“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Allera.” Landon’s lip quirked in a slight smirk. He settled into the big armchair. Trent slid in on the couch next to him, barely concealed adoration on his face.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded. It was blunt enough that Trent clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Allera.” His tone was low and disapproving.
“Deal with that, will you?” I waved a hand at Trent and watched as Landon’s eyes glazed for a moment. Trent leaped out of his seat and rushed out of the room without a backward glance. Landon settled into his seat with a sigh.
“That’s better.” He smiled. “Sent him off to find me the book I let him borrow last time.”
“What else did you let him borrow last time?” I drawled and Landon gave a short bark of laughter.
“Not you judging me, Allera darling, I can’t bear it.” He tossed an ankle over his knee and leaned back in the chair. “I thought I’d visit for moral support. I was coming to get you this afternoon, anyway. Any changes with the baby incubus?”
I rubbed my chest. I hadn’t heard from Kellen for an entire week. The misery of his silent treatment had surprised me. I had thought he would come around after a few days once his urges pushed his true nature to the forefront. But he’d resisted them. Or someone else was taking care of them. Like Pastor Young.
Something about that hurt even more and I could suddenly recognize how Reeve had felt to know he wasn’t the only one who gave me the lust I needed. After feeling so angry and hurt towards him, I finally saw how he’d been driven to what he did. Did I still think he took it too far? Absolutely. But I was willing to talk with him and see if he was as remorseful as Landon said, and if he would compromise. If only Kellen would give me the same.
“Nothing.” I grimaced. “I’m wondering if it’d be better to leave him alone. He clearly wants nothing to do with me.”
Landon raised an eyebrow.
“We discussed this. Your tender heart is admirable, but you don’t have a choice. The first supernatural that gets a whiff of him will snatch him up, and they won’t care if he wants to go with them or not.”
I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. I knew all this, as surely as I knew my skin. There had been many people who had sought to treat me the same way. They had wanted to cage me up and use me for my powers. After having Kellen inside me and feeling our power together? I wanted him to choose me. I wanted him to want me. I craved Kellen like I’d craved no one before, except Reeve. In the early hours of the morning, I had pictured what it might be like with both of them. The heat that rushed my body was euphoric. The lust inspired by the thought of having them both was too much to contain.
“I could…” Landon trailed off, looking at me meaningfully.
“No.” I glared at him. I didn’t want Landon messing with Kellen like he’d done to the people in this house. I didn’t want him to accept me because of Landon’s mind-bending powers. Reeve could have done the same thing to me, but he didn’t, because he wanted me to choose him. He wanted me to make a conscious decision to want him with every part of me. I wanted that too.
“He’ll just hate me for a while. Hopefully not forever,” I sighed.
“Don’t dwell too much on it, Allera. We all know how terribly irresistible you are. Just ask my brother.”
“I actually understand his thought process a little,” I admitted. “He still needs to apologize, but at least he didn’t warp my thoughts and make me stay with him.”
“He’d never do that, Allera. He loves you too much to settle for a mediocre love he had to create in your mind. But this is getting depressing. I heard there is an exciting visit occurring at church today. Some superstar prophet? You need a special outfit to wow him. I have just the thing.”
Landon pulled a bag and passed it over to me. I peeked inside and gave him a flat look.
“Very modesty chic.” He chef kissed the air with a grin.
“You’re a piece of work, you know that?” I sighed. “I better get dressed.”
He’d gotten me a nice outfit, surprisingly. It was a long floral skirt and a tan sweater with a black belt to cinch the two and give me a waist. I paired it with my boots and gave him a little twirl when I reappeared in the room. My aunt and uncle were regaling him with a story and his eyes twinkled as he looked up.
“How lovely you look, Allera,” he exclaimed and everyone else rushed to agree, even Trent, who smoothed the frown that was growing across his face.
“I think I’m ready,” I said, knowing I was referring to more than church. It was time to say goodbye and get back to the real world, whether my heart collapsed in at the thought of leaving alone or not.
I was glad that I’d seduced Pastor Young. Or else church would have been total chaos. He’d left instructions for us to be taken down to the bottom half of the church where five seats had been reserved for us. An acknowledgment of my work helping him prepare for the prophet. I was close enough that I could see the pastor in all his handsome detail.
“Girl. No wonder you jumped on that. Lord Jesus savior.” Landon ate Pastor Young up, biting his bottom lip. I shot him a smug look.
“I thought he was why you sent me here. I earned a fun time after Reeves’ tantrum.”
Landon gave me a tight smile, pulling back and settling into his seat. Unaware that he was opening the direct view for me to look at Kellen, who was staring daggers at me across the aisle. He was sitting with all the Wickers, next to his brother Tate. I’d felt the prickle of his power as I walked in and had been determined not to even look at him. But now I was staring directly into his fiery gaze, unable to look away. Landon glanced at him quickly, whistling under his breath.
“Oh darling, he doesn’t look too pleased with you.”