Read Forever for Free Online

mind.
    “Sorry,” he said. “We’ll need to teach you to shield your thoughts.”
    “You can hear everything I’m thinking?”
    He bit his lip, laughter lighting his eyes. “Only if we’re listening.”
    I looked away, swallowing. I could feel my face starting to burn.
    “Steven. Don’t worry. I generally make it a point not to listen.”
    I spotted a wastebasket by the front door. Walked over and dropped the cookie into it.
    “Actually, we tend to tune out human thoughts most of the time,” Lomen said. “Otherwise they’re too distracting.”
    I turned to face him. “You knew all along, then.”
    He came over to me, stopping a couple of steps away. “That you were attracted to me? Only because I have felt the same.”
    “You sure hid it well.”
    A tiny frown creased his brow, making me regret my bitter tone. “I didn’t want to interfere with you. For your sake.”
    I was so confused and frustrated, I just said, “What?”
    Lomen glanced toward the kitchen, where Caeran and Len were talking in low voices. “This is not the time or place to discuss this. I have a class tomorrow morning, but I’m free in the afternoon.”
    “I’ll be done by two.”
    He nodded. “Where shall we meet?”
    My place, I thought, but maybe he didn’t want to be that private yet. “The duck pond.”
    “At two o’clock. I’ll be there.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “I have been drawn to you since the day we both assisted Amanda.”
    I looked up into his eyes. So green.
    “Same here.”
    His gaze shifted toward the front door. He turned and picked up an empty glass from the coffee table, then headed for the kitchen. For the second time that night, I was left with an enormous hard-on.
    A moment later, Amanda came in. I shoved my hand in my pocket and shifted my stance to make my condition less obvious.
    “Did you think we’d forgotten you?” Amanda said. “Sorry—we just needed to talk a minute.”
    It’s OK.”
    She picked up the pen and the agreement I’d signed. “Ready to go?”
    Len and Caeran came in from the kitchen, with Lomen following. Len smiled at me.
    “See you tomorrow night. Come hungry!”
    We exchanged good-nights, then I followed Amanda out. Lomen stayed behind.
    It was dark, now. A light on the front porch glowed golden. A breeze kicked up as we walked to the street, raising the scent of bark mulch.
    Savhoran was waiting by Amanda’s car. He got in the back seat without a word, leaving me the shotgun seat.
    “Really glad you joined Ebonwatch,” Amanda said as she started toward my apartment. “I think you won’t regret it.”
    “Where’d the name come from?” I asked. “It’s pretty poetic for a research firm.”
    “It’s the name of Savhoran’s clan. Actually a very old clan that’s just been revived. It’s made up of ælven who’ve got the disease, but who still live by the ælven creed.”
    “Meaning what, exactly?”
    “The creed is our code of honor,” Savhoran said, his voice low and quiet. “Among other things, we are bound to protect beings lesser than ourselves.”
    The “lesser” made me bristle, but I kept my mouth shut.
    “When we hunt, we give thanks for the sustenance we receive, and offer atonement for the harm we have done to our prey.”
    “Atonement?” For murdering humans? My throat went dry.
    “We in Ebonwatch do not take the lives of our prey,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “It is not necessary. We take only what we need.”
    I was going to have to learn that thought-shielding thing.
    “Sounds kind of like what the Navajo do,” I said, trying to make up for my cynical thoughts.
    “Yeah, kind of,” Amanda said. “The ælven are very aware of the impact of their actions. They have a pretty holistic worldview.”
    “Too bad humans haven’t managed that.”
    Neither of them had anything to say to that.
    “What kind of atonement do you do?” I asked for the sake of conversation.
    “Usually we offer a small