Free Becoming a Legend by B. Kristin McMichael Page B

never ready for that,” Arianna replied.
    Andrew eyed her over. He too knew this was the first time they had been alone in a room since the previous year. Instinct told her she should be backing up or moving into a fighting stance at least, but Andrew would never harm her. Instinct could not beat her heart’s feelings. Fortunately Devin was just outside the door, keeping them both too cautious to act on the feelings between them.
    “ It seems like your team planned ahead well.” Andrew was standing just inches from Arianna. He slid a finger in the side of the top of her strapless dress. Arianna shivered at his touch, and then was ashamed of herself when she heard Devin move outside the door. Andrew looked up at the door, but only moved his hand to her shoulder.
    “ What does that mean?” Arianna asked.
    Andrew stepped back only inches before his motions sped up. Arianna could see him start to unbutton his shirt. As he was almost done, she reached up quickly and stopped him , her blush moving as fast as he was. Startled, he fell back into normal speed.
    “ How did you do that?” he asked, cocking his head to the side to view her like she was now doing a new magic trick.
    “ Do what? What are you doing?” she demanded.
    “ We have to appear in night human form at the meal. While your group can strategically dress you so that you don’t rip your clothing, men’s clothing isn’t as forgiving.” Arianna still stared at him. “I need to remove my shirt so that I don’t rip it into shreds.” Andrew finally noticed the blush in her cheeks. He smiled and gently touched her red cheeks with the tip of his finger. Arianna didn’t move though she wanted to hide her face from the predator in the room. “So now that I’ve answered your question, what about mine? How did you stop me when I shimmered?” He finished unbuttoning the last button.
    “ Shimmer?” Arianna heard new terms every day that people wouldn’t explain. Shimmer was a new one.
    “ When we’re in day human form, we can use a little of our baku energy and move quicker.” Andrew removed his coat but left his unbuttoned shirt on. “It’s called a shimmer. Everyone does it a different way, but one thing is always the same. The person shimmering is always moving faster than the one not.”
    Arianna shrugged. “Maybe I’m just getting better at this night human thing.”
    ‘ Maybe you’re just getting better at reading me,’ he replied.
    Andrew smiled his smug smile and moved closer. He took one of her hands and placed it on his bare chest. His heart beat wildly beneath her touch. He seemed to be as entranced with her as she was with him. Arianna wanted to pull away, but couldn’t. It was always like that with Andrew. There was something that blocked all logical thought and drew her to him. She had spent the last year denying it, but it was true. Being alone with him could be dangerous.
    Arianna felt the day human skin beneath her hand. It was more textured than his baku skin, but just as hard. Even in his day human form, Andrew was a force to be reckoned with. Andrew exhaled as her hand moved across his skin inadvertently. Arianna stopped as her hand moved to his scarred shoulder. She traced the scar with her fingertips. Andrew stood like stone, allowing her to explore. His emotions were almost as tightly controlled as Devin at this point, but a bit of worry slipped through. Arianna traced the scar along the top of his shoulder, pushing his shirt out of the way as she continued over to his back where she stopped. It was strange to see his otherwise perfect skin marred. When they changed into night humans most cuts healed and often disappeared completely. Only very deep cuts would leave scars. She slipped his arms out of his shirt and stared at the crisscross of scars marking up his back. Andrew had been whipped, and more than once.
    “ What are these?” she whispered, afraid to say it in her head as he might not answer her. Four new lines ran