“Oh?” he says with a sly look that despite myself makes me smile.
“Your heat. You are the only one I can feel heat from. I needed to feel that.”
“Hm, well, happy to help.”
“How did you know I wanted you?”
“Our bond, my love. I sensed your desperation. Is it The Thirteen? Has It been messing with you again?”
I nod. “It was bad,” I whisper, and he pulls me to him again but doesn’t question me further.
After a few moments, the bathroom door opens and CK and Lincoln peek in and then rush through the door as they see me sitting in the shower with Xane holding me.
“Where did you come from?” CK asks rudely.
“She needed me, I came,” he says just as rudely.
Lincoln reaches into the shower and turns the taps off. “She was cold,” Lincoln says to CK. “She can feel the heat from him.”
I blink up at him as he holds his hand out for me to stand. I take it, careful to keep the soggy blanket around me, and ask, “How do you know?”
He traces my face with his hand. “You don’t have your blocks up,” he says softly, looking at me with such sorrow that I know he knows what I dreamt.
Chapter 17
I tear my eyes away from Lincoln, to see that CK is looking at me sadly. He can see the bond I have with Lincoln and now he knows I have a seemingly special one with Xane as well. He thinks he is going to lose me, but he won’t. I open my mouth to reassure him, but he shakes his head at me. “You should get changed, my love.” He glares at Xane. “So should you.”
Xane clicks his fingers and instantly he is changed and dry and puts his hand on my shoulder and changes me into… I look down and roll my eyes. “Really?” I gesture at myself, regaining some of my composure. He has dressed me in loose black sweats, a tight vest top, and an oversized black hoodie.
He shrugs and says, “Casual is a good look on you. You may pick your own shoes.”
“Bare feet are fine, thank you,” I say. Again, I am bewildered that I prefer my bare feet. If I go anywhere near a kitchen, future me is in for a world of hurt.
“I think you should go now,” Lincoln says to both of them. “Liv needs to rest.”
“I think that is the last thing she needs,” Xane says cautiously, unsure how much authority he has over this situation.
“I said rest, not sleep. I can assure you she is not going back to sleep on my watch,” Lincoln growls at him and they both go on edge.
“Aefre, this is serious. We should talk about it,” CK says, taking my hand.
“We will. Later. I am here with Lincoln and we need to spend some time together. Please. I will catch up with you later. I promise,” I say to him with a smile to take the sting out of my words.
He nods and pulls me to him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am fine. Honestly. It was just a dream,” I say brightly. Too brightly, and I am not fooling him.
He nods anyway and Teleports out, face impassive. Xane, not too bothered now that our connection is cementing itself somewhat, gives me a bone-crushing hug. “You know I will be here in a heartbeat if you need me,” he says.
&
nbsp; “Thank you,” I say, stepping back, and he Astraports himself away.
“Liv?”
“Yes, Linc.”
He hesitates. I know he wants to ask about Xane but changes his mind and takes my hand. “Come, sit with me for a bit.” He leads me out to the sitting room and pulls me onto his lap, circling me with his big strong arms and I sigh, content.