“It’s barely seven. We might as well keep a lookout,” she said, resting her head against his chest.
He nodded and reached over to turn off the closest lamp so that they could see out. There was still enough light to alert Logan when he came home, and their shadows in the window would be a big clue.
“Do you really think Cernowain used the rain in Inverness to send his boars to find us?” Ana asked, idly running her hand up and down the arm Cam had wrapped around her waist. Her other hand hung at her hip, gripping her bow so that it rested against his thigh. He swore he could feel her all over his body, and he had to shake his head to focus.
“I don’t know. Seems odd. But I suppose. They’re determined to have you back.”
“It’s not my destiny.”
“No. It was mine.”
“But you hated Otherworld. And your destiny.”
“True. But it’s hard not to feel like I ran from something that felt wrong without even trying to fix it.”
“Part of you wants to go back, doesn’t it?” Her voice wavered, so slightly that he could barely hear it.
It shot a pang through his heart even as that same heart leapt at the idea that she would miss him. He spun her to face him, vaguely registering her bow hitting the carpet and her hands coming up to grip his shirt.
“Yes, but I have important work to do here, back in the jungle. I can’t leave it. But more than that, I’d rather be here with you. A thousand times over.” He’d realized it as soon as Druantia had told him that Logan wasn’t there. With the safety net that Logan provided gone, the likelihood that he might have to go in order to save Ana had hit him hard. He’d realized without a doubt that he didn’t want to leave her, not even to fulfill the destiny that he’d been running from.
A tremulous smile stretched across her face. “Good.” She reached up to yank his head down to hers. The press of her lips drove any thought of liking or loving from his brain, and he gripped her tighter to him.
The feel of her body, hot and soft and curved, drew his hands, desperate to touch as much of her as he could in the few seconds they had to spare before common sense returned. The shadow of all that weighed on them hovered at the corner of his mind as he bit her bottom lip and tugged with his teeth. When she moaned, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, stroking and tasting and wishing it could go on but knowing it couldn’t.
He broke the kiss, his chest heaving, and leaned his forehead against hers while his hands gripped her hips. “Ana, the things I feel with you.”
She clutched his shirt. “Don’t leave me. Logan will agree to go, and it’ll be fine. It’ll be fine.” There was the barest crazed edge to her voice, but she spun quickly and put her hands against the window to peer out.
He stepped up behind her and reached for her hand. After a few minutes, she relaxed enough to lean back against his chest. They watched out the window for nearly an hour, hypnotized by the falling snow. Finally, it started to lighten.
“If he’s been waiting this out in the village, he should be heading back soon,” Cam said.
Ana nodded, her gaze still intent on the outside. It was another hour before headlights came down the drive. Ana stiffened in his arms.
“Wow. I can’t believe this is happening,” Ana said. She bent down to pick up her quiver.
“Leave it.” He touched her arm and she straightened. “Close enough that you can get to it if you need it. But he knows we’re here. I’m a fast draw, and we don’t want him to feel threatened if he sees us armed.”
Ana watched the man climb out of a Range Rover. Her eyes met his through the window and a chill raced across her skin on tiny mouse feet. Suspicion stretched across his face at the sight of her in his house, but she didn’t see anger or fear.
No, it didn’t look like anything would frighten this man. He was tall, with a lean strength that couldn’t be concealed by his black winter coat. His strides ate up the ground too quickly as he headed toward the house.
The front door creaked as it opened, the sound ominous in the silence. A rush of cold air followed Logan inside, but Ana couldn’t really feel it. She was too focused on the man who stepped into the living room. He was eerily beautiful, with inky hair and eyes that only emphasized his pale skin.
He had more than just dark color in his eyes. He had dark thoughts as well. They made him a type of scary handsome. But not like Cam, who looked as if he could beat the shit out of anyone with his fists without breaking a sweat. No, this man was another kind of frightening, a kind she wasn’t familiar with because she hadn’t felt fear in a very long time. She swallowed hard.
“Visitors?” His raspy voice carried a sarcastic twist.
“Um, no,” Ana said, unsure of how to start now that he was here and pinning her with his black gaze. No, not her. Cam, who was standing behind her. Was he looking at Cam strangely? “I’m Ana, Celtic goddess of victory. This is Cam, a Celtic demigod.”
There. She saw it. A light of recognition in his eyes. She looked behind her to see suspicion in Cam’s gaze. Did he recognize him? She tried to catch Cam’s eyes, but his were glued to Logan.
Fates, this was already going poorly. She’d expected this to be awkward; they were sitting in this man’s living room, after all. But something was off, something that made her heart climb into her throat and beat like a moth trying to escape a jar.
“Why are you here?” Logan asked.
She rushed to make her offer before the suspense made her pass out. “You see, I don’t want to be a god anymore. And we heard that you’re an incredible archer. Strong enough to maybe take my place if you wanted to. Be a Celtic war god, that is.”