FIRE NATION

CHAPTER 22

"I can't believe you're still laughing," Roseanne said, grinning as she and Lalisa made their way up the path toward the beach house. Her face was still warm from the half-cup of rice wine she had indulged in, and if she was being honest, holding Lalisa's hand probably had something to do with it as well. Their fingers had laced together during the walk home from the theater, and so far, neither of them had found any reason to pull apart.

"I can't believe you aren't," Lalisa chuckled. "Did you see the actor who played Larce? His nose was as big as his face, and he was always talking through it. They couldn't have cast someone more ridiculous if they'd stolen an actor from the circus... no offense." She was smiling as well, but for once, her lips weren't tilted in smug satisfaction. It was a much rarer kind of smile, one Roseanne had to take a second to place.

Happy, she realized all at once, eyes widening in surprise. Lalisa is actually happy right now. Happy here, with me. She could count on one hand the number of times Lalisa had ever seemed this light, this relaxed, this certain of herself. The discovery left Roseanne feeling light too, and she practically skipped the rest of the way up the path, pulling Lalisa along with her and letting their clasped hands swing between them.

"What are you doing?" Lalisa demanded, widening her strides to keep up. "All that's up there is my father's dusty old beach house. You can't be in that much of a hurry to get there—"

"It's not that dusty," Roseanne protested, even though she had seen the layer of grime for herself. "It's going to be really pretty once it's cleaned up and all the cobwebs are gone."

With a sigh, Lalisa followed her up the steps, allowing herself to be dragged to the front door. "Very well. I suppose we should see whether the cleaning crew I hired has done their job." Lalisa's grip on her hand loosened, but Roseanne squeezed tighter, asking her not to let go. Their eyes met, a silent moment of communication, and Lalisa's face softened even further. As one, the two of them reached out with their free hands and pushed open the double doors, stepping through together.

Inside, the beach house smelled like fresh sea air and flowers. Starlight shone in through the open windows, casting a pale pool of white light across one section of the floor. A smile spread across Roseanne's face, and she stared around the entryway in awe, shocked by just how much it had been transformed. "What did I tell you?" she said, tugging Lalisa further inside. "Beautiful, right?"

Lalisa's eyes didn't wander the room. Instead, they remained fixed squarely on her face. "Yes."

A shiver raced down Roseanne's spine, one that had nothing to do with the nighttime breeze blowing in through the open window. Her heart fluttered, and her stomach erupted with butterflies. It was a very different physical reaction than the conflicted, sickening desire the old, selfish Lalisa had drawn from her so easily, and for the first time, she found herself truly welcoming her body's responses. The warmth growing in her chest and blossoming between her legs felt natural instead of forced, and she made no efforts to stifle it.

"So, did you want to squeeze in another round of training before bed?" she asked, grateful for the partial darkness. Hopefully, it would be enough to hide her blush for just a bit longer. "That is why we came all the way out here."

"One of the reasons," Lalisa conceded, "but that depends on you. You've had a long day..."

Roseanne poked out her lower lip, and probably would have crossed her arms if it hadn't required loosening her hold on Lalisa's hand. "You don't think I can keep up with you? I'm just gonna remind you that I scored the winning point on the volleyball court."

Lalisa snorted. "Yes, you did, but we were already up by eight points on our second game. I hardly think you deserve all the credit."

Roseanne opened her mouth, prepared to continue arguing, but her words caught in her throat. Lalisa was staring deeply into her eyes, and something in them made it impossible for her to speak. Over the past several months, the alpha had spent a great deal of time studying her. Lalisa had leered at her body as if she were nothing more than a prized possession, had glared at her in terrifying anger, and had even examined her with what Roseanne believed to be genuine concern, but it was only recently that Lalisa had truly seen her. All of her—more of her than the cheering crowds or her own family had even bothered to look for.