He looked affronted. “I care.”

I arched a dubious brow.

“So, what, because I can kill without remorse I can’t feel something for someone?”

“That’s not what I meant,” I said impatiently. “But Binding is a humungous thing.”

He narrowed his eyes, annoyed. “Are we back to that ‘we shouldn’t rush things’ conversation?”

“No.” Because Sam had been right in the things she’d said to me: Time comes to mean something different when it’s not running out…When it comes to making decisions about taking huge steps, there’s no timescale to measure against. It forces you to rely on your instincts. My instincts told me that Salem was mine, that what we had was deep and real. “I can’t Bind with someone I love who doesn’t feel the same way.”

His eyes and expression softened, but his voice was gruff. “You love me?” Seeing the relief and contentment on his face, I realised that he actually did care.

I smiled. “Why else would I cope with your unreasonably intense possessiveness?”

“I warned you I’d hold you tight to me.”

That made me think of something else Sam had said: We’re predators now. Predators possess and guard what’s theirs. “And I’ll hold you tight to me. But I won’t Bind with you for the wrong reasons, even though I’m happy to hear that you care.”

“I do care,” he asserted. “I feel sort of…calm when you’re with me. And I think about you constantly when you’re not.” It was spoken with his usual apathetic tone. “I trust you, and I want you to have everything you want, even those goddamn cushions. And I feel…good. But vulnerable, because you know me better than anyone. And I feel panic. Because whenever I stop to think about just how much you could hurt me, I’m suddenly fucking terrified. It’s like a physical hurt. An ache. I know that losing you would hurt worse than anything. And it scares me how much I’ve come to need you just to be okay, and just how much you – this one little person – is important to me.”

I had to swallow past a lump in my throat. “That’s love, Salem.”

“Then I guess I love you, don’t I? Why are you crying?” His arm wrapped around me, pulling me close. Of course Salem would never understand that his words could possibly have any emotional impact. To him, it was actions that spoke. “Stop it. I hate it when you cry.”

I smiled, trying to blink away the tears. “Okay, stop freaking out.”

“Does this mean you’ll Bind with me?”

“Yes, and we don’t have to have a party.” I had to giggle at the relief that crossed his face. Bindings were week-long events of entertainment that culminated in a ceremony. Being a host and the centre of attention would literally kill him. “We’ll just skip straight to the ceremony, and then have a little after-party. Okay?”

He inhaled deeply. “I can do that.”

“You do understand that we can’t have it until after this assignment is over, don’t you? You’ll have to walk into that battle without a Binding link.”

“I know. And I trust that you’ll keep yourself safe for me.”

That made my smile widen. “Just like I trust that you’ll keep yourself alive for me.”

His expression turned fierce. “But I won’t go on any other assignment after this until we’re Bound.”

“You’re really adorable when you get all growly.”

Ooh, he was offended. “Only you would ever describe me as stuff like adorable, or warm, or cuddly. And I’m betting you only do it to drive me crazy.”

“Is it working?”

Growling, he rolled me onto my back, hooked my leg around his hip, and drove himself deep. “Yes. And I have no idea why I like it.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(Ava)

Okay, so when everyone was prepared to leave for Giles’ club at dusk, the plan had been simple enough: pay him a visit, offer him one final chance to give up Diane. If he refused to do so, we would then give him two options.

Option A: return with us to The Hollow so that Ryder could do his thing, and Giles and his nest would then be spared.

Option B: let his entire nest die by engaging in a battle with us they had no hope of winning, and then we’d take him with us anyway.

However, two things fucked up that plan. The first was that Sam and Jared received a call from Giles an hour before we were ready to leave. He gave them Diane’s current location in exchange for escaping punishment. The second thing was that Sebastian arrived at The Hollow merely three minutes after Sam and Jared’s call with Giles had ended. Sebastian’s news had not been welcome.

Sam frowned, leaning forward in her seat at the conference table. “She has something I want? What does that mean?”

Sebastian shook his head. “I have no idea. But I managed to track her to the abandoned warehouse where Giles claims she’s hiding. I overheard her discussing the matter.” As with Jared, Antonio had given Sebastian additional power as a reward, allowing him to develop a second gift. As such, in addition to having the ability to teleport, Sebastian was able to create a mental shield that prevented him from being sensed.

“At least we know he’s telling the truth about her location,” said Chico.

Sebastian continued speaking to Sam. “He is with her, willing to fight alongside her, as you predicted. She does not believe it will come to a fight; she is sure that her marksmen will eliminate your squad. She also believes that when you see what she has in her possession, you will give her what she wants.”

“What does she want?” asked Sam.

“She didn’t say. This ‘something’ she has will soon be planted in the abandoned building adjacent to the warehouse.”

“If it’s not there yet,” began Jared, “it could mean this is all just bullshit; that she intends to call our bluff.”

“It is a possibility,” allowed Sebastian. “But I doubt it – she seems too smug.”

“It could be that she wants immunity for her crimes,” suggested Butch.

Max’s mouth twisted. “Or maybe she wants The Hollow.”

“I’m quite sure we can cross the latter off the list of possibilities,” replied Sebastian. “When Giles asked if she would demand The Hollow, she scoffed at the idea. She is perfectly aware that we would never leave The Hollow unguarded; that we would never bring the entire legion to any assignment. As such, she’s certain that the moment she and Giles stepped on the island, they would be killed. She says she has no intention of dying, and what she wants from Sam is much more significant.”