Escaping Death

Chapter 52

Alright that's the end of my apology chapter-dump. 

49-52 are now up for your reading pleasure.

<3

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Ace

The waterfall behind her feeds into the lake she's floating in, and around it are several smaller pools filled with water of varying degrees of opacity. Some look like lake water while others look like pure mud. Eli strips down to his boxers with lightning speed and runs full tilt into the water before diving in to cover up his stumbling.

He swims towards her like a shark to blood which she immediately catches onto and scurries away out of his reach. He ends up chasing her back up to shore where she clambors out of the water barely missing him grabbing onto her ankle.

She's so focused on taunting him and celebrating not getting caught that she bumps into Dean and nearly falls flat on her ass, but he catches her before that can happen.

"Careful, Sunshine. You really shouldn't swim in your clothes, it's not safe. Wouldn't want you getting cold." Dean says it playfully but that's just to cover how much he actually means what he says. But he's right. The drag of her clothes will fatigue her faster, she'd feel a sharp chill once she got out of the lake that wouldn't be pleasant.

Plus, I don't not like the idea of watching her splash around in her bra and panties.

Sol sees through his thin veneer though, she sees the sincerity of his words and she challenges him right back. "These are thermal springs, they're naturally heated. Plus, there's something about me that I haven't told you yet."

She fusses with her hands, bites her bottom lip, and looks up at him with big doe eyes. And he melts into them hook, line, and fucking sinker.

Tate and I share a look because we both know she's too sassy to actually be this forthright with secrets, especially ones that pertain to her. No. She's fucking with him.

"Dean...I...I'm a dragoness. I literally radiate heat." Dean snorts, leaning back with rolling eyes not believing that he fell right into her trap. Sol is beside herself with glee, she hangs onto his arms and continues with her act. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I didn't want to scare you."

"Ace, come get your mate before I throw her back in the lake," Dean calls to me with an embarrassed grin.

"Aw, Dean. Don't be like that," Sol's giggle dies in her throat when Dean snatches her around the waist, takes off into the sky, and just as he promised he releases her thirty feet above the center of the lake. It's just high enough in the air that she can't open her wings in time to slow her fall, but that doesn't matter because she never does hit the water. Tate swoops in and scoops her up before so much of a toe could breach the surface.

Tate delivers her directly in front of where I'm standing. He's exceptionally pleased with himself, like he's retrieved something precious to me and he knows it, he knows how important it is to me even if I've never said it aloud. Because that's what Tate does, he picks up on everything. He reads you like an open fucking book. People think that's why he keeps to himself, because he's so busy assessing the scene to interact with anyone when really it's because he's so intent on proving he can manage on his own that it bleeds into his relationships as well.

But with Sol he's different. In fact, with her they're all different. Happier.

That feeling I had when I was with Hunter and Tate returns, the one where I'm just as possessive as I am turned on by watching them with her, and I have to adjust myself before anyone takes notice.