“No.” Who was this girl willing to die for a man who set a freaking timer for sex? Not me. A protectiveness surged through me as I tried to instantly cover Alex’s body only to forget that touching him brought me pain.
Except this time it didn’t.
Which meant.
His face had gone ashen.
“What did you do to him?” I yelled.
“He’ll be fine…” Timber shrugged. “If.”
“If?”
“Come with me.” Timber was a foot away from me now, his hand outstretched toward me. “It is time.”
“Time for what!” I roared. “I don’t understand.”
The room froze.
It froze.
At least that was the only way I could explain it. Mason was reaching for Ethan, while Ethan took a protective stance in front of Genesis. Even Alex seemed to stop breathing.
“What did you do?” Panicked, I struggled to breathe. Tears welling in my eyes.
Timber’s eyes flashed black. “Party trick?”
“What?”
He reached out in a blur of movement and grabbed my chin between his thumb and forefinger. His touch felt warm, not cold or dead like I expected.
He grinned as if he could hear my thoughts.
“Right hand.” He moved swiftly, grabbing my right hand and pressing it against his chest. His heart thudded in a slow rhythm. Entranced, I pressed my palm against him, like my fingers wanted to feel the heartbeat, to know it was really happening. I kept my hand there. Demons had hearts? I had no clue, and yet, I did. Something wasn’t right.
Something felt… very wrong.
Because Timber — he hadn’t just been in the past visions.
“You,” I whispered. “I… know you.”
“I imagine,” Timber said in a hoarse voice, “that you know all of us, you simply don’t remember it, for reasons I’m sure will be revealed soon.”
Slowly, he knelt on his left knee and then his right, my hand slid up to his shoulder, as he bowed his head, and as if I was part of some weird ritual that had been inherent in me since birth I placed my hand on the back of his head. That was crazy though, right? Something told me that logic wasn’t playing a role in any part of what was taking place.
Blue fire emerged from my palm and washed over him.
“Timber.” I barely got his name out before the fire enveloped his entire body. “Xypinos.”
I didn’t know the word.
I’d never spoken it in my life.
A jolt of power surged through my palm.
His head fell backward and then he stood, towering over me. “I am yours.”
“I don’t understand.”