Shadow's Kiss (Monstrous Hearts: Fleur's Story)

Chapter Twenty-Six

The distant barking of sea lions woke Fleur the next morning. She blinked among the puffy pillows and blankets, aware that Dario had left. Not surprising, since they were still keeping up the charade, but being alone no longer felt normal and it grew harder to ignore that fact.

She pushed herself up right, afraid to see how early it was. Barely dawn, according to the clock. Her stomach didn't care, growling for something more substantial than tiny bags of chips or cookies. After cleaning up from the past night, she threw on some clothes and left her room to get food.

Only a few staff members walked the grounds, but she still wove around the buildings to avoid dealing with people this early. Fog dimmed the view of the coast and dampened her hoodie and jacket. Gulls called over the distant crash of waves. The ocean sounded as turbulent as her heart while she searched for the restaurant on site. She reached the spa building first and saw Dario working out in the gym room. All those muscles looked more chiseled than usual, flexing while he did pull-ups. He wasn't alone. Five women were in there, including her aunt on the treadmill and Chiara performing squats. Fleur also recognized Savannah, the girl always arguing with her older boyfriend. She was going through yoga poses on a mat, and most involved arching her back. It was hard not to be impressed by the flexibility.

Weirdly, it was just what Fleur needed to pretend that everything felt normal, and when Dario raised his eyebrows at her through the window, she made a face back and continued on.

The restaurant wasn't open for another two hours, and she turned away from the door with a scowl. To her surprise, Dario approached. Despite the chilly morning, his hair was wet from sweat, and she could almost feel the heat coming off his skin. His usual composure had roughened into something intense, even electric, as if the anticipation of confronting the ritemaster seethed through his veins. "Fleur. You're up early."

"So is everyone else."

He grinned but said nothing as they continued along the path together, taking a turn that would lead them away from the hotel and toward the beach. His movements remained sharp, and he looked at the slanted cypress trees around them with impatience.

After watching him for a few seconds, she said, "I'm surprised you haven't left yet."

"Balbus searches for others every morning. It's better if I wait and let him relax before traveling there. Besides..." His tone softened. "I wanted to see how you were before I left."

"Me? I'm fine. Got fucked. Had a great night's sleep. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

When he only tilted his head at her, she let the carelessness fade from her voice. "I really am happy for you. You always act like this situation is fine, but I know it has to suck. No one with wings can like feeling caged."

Her gaze slid over the strong lines of his shoulders, which were bunched with tension, before returning to his face. For once, he looked like he didn't know what to say.

Quickly, she added, "So... who won your attention back in the gym?"

"Who do you think?"

"I don't know. I didn't see any good options besides my aunt, but I try to avoid thinking about you with Fiona. It's a little unsettling."

"It's nothing to worry about, believe me."

"I do. I do believe you." The reply came out with much more feeling than she'd meant to show, and she quickly looked away from him. Fuck, even her heart was growing tired of holding back. "Anyway, I guess either Chiara or Savannah. Chiara is an asshole but has that dommy mommy aura going for her. I don't know anything about Savannah except that she can basically detach her hips from her spine. So, no downside to either."