Stay

“What is?” I asked. What could possibly be perfect?

“You two.”

“Us?” Casey asked.

“Yes. You two. As a couple.”

“But how?” My mind moved a mile a minute. What was she suggesting? “We’re both Pterons.”

“Yeah? I already told you the rules are hogwash.”

“When did you say that?” Casey asked.

“I told him.” She nodded toward me. “Anyway, what could be stronger than a union between two of the strongest ranking Pteron families?”

“You want us to go public?”

“Go public?” She raised an eyebrow. “As if you weren’t before?”

“Won’t people complain about the taboo?”

“Who cares if they do? That will only cause more of a distraction. No one will talk about the bear uprising if they’re focused on the star-crossed lovers.”

“I thought we symbolized unity? Now we’re star-crossed?” I was admittedly confused with her line of thinking.

“I’ll figure out the details, it’s not a problem. I just need you both in New Orleans. And you need to get your ring.” She turned her own ring around her finger. It was covered in rubies and nearly, if not completely, identical to the one that Allie now wore.

“My ring?” I asked. “As in the ring?”

“Yes. Make the proposal epic, Toby. The entire Society will be watching.”

“Proposal?” Casey sat up with a start. “We’re not there yet.”

“Yes you are.” With that Georgina stood up. “I know you’re still hiding things from me, and I expect you to spill them, but we have plans to make.”

Casey and I exchanged a look. Did Georgina know? For an agonizing second I debated telling her to stop and spilling everything, but it wasn’t my secret to tell. It was Casey’s.

Georgina headed to the door and then stopped suddenly and walked back. She pulled Casey into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Thank you.”

“I can’t wait for you to come home.” Georgina kissed her on the cheek. “Family is important. It’s where you should look for answers.” She walked back to the door. “I’ll see you both soon.”

After she walked out, I closed and locked the door behind her. “So, that was crazy.”

“The part about Robert being missing or the part about our fake engagement? Or maybe the part when she hinted that she knew about my mom?”

“Fake engagement?” I pulled Casey into my arms. “I’m only proposing to you if it’s real. Don’t worry about that.”

“But we’re not ready to make that kind of commitment, are we?”

“Just trust me, Casey. I’m never making any declarations about you, me, or us, that aren’t real.”

She brushed her lips against mine. “Like I said before, you’re too good to be true.”

“Same to you, love. Same to you.”

Chapter Four

Jared

“Fuck.” That was becoming the most used word in my vocabulary. Nothing else sufficed in my current situation.

I was stuck in a cave—let’s rephrase that. I was stuck in a small room inside a cave. It was more than the lack of space causing the problems, it was that witch who made it impossible for me to transform. The place was so completely dark my night vision didn’t even work. Because that wasn’t enough, I was naked. Completely naked. I’d taken my shirt off willingly, but I hadn’t signed up to have a crazy witch rip off my pants and boxers while leaving me incapacitated by some spell. Fortunately witches couldn’t influence Pteron minds, but evidently there were some that could stop you from transforming and weaken you. I’d never heard of it before, but I wasn’t a fan. I wasn’t a fan at all. On top of all that she’d chained me to the damned wall.

I had to get out. I had to get word to Levi. If Tiffany was telling the truth, he and Allie weren’t even going to make it home. And Casey? Tiffany had screwed with her mind. Who knew what kind of trouble she could be in?

“Miss me?”

I cringed as soon as I heard Tiffany’s voice. How had I believed she was a sweet girl too innocent for me to even touch? Talk about completely misjudging someone. I never misjudged people. It was my job to know who and what everyone was. Had she really been there under my nose for so long without me noticing? Owen had always warned me that I became blind around a nice rack and blonde hair. Unfortunately it looked like he was right. If I ever got out, I was sticking to brunettes and red heads.

I blinked a few times as my eyes adjusted to the light she carried. “What do you think?”

She laughed in a forced way. “Oh, Jared. I don’t see why you’re playing so hard to get.”

“I’m not playing anything.” I glared at her. “These aren’t exactly wonderful accommodations.”

“They’re not?” She stepped toward me. “What would you prefer? Certainly not a bed. The word on campus is you like it hard, rough, and anything but romantic.” She stopped right in front of me. “Certainly a guy like that wouldn’t mind a cave wall.”

“We’re not talking about how I like to fuck.”

She grinned. “We aren’t?”

“No.”

“But isn’t that all you think about?”

“You know as well as I do that that isn’t true.”

She laughed again. “Of course it is. It’s the only thing you’re good at.”

“Is that so? Then why are you keeping me here? If I’m so worthless what can I possibly do if you let me go?”

“I didn’t say you were worthless.” She grabbed my balls.

I groaned, and not in the good way.

“People listen to you. That’s enough of a reason to keep you here.”

“How’d you become such a bitch? Is there a class for it or something?” That was the wrong thing to say. She tightened her grip.

“Were you saying something?”

I closed my eyes. “Ok. Truce.”

“Truce? There are no truces here.” She let go.

“Are you so power hungry that you’ll destroy innocent people? Kill innocent people?”

“Who’s innocent in any of this?” She stepped back and crossed her arms.

“Allie. What did Allie ever do to you?”

“Nothing. She’s always been nice, but queen. She lost the innocent label the day she took the crown.”