Ask Me

LENA POV

My phone vibrated again before I could put my bag down.

This time, Amelia's name appeared on the screen.

I answered immediately. "What happened?"

Her voice came low and hurried. "Alpha Ethan returned to Shadowfang about twenty minutes ago. He asked whether you came back with another car."

My stomach tightened. "What did you tell him?"

"That you were still at Silvercrest when I left. He called one of the guards there afterwards, Luna. I think that's how he knows you aren't at the packhouse."

So his message had been partly a guess.

I looked toward Julian. He had moved back to the fireplace, giving me enough distance to speak privately even though there was no chance he couldn't hear every word.

"Did he ask where I was?"

"Several times." She answered.

"Tell him I stayed behind to help my mother with Grandmother's guests. If he asks again, you don't know anything else."

Amelia hesitated. "Are you safe?"

My eyes met Julian's. "Yes."

The answer came more easily than I expected.

When the call ended, I found Julian watching me.

"You lie better when you're protecting someone else," he said.

"I wasn't lying. I did stay behind."

"You aren't there now." His mouth curved slightly.

I set the phone beside my paints. "I should probably leave."

"You said you didn't want to." He pointed out.

"That was before Ethan suddenly decided he needed to know where I was," I said, glancing at the missed calls on my phone.

Julian followed my gaze, looking completely unbothered. "His timing is unfortunate."

I looked up at him. "Unfortunate for him or for me?"

A faint smile appeared on Julian's face, but his answer did little to reassure me.

"That depends on what you decide to do next."

There it was again. Julian never seemed interested in deciding for me when he could force me to decide for myself.

I hated how much I was beginning to understand that about him.

"I'll stay another hour," I said.

"Very generous."

"Don't ruin it." I warned softly.

He laughed softly, and I felt myself relax a little.

I returned to the easel, but after several minutes, the portrait stopped cooperating. My concentration kept drifting between Ethan's messages, the appointment papers, and the conversation Julian and I had just had about the life that might have existed if he'd returned from the north sooner.

Eventually, I lowered my brush and gave Julian a frustrated look. "I can't paint you properly when you keep looking so pleased with yourself."

Julian raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my complaint. "I haven't moved."

"I'm not talking about your body. It's your face. You keep changing your expression."

He laughed softly before getting up from his chair and walking over to inspect my work.

The portrait was slowly taking shape, although it was still far from finished. For now, it was mostly a rough sketch, with a few shadows and lines showing what I had in mind.

Julian studied the canvas for a moment before turning to me. "You've made me look rather serious."

I glanced at the painting, then back at him. "That's because you are serious."

His lips curved into a smile. "I fed you, didn't I? Surely that deserves some credit."

I couldn't help smiling at his attempt to defend himself. "Feeding me doesn't suddenly change your personality, Your Majesty."

He glanced at me. "You become disrespectful when you're comfortable."

The words should have embarrassed me. Instead, I realized he was right.

I had spent the first night measuring every sentence, trying to work out what would please him enough to keep me safe. Tonight, I had called him arrogant, told him to stop staring and argued with him over his own portrait.

At some point, I had started feeling less afraid. The fear hadn't completely gone away, but it no longer felt the same.

Julian noticed my silence. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

I rolled my eyes and reached for a clean brush, but before I could pick it up, Julian gently placed his hand over mine.

I froze at his touch, but he made no move to pull me closer.

"Do you want me to let go?" he asked.

The question caught me off guard.

I looked down at his hand over mine, then at his face. "No."

His thumb moved once over my knuckles. "Better."

"What is?"

"You answering the question instead of trying to guess what I want."

Heat crept up my neck. "I know what you want."

"Do you?"

I should have stepped back.

Instead, I turned my hand beneath his until our palms met.

Sera rose slowly inside me.

The ceremonial mate bond tying me to Ethan reacted almost immediately, sending a dull ache through my chest.

But beneath the pain, I felt something else. A strange warmth and a sense of recognition, followed by the same undeniable pull toward Julian that I had felt since we first met.

Sera made a confused sound. 'There it is again.'

Julian's eyes narrowed. "Pain?"

"A little."

He immediately began to release me.

I tightened my fingers. "Don't."

His gaze dropped to our joined hands. "Lena."

"I know what I said."

"And I know what happened last time."

"So ask me." I muttered.

Julian looked into my eyes again, and for a moment, everything around us seemed to go quiet.