CHAPTER 4
“Gunner?”
Gunner’s powers immediately hurtled into high alert and he sprang out of bed. He spun in the air, moving so fast the human eye couldn’t keep up. The room circled around him in slow motion, and he saw everything in minute detail. Nay stood at the foot of his mattress, her attention still aimed at where he had slumbered.
His neck singed where the Designation of a straight eared dog burned a fiery orange, and his eyes blazed russet brown, easy to see in the dark. Fangs distended beyond his bottom lip, and his top lip curled up into a snarl. In his split second glance at Nay, he took in her tousled hair and sleep swollen lips. Sometime during the night she had removed her sweatshirt, leaving her with a dark t-shirt. And braless. Instead of her jeans, she wore boxers. Gunner continued his spin so he landed with his back facing her.
She gasped and shuffled her feet on the floor. His gaze bored into the wall and he gulped in two deep breaths, trying to get his powers under control. Lowering his lids, he waited for the flames in the pit of his stomach, where the core of his powers smoldered, to cool. Finally his fangs melded back into regular incisors and the searing on his neck dissipated.
“Jesus, Nay,” he gritted out as he swiveled to face her. “You gave me a fucking heart attack.”
Nay’s eyes bulged, and her examination trekked from his face, to his bare chest, and continued down to linger over his bared goods. Her hands sprung up to her mouth, but he noticed she didn’t block her view as she continued to stare.
He could’ve been the gentleman and turned away, but she came into his room. And he preferred to sleep in the buff. As she gawked, the thing began to spring to life, liking the attention.
“Had your fill?” he asked.
Nay’s lids squeezed shut. “Sorry.” Her hands scrubbed her face and she twisted around, giving him her back. “I… I couldn’t sleep. A nightmare woke me, and I thought…”
Her dark head shook, and Gunner took pity on her. He yanked the sheet from beneath the crumpled quilt and wrapped it around his waist, knotting it in place. “You all right?”
She glimpsed over her shoulder and then faced him once more. “I keep dreaming I find Kristine’s dead body in the desert.” Her eyes misted and she lifted a shaking hand to her hair, pushing it behind an ear.
“We’ll find her, Nay. I have some things in the fire, tracking down that bastard.”
She blinked and shuffled to the bed, sitting stiffly on the edge of the mattress. “I know. I believe you. But what if we’re too late? What if she’s already dead?”
Gunner strode over to her and sat beside her. “That’s not going to happen.”
She nodded and tilted her head so it lay on his shoulder. His muscles tightened and he struggled not to let his thoughts stray to where they shouldn’t.
Her sister was kidnapped and we’re in the middle of trying to find the girl, and all you can think about is fucking her? Get your shit together, douche.
“I just wish I knew where she is,” she whispered.
Gunner curved his arm around her and hugged her gently against him. “We’ll find her. Soon.”
She nodded, and then her wide gaze turned to him, her mouth inches from his. He inhaled and tasted the scent of her raspberry sparkling water. “Is it okay if I stay up here? I’m afraid to be by myself.”
Gunner stilled, attempting to hide the alarm bells going off in his head. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
She smiled and her face lit up. For a moment, he was struck by the transformation. He rose to his feet and paced back to his side of the bed. She stood and watched him. He stretched his hand out, indicating the right side of the bed. “Uh, I’ll…uh…take this side.”
He hefted up the quilt. “Here, you can use this. I’m fine with the sheet.”
Nay nodded, her layered strands shadowing her face. She climbed over the mattress, gathered the blanket around her, and her head sunk into the pillow with her back to him.
Gunner eyed her, fascinated by the situation, unsure of how to handle having her in his bed. He unraveled the knot on his sheet, wrapped it around his body, and lowered himself to the mattress. On his back, he rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands while letting out a huge gush of air.
He’d been dead to the world when she came up, which didn’t surprise him since he hadn’t slept in so long. Even now, fatigue pulled at his lids, but he wasn’t sure how soundly he’d sleep with Nay beside him.
She was definitely the kind of woman he preferred. But, he didn’t want to ruin their friendship because the chances of them having a long term relationship were pretty much nil. He was Anathergian. She was not. He was immortal. She was not. He would not age, whereas she would grow old and frail and die.
Of course, he could be killed in a few different ways. Mainly by incineration or by his own choice to go to the next plain.
She was a nice person, and she would eventually find the man of her dreams who made her happily ever after. He would one day find his Anathergian Lifemate who he’d live and breathe for. And, whoever she is—if she even lives—his connection with her would be so entrenched, he would die without her.
He had seen this almost happen to his king, Auden. Everyone believed his Lifemate, Leah, was dead. It turned out her father, an Anathergian and their enemy, had used a substance that cloaked Leah from Auden. She’d been saved, and Auden had survived. Barely.
Gunner glanced at the girl beside him. Already her breathing lifted her shoulders in even intervals.
Yep, it’s going to be a long night.