Page 25 of Our Covenant

“Hey.” Fox reaches between us and pushes Thorne to the side. “I’m Thorne’s roommate, and as much of an ass as he’s being at the moment, he can’t stop talking about you. So, maybe now that your homework’s done, you could think about another date?”

I raise my chin, leveling him with my best “back the fuck up” scowl.

“Are you his wingman?”

“He’s never needed one before.”

I see the flash of something that looks like recognition in his eyes. Our interaction last night is still too fresh. More real than déjà vu but foggier than a memory. He knows who I am, and I hold my breath until he figures out what to do with that information. We’re in a public place with a lot of nonmagical ears and eyes around.

Rachel pops her hip and points to Fox. “You don’t go to school with us, do you?”

“No, the Ivy League wasn’t for me.” Fox looks at her but takes a step closer to me. “Thorne and I go way back. We’ve been roommates for a long time.”

“I thought you and Asher Morey were roommates?” Rachel swings her accusatory finger to Thorne.

“It’s a big house.” Fox gives her a wolfish grin. “Though, it sounds like you already knew that. You’re a friend of Asher’s, then?”

Rachel’s face turns bright red. Are they more involved than a random bathroom fuck? She’s been making eyes at him during class and flirting with him any chance she gets. But Asher will never marry outside the coven. He’s only using her for novelty.

“We’ve just chatted a bit during our study group.” Her attitude melts away and she sinks in on herself. “Anyway, I should get to my workout before classes.”

She plugs her earbuds into her ears without waiting for anyone to bid her goodbye.

Fox watches her walk toward the aisle between machines before swinging back to look at me. This time, I can feel the searing question in his eyes on my skin.

“You weren’t wrong, Thorne. Elsbeth is hotter than your last girl.”

I narrow my gaze on him. “How is that any of my business?”

“You should know who you’re getting into bed with.” His smirk softens his brow. “Having all the facts could save you from becoming another notch in his bedpost.”

“To become one in yours?”

His face makes a “maybe” expression before his roguish smile returns.

“Getting a bit off track, aren’t we?” Thorne intervenes, gripping Fox’s elbow and pulling him back a step.

“He’s jealous because he can see we have a real connection.” Fox gives me a wink, and the growing pit of snakes in my gut writhes.

How dare he act like he knows me as more than some woman his friend took out on a date. If he thinks he can make me feel swoony, he has hell coming.

“I’ll text you later,” I say to Thorne, turn on my heels, and head to the ladies locker room.

“Let’s cut out the middleman and I’ll give you my number right now.” Fox’s voice rises behind me and I realize he’s sprinting over to reach me.

Whatever this is, it ends now.

Cornering me together is one thing, but flirting with me like this only stirs the last dredges of Alric’s magic I have left. It wells at my fingertips lead heavy and makes me all too aware of its potential.

I have to get away from them, but I’m trapped.

Fox plants a hand on the wall and stands between me and the locker room door. And like any predator in a cage, I will claw and bite my way out.

“I’m not interested. In you or Thorne at this point,” I snap, refusing to meet his eyes.

He’s so close. I can feel the heat from his chest radiating off him. The smell of his sweat mixes with stale cologne and something else. Earthy. Pungent. He’s a blanket of moss on the forest floor next to a raging bonfire. Wild and serene but dangerous when unconfined.

“Are you sure?”