were ice blue whereas Alec had golden-brown eyes with little flecks of hazel in them. The colors differed, but the shape was the same. More than that, they had the same mischievous look. His jawline and nose were nearly identical to Alec’s. The resemblance wasn’t blaring, but I could see it, strong enough to convince me of the possibility that Trey and Alec were related in some way.
I lay back on the soft cushions of the couch and closed my eyes.
What would it mean—to Alec and to the rest of us—if he was the son of an Incubus?
I remembered then that Joe had said something before, after my first encounter with Trey, about Merlin being the son of an Incubus. Merlin, the most powerful wizard I’d ever heard of—not that I knew of many other wizards. Maybe it wasn’t such a tragedy. It would answer a lot of questions for Alec. Maybe his magic would be stronger. Or… maybe he would turn into a monster like Trey. He did, at times, seem to have struggles with integrity. But, I couldn’t forget the multiple times he’d come to my defense when he thought Johnathan or someone was treating me with less than the utmost respect. Alec was a flirt, no doubt about that, but I’d never seen him cross the line from flirt to downright rogue.
Those thoughts clouded my mind as the exhaustion finally won out. I fell asleep on the couch in the library.
don’t know how long I slept there. Only one window graced the walls of the library and it was covered with thick curtains that blocked out any light. I slept the deep sleep of the dog-tired, no dreams, no position changes.
I awoke to Johnathan’s voice and soft touch on my shoulder. “Paige, what are you doing in here?”
I opened my eyes, too in love with his voice to remember to fear that my sight might be gone again. I smiled up at him. I lifted a hand to his face and something dropped from my chest to the floor.
Johnathan bent to pick up the framed picture of Trey. He frowned. As the realization of what he held hit him, the frown turned to a flash of anger.
“
My
face was the last thing you wanted to see before you fell asleep, huh?” He flung it across the room, the glass frame shattering as it hit a shelf of books.
He jumped to his feet and ran from the room before I could even find my voice to explain.
“Ugghh,” I groaned, punching the couch. “I can’t take this anymore!”
“Take what? What’s wrong?” Alec stepped into the library.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” I huffed.
“Yeah,
My throat tightened at the rejection. I couldn’t speak. I nodded and ran from the room.
Back in my room, I ripped the shirt off, the buttons popping and falling to the floor. I put my jeans and T-shirt back on and sat on the bed. The tears flowed as I lamented my life.
Why did we have to choose Moab? Why did Trey have to choose me? Why can’t Johnathan and I catch a break?
As tired as I was, I couldn’t fall asleep. I found myself wandering quietly through the house. In the library I found a picture of Trey that Johnathan hadn’t blasted. I studied the face in the picture. He was looking off to the side of the camera with a dazzling smile on his face. I didn’t feel one bit of longing or desire as I looked at him. Without him here in person, the spell he’d held on me was broken. Yes, he was a very handsome man. But that alone wasn’t enough. In the photo, I could see the emptiness in his eyes. I could see through his façade. I only wanted Johnathan. I hoped with a desperation I had never known that he would be able to get past this. That our love would be strong enough to weather this storm.
I looked at the picture and tried to see any resemblance to Alec. Their eyes were different colors—Trey’s were ice blue whereas Alec had golden-brown eyes with little flecks of hazel in them. The colors differed, but the shape was the same. More than that, they had the same mischievous look. His jawline and nose were nearly identical to Alec’s. The resemblance wasn’t blaring, but I could see it, strong enough to convince me of the possibility that Trey and Alec were related in some way.
I lay back on the soft cushions of the couch and closed my eyes.
What would it mean—to Alec and to the rest of us—if he was the son of an Incubus?
I remembered then that Joe had said something before, after my first encounter with Trey, about Merlin being the son of an Incubus. Merlin, the most powerful wizard I’d ever heard of—not that I knew of many other wizards. Maybe it wasn’t such a tragedy. It would answer a lot of questions for Alec. Maybe his magic would be stronger. Or… maybe he would turn into a monster like Trey. He did, at times, seem to have struggles with integrity. But, I couldn’t forget the multiple times he’d come to my defense when he thought Johnathan or someone was treating me with less than the utmost respect. Alec was a flirt, no doubt about that, but I’d never seen him cross the line from flirt to downright rogue.
Those thoughts clouded my mind as the exhaustion finally won out. I fell asleep on the couch in the library.
don’t know how long I slept there. Only one window graced the walls of the library and it was covered with thick curtains that blocked out any light. I slept the deep sleep of the dog-tired, no dreams, no position changes.
I awoke to Johnathan’s voice and soft touch on my shoulder. “Paige, what are you doing in here?”
I opened my eyes, too in love with his voice to remember to fear that my sight might be gone again. I smiled up at him. I lifted a hand to his face and something dropped from my chest to the floor.
Johnathan bent to pick up the framed picture of Trey. He frowned. As the realization of what he held hit him, the frown turned to a flash of anger.
“
My
face was the last thing you wanted to see before you fell asleep, huh?” He flung it across the room, the glass frame shattering as it hit a shelf of books.
He jumped to his feet and ran from the room before I could even find my voice to explain.
“Ugghh,” I groaned, punching the couch. “I can’t take this anymore!”
“Take what? What’s wrong?” Alec stepped into the library.
“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” I huffed.
“Yeah,
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