I could see that he did.
I had a sudden thought. “Can you touch your dragon?” He didn’t seem to be suffering as badly as me.
He cocked one brow in my direction, before winking. Holy effing eff. Was he for real? I might have to beat the information out of him later when he couldn’t escape me.
“Can I swim?” I asked, sure he would say no, since he wanted me glued to his side. But he wasn’t the only one who needed to work off some steam.
“Sure. I’ll keep an eye on you from over here.”
That’s what I really loved about Braxton, he understood when to hover and when I needed space. It was hard for dominant men to ever give up their control, and Braxton rarely did, but on occasion he did with me. I left him on one of the weight machines and strolled the ten meters to the pool.
There weren’t many swimming in the crystal clear water. I decided to just go for gold, clothes and all. It was hot enough that the thin cotton would dry in no time. I dived in and powered down one of the lanes. I could hold my breath for a long time, so it was many minutes before I emerged and started to slice through the water. My limbs welcomed the strain. Exercise was a daily part of my life and I needed the release to calm the wolf and demon inside.
I almost swallowed half the pool when a sudden realization smashed into me. My demon. Was it still in there or did the security measures limit it also? I sent my energy down, passing my caged wolf who I knew was unhappy, even though I couldn’t feel her, and into that little dark space which I kept locked down. The demon rose and … well, rubbed against me like a kitty, although there was no way any feline could feel this dark.
I’m here, it seemed to whisper at me. For the first time I was relieved about this. Although I couldn’t shake the fear that if I freed the energy I’d never be able to lock it down again. But if it came down to Braxton’s life, I would not hesitate. Not for one fucking second.
I continued to swim, only breaking off as a dark shadow emerged beneath me. My heart skipped a few beats, then I recognized the massive shape. It was Braxton. I’d swum with him enough times to know what was about to hit me. I stopped swimming, throwing myself backwards and scooting in backstroke the way I’d just come. I had to get out of the water or he was going to … a hand grabbed my ankle, halting my frantic kicking motions.
Damn. Too slow.
Braxton’s arms came around me and he lifted me full bodily into the air. I went high, crashing back down and sinking close to the base of the pool. I was in fighting mode as I dived for him, my momentum enough to dunk him beneath the water. His face was close to mine and it felt as if his lips brushed my hairline. But before I could kick out to free myself, an alarm started to sound. It was loud, long, and easily able to penetrate the water.
I gasped in a few deep breaths when my head broke the surface. I narrowed my eyes on Braxton as he rose next to me. He looked as sexy as sin, all wet, clothes clinging to his hard muscles. Damn him. The dimples flashing in my direction. It was enough to undo any woman. Luckily I was immune to the Compass charms. Swear.
“Time to head back to our cell,” he said to me, his hand finding mine in the water.
Oh well, at least the alarm wasn’t anything serious. Although, I’d had a faint hope that someone was coming to break us out.
Chapter 14
Braxton and I lay on our bunks. They were just a tad softer than the stone floor but smelled worse. I’d almost ended up crashing on the ground. It had been lights out for a few hours, but I couldn’t sleep. The howls and screams that echoed along the shifter wing was part of the problem – shifters go crazy locked in stone walls, and some had been here for many years – but the other problem was my head. It just wouldn’t stop thinking. I was worrying about the dragon marked, Mischa, my family, and the Compasses. I knew Kristoff was evil and there was no way he would stop at enacting revenge because his plans kept going awry. Louis flittered across my mind on occasion too, but he was a little further back than the rest.
The noise of Braxton’s bulk moving on his bunk had me turning my head to the side. In the semi-darkness I could see him watching me. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours, Jessa?” His voice was low, gentle. Kind of unlike his normal tone.
I made a decision right then to share some of my burden. I had a secret that I’d been keeping and I hated that. It was eating away at me like a poison and I needed to get it out before it did permanent damage. I rolled off my bed and padded silently across the small room, four steps and I was right beside his bunk. His ancient eyes, so out of place on his twenty-two year old face, caressed my features.