Anyway, she had other things to worry about at the moment.
“Is this how you deal with problems around here? By covering them up?” She couldn’t help but ask the question. It had been nagging at her.
Damon sighed and shook his head. “No, there’s usually no need to cover anything up. It’s just too risky to share this news. If anyone else found out about this, there might be widespread panic. That’s the last thing we need right now.”
She pulled on his hand, forcing him to stop. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? If you start telling everyone that someone got mauled in the gardens, they might turn against me, right?”
Damon shook his head as he stood close. “To be honest with you, I don’t know what they would say or do. I just think it’s better not to find out.”
“So, you don’t think everyone else would react like that jerk did? What’s his problem, anyway?”
Damon rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, sending an instant jolt between her legs. Yep, it looks like any skin-on-skin connection with this guy is going to be orgasmic.
“You don’t need to worry about Elroy. I can take care of him,” he said. “Even if I think that you did a pretty good job of putting him in his place.” His smile widened.
“Why doesn’t he like me?”
Damon looked into her eyes. “It’s nothing personal. He just doesn’t like change, feels threatened by it. You don’t need to worry about him.”
When Damon cupped his other hand around her cheek, she gasped. “Whoa.”
“What’s wrong?”
She closed her eyes for a second, letting the crazy sensations filter through her body-afraid she would climax again. “You sure know how to touch a girl.”
He laughed, and his breath played over her face. “Look at me, Alex.”
When she opened her eyes, his lips were mere centimeters from hers.
“Are you going to make me feel this way every time you touch me?” If it meant he had the power to wash away all the horrible things she would see during her life, then she welcomed it. It could get in the way when she needed to keep her wits about her and concentrate, though.
“It looks that way,” he said. “Is it a good thing or a bad thing?”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s definitely a good thing for me, though I don’t know how appropriate it’s going to be if you make me come every time you rub your fingers over my skin.”
“Oh, of course,” he said, teasing. “I see how that could make things a little awkward for everyone else.”
Alex sighed. It makes things awkward for me, too. She’d never experienced anything like this before. “So, maybe we need to set some ground rules. How about you hold my hand, but don’t go out of your way to make me feel like I’m about to become a puddle of goo every time you rub my skin?”
He leaned over, covered her mouth with his, and kissed her with so much fervor, he stole her breath away. “I agree.”
She stared deep into his emerald eyes, unable to say anything for a few seconds. As weird as it felt to be doing this after what they’d just witnessed, she couldn’t stop herself.
Alex cleared her throat. “Okay, I’m glad we got thatcleared up.” She let the last speck of desire seep out of her system. “You must be a very popular healer around these parts.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Well, if you have this effect on everyoneyou touch-”
“No, actually I don’t.” He shook his head, and the dreadlocks stirred like snakes around his face. “You’re the only one who reacts this way to my touch.”
Alex swallowed. What the hell do I say to that?Why would shebe the only one he could affect in such a sensual and powerful way? He’d seemed to know exactly what he was doing back in the room. Still, the last thing she wanted to do was ask him. He might start talking about the magic he’d mentioned he sensed in her and other similar nonsense.
She chose to change the subject. “So, we’re going to see the girl?” She still felt a little breathless, and her heart was beating a little too fast.
For a second, she almost told him about the way she’d felt his heart and mood echo inside her earlier, but she decided not to confuse everything more than it already was.
“Yes.”
“How will you get her to talk?”
“I’ve got ways.”
“Care to share any of those ways with me?”
“I think it might be better if you see it for yourself.”
“Okay, let’s go then.” Alex stepped away from him, turning toward the path ahead of them. “Oh, and by the way. I appreciate you sticking up for me, but like I’ve told you before, I can take care of myself.” She winked at him.
“I appreciate you telling me that,but while you’re here, I’ll continue to protect you when I think you need protection.” He caught up to her and grabbed her hand, as if to force his point.
This guy’s stubborn and almost impossible to reason with. I like him.
Maybe, Damon was just what she needed right now: a challenge. The same thing Ulric used to be before he decided to simplify everything.
Chapter Twelve
Rage surged through Ulric, making his blood boil and skin itch.
His neck twitched. He watched them hold hands and walk away as if they’d been together for years.
Alex had never shown this level of familiarity with him. She never held his hand or kissed him in public. She mostly enjoyed being tucked away inside his personal quarters, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the population. Almost like a secret. Is that how she’d thought of their relationship-as a hidden affair?
Who was this man who dared to touch Alex when she belonged to someone else? Why had he kissed her? More importantly, why did she let him?
No one should be touching Alex, but me. She’s fucking mine!
Yet, he’d witnessed the intimacy between them.
Ulric snarled and felt it rumble deep in his throat. He dropped onto his back legs, digging his claws into the dirt beneath him.
After crossing into this enclosed fortress, he hadn’t been able to avoid the moon’s glow. Even ducking behind a bush or shrub wasn’t enough to conceal its influence and keep the moon’s invisible fingers from caressing the beast out of him.
He used the tip of his tongue to pick a piece of meat from between his teeth. Blood had dried on his snout, but he didn’t care. Killing a man with his own hands and then chewing into him should have horrified the human side of him, but it didn’t.