The Grey God

"Did you say Jonny tried to drag you to his bed?"

"Is that all you heard?" she asked, amused. "He thinks about it too much. I have probably three days until my mind control no longer works on him. And then, it's up to my wits to keep me alive."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"This is what I do, Darian. I fuck-and fuck with-dangerous men," she replied. Jenn leapt the last few feet to the level ground. When she didn't hear Darian drop behind her, she turned.

He was staring at her hard. His features had grown dark and shuttered. She caught the slightest hint of his memory.

"I remind you of her," she said. "At least I serve a higher cause than myself."

"I know that." His voice was soft, and he shook off the darkness before dropping to the ground beside her. "I know you're nothing like her. I wouldn't be here if I thought you would betray me."

But … she heard the uncertainty in his voice.

"Of the two of us, I'm the better liar," she said. "You know better by now than to trust a woman who lies for a living."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"You sure?" Jenn looked up at him. She took a step closer, waiting for him to back down. The Darian she'd left behind two weeks ago hadn't resolved his issues with his past. He would've turned tail and run.

Darian held her gaze. He smelled of pine trees and a bonfire, his earthy scent mixed with the softer scent of soap. She couldn't read his thoughts, but she saw the shadows in his eyes. She'd stood close to him before, normally when he had her in a headlock. This time, their proximity seemed too intimate. The moment stretched on until it felt awkward even to her. They studied each other, trying to read one another.

"I'm sure, Jenn," he said at last.

His resolution brought home just how much she didn't know this Darian. He'd found some level of peace, and he'd grown powerful enough to kill an Other. What took two gods and two Original Beings to do in Ireland, Darian had done on his own. No, he definitely wasn't the man she'd left in Texas.

He was dangerous in a way that left her certain of two things: being too close to him would probably get her killed. And, if he found out she was meant to be his mate, he'd pursue her with the same wild determination he pursued Others.