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"Is this what you wanted?" he asked, ever so casual y

It happened Being so close to his came from The thick veins in his hand were the first to darken, branching out before spreading up his arm Mesmerized, I watched the inky tats cover every piece of exposed skin Beforearound his skin Breaking off into different designs as he--we--continued to hold hands

"What do they mean?" I looked up His eyes were closed

"The s?"

"They are… the marks of the Apol yon" He answered slowly, as if he were having trouble for words and sentences "They are runes and spel s… meant to offer protection… or in our case, alert each other to our presence… or so They lided down his skin, toward the tips of his fingers Cal s were reacting to where our skin touched, and for a split second, I real y believed those glyphs would jump his skin and spread across my flesh

"Wil … I look like this one day?"

"Haze from our hands and looked up Seth’s eyes were stil closed, his expression relaxed Actual y, it was more than that He looked… content Pleased I’d never seen him so calm "Is this one of the benefits?" I meant it as a joke, but the realization smacked me upside the head before he could respond It was because he was close toas simple as that did affect himI affected him that way

I recal ed what he’d said after my run-in with Kain "I real y do have al the power in this"

His eyes opened and they shone like two giant, tawny jewels "What?"

My fingers tightened around his, and his lips parted, al owing a sharp sigh to leak out Then, slowly, careful y, I loosened "

"I never should have told you the truth about that" His voice held a certain rough edge to it "You do, at least for now"

I ignored the last part and pul ed my hand free before thefor a couple of ainst the pil ows and Seth closed his eyes oncethat stretch of silence, I watched the steady rise and fal of his chest He al Relaxed as he was, the beauty of his face didn’t look so cold or methodical

This time, I was the first to break the silence

"So… what are you doing?"

"Now?" He sounded sleepy "I’, of course"

My brows rose "I don’t see how there is anything you can show hed then, and when he spoke, his voice was s "Oh, Alex, I have a lot to show you

Things that Aiden wil never be able to teach you"

Staring down at him, I admitted to myself that there was a teeny tiny part of me that actual y looked forward to whatever it was that he planned on showingif not fruitful

We real y didn’t talk after that, and al too soon, the excite et too heavy to keep open, and I wanted nothing more than to kick Seth over, so I could lie down As it was, he took up quite a bit of space sprawled across the , Seth opened his eyes then and looked at ave a little half smile and pushed hiet a roundhouse kick in his side

There went the ele?" I asked, because real y, I had no idea what else to say

Seth didn’t answer He lifted his ar off a row of taut e of a cat flashed before me That was how he race neither human nor half

"Do you knohat your name means? Your real name--

Alexandria?"

I shook my head

He smiled slowly "It means ‘Defender of Man’ in Greek"

"Oh That sounds cool What does your name--?"

Suddenly, he bent at the waist and swooped in He was so damn fast I didn’t even have a chance to jerk back, which by the way, is total y a natural reaction when the Apol yon comes at someone that quickly

He brushed his lips over h I could be positive he’d placed a gentle kiss against ht, Alexandria, Defender of Man"

Stunned, I one before I could ful y get the words out I reached up and brushed esture eird, unexpected, wrong, and… sweet

I eased down and stretched out , I wondered what the next couple of months held in store forhad changed--I had changed, but the one thing I could be sure about was between Aiden and Seth, I’d be learning lots of things

The fol owing afternoon, I remembered the card froer under the crease and tore it open I slid the money out, and for the first time, I actual y read the note