The Return (Titan 1)

He was so not unaffected by this.

I let myself acknowledge that and get all girly for a second, and then I realized I had a huge opportunity here. He was also distracted, which was rare. I hadn’t yet been able to break any of his holds and this was my chance. Gripping his arms tight, I threw my weight forward, bending at the waist.

Bad move.

My rear pushed back into his hips and his soft groan in my ear threw me off. I shifted my hips to the side, knocking my weight off balance, and Seth followed as his arms loosened around my neck. He shifted, and all the weight was forced to my right leg. It caved.

And down we went.

Falling face first, I threw out my arms and caught myself before I planted my cheek into the mat. Seth came down on top of me, his arms hitting the mat next to mine. His legs were tangled in mine, and the position we were in, it made the tips of my ears burn and my belly tightened.

“Nice,” Luke commented.

Seth lifted up so I could roll onto my back. Staring up at him, I felt the breath catch in my throat. His eyes were on fire—a bright, luminous tawny color. The shorter strands of his hair had slipped free, brushing his cheeks. The moment our eyes met, I couldn’t move. A slow smile crept over his lips. “You guys okay?” Luke called.

Seth ignored the comment as he tracked his gaze over my face, lingering over my mouth. The tightening in my belly dropped lower.

“Ya’ll need some help?”

The look on Seth’s face was easily readable. It begged a very important question. If we ignored Luke long enough, would he go away?

“Okay,” Luke said, sighing. “This is getting kind of awkward. Maybe I should go…uh, do something. I’ll lock the door behind me.”

I got a little lost as I stared into his eyes and my heart rate kicked up as he lowered his head. I was sure he was going to kiss me, right there on the mats, in front of Luke, and I—

A piercing shrill blasted through the training room, jerking Seth back. Within a second, he was on his feet, and then I was on mine before realizing it. Luke had already turned, racing toward the doors.

“What’s going on?” I winced as the sound picked up volume. “Air siren—warning signal for when the Covenant is under attack.”

Chapter 30

DUTY DEMANDED that I head for the gates, but there was no way I was leaving Josie out here on her own. “We need to get you back in the dorm.”

Her face was pale. “But—”

“This might not be anything, but if it is, you are not ready.” Her mouth opened again, but I cut her off. “I’m not saying that to be a jerk. It’s just the truth. You’re not ready and I need you to be safe. Okay?”

She looked like she was going to argue for a moment, but then she nodded. Taking her hand, we hauled ass back to the dorm, passing running Sentinels and panicked students being ushered into buildings. I took her to my room, figuring for some crazy reason she would be safer there.

She followed me into the room. “If it’s something, could it mean…?”

I looked over my shoulder at her, suddenly caught between two very different instincts. One was to stay with her, to ensure that she would remain safe. The other was to do what I had trained to do since I was eight, what was expected from me because of what I was.

You’re not just the Apollyon.

Josie sat on the edge of the bed, holding the quilt around her, and I shook my head as I snatched a thermal off a hanger, pulling it over the shirt I wore. “It could mean the walls have been breached.”

“Oh God,” she whispered, and I heard her shuffling around. “You…you need to go.”

Heading to the dresser, I grabbed weapons and loaded up. When I turned, she was standing there, eyes wide.

My heart hit my ribs as I crossed the distance between us. I cupped her face, tilting her chin back so our eyes met. “I do need to go. That’s my—”

“I understand,” she whispered.

A half-smile formed on my lips. What I wanted to do was blow out of there with her. Fucking disappear. Together. But that was stupid as shit, because there was nowhere either of us could go where we wouldn’t be found.

“It’s going to be okay. I just need you to stay in here.” My eyes searched hers as she nodded. “Nothing should get to these dorms, but if they do, you’ll have this.” Reaching down, I unstrapped one of the daggers and placed it in her hand, folding her fingers around the handle. “I know you haven’t learned how to use this, but it’s fairly simple. Anything that you don’t trust comes at you or through the door, you stab. You don’t stop until they’re down.”

Her gaze flicked to the dagger she held, and a wisp of panic unfurled in my chest. “Do you understand, Josie? I need to know that you can do this.”

She lifted her lashes and drew in a breath. “I understand.”

The unease didn’t leave, but the sirens were cycling again and I didn’t have time to wait. This wasn’t any kind of false alarm. “Wait here for me. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here. Promise.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t moving away from her. There was no way I could waste anymore time. My ass needed to be out there, but she was…

Fuck.

Drawing her up against me, I dipped my head and I kissed her. Nothing soft or teasing about it. I got right inside her, parted her lips, and took her breath. I threw…well, everything I had said to her and everything I hadn’t said, into that kiss. When I drew back, she looked a little dazed.

“Stay here,” I told her again, letting go, because if I didn’t in that moment, I wouldn’t. “Lock the door behind me.”

She nodded slowly, and I forced myself to move my feet to the door. Hell, it was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do, and that… Yeah, that didn’t bode well.

The halls outside the door were empty. Picking up my pace, I hit the lobby just as the elevator doors opened, and Luke stepped out, striding forward as he loaded a gun.

“Fancy seeing you again,” I remarked.

“Wanted to make sure Deacon was where he was supposed to be.” He didn’t even try to hide the fact that he’d done exactly what he had been trained not to do.

Just like me.

Sentinels were already forming in the lobby as I arched a brow at Luke. “This whole retirement thing isn’t going too well for you.”

He snorted. “No shit.” Holstering the gun, he hit the door, pushing it open. “By the way, I told Deacon to get his ass down to Josie’s.”