As Maven brushes dark curls out of his face, I tip my head. “Huh. So you were just mad at Felix, and not us? That’s a relief, because I thought?—”
Her glare cuts me off. “I’m fucking furious at all of you.”
“Way to remind her,” Everett sighs.
Crypt’s markings light up, and he carefully hands me the jar holding Maven’s heart. He pulls her close next, kissing her deeply before whispering something in her ear too quiet even for me to hear. Whatever it is, it makes her grin and kiss him again.
“You’re smiling,” I point out, hopeful. “So you can’t be that mad at us, right?”
She pulls back from Crypt and huffs, sliding out of his arms to look between the four of us. Crypt mouths,I’ll fucking kill you,at me for ending his sweet welcome home.
“I’m mad,” Maven mutters, “but I also want to fuck all of you seven ways to the Beyond. Juggling emotions is such a pain in the ass.” She arches a brow, looking at each of us with an unexpected, adorable smirk. “But speaking of my ass...”
I groan, immediately hot and bothered at the reminder. Maven’s ass isphenomenal.Knowing she’s eager to try more things in bed—godsdamn. How did I get so lucky?
Crypt grins wickedly at her. “Go on and ask us, darling. Frost can’t possibly resist a second time.”
“Maven.” Everett pinches the bridge of his nose even though his cheeks are definitely pinker in the faint glow of the mage lights in this hallway. “That’s not?—”
“Kenzie dropped off lubricant and a couple of unopened toys that she thought would be helpful while you four ditched me here,” she adds innocently.
Fuck. Using toys on Maven sounds like heaven.
But Everett is three times as flushed now as he sputters, looking for the right words before blurting, “Fucking gods, now is not the time to talk aboutthatwhen we just broughtthisback.” He gestures at the jar I’m holding as carefully as fucking possible.
Silas glances at our keeper, surprisingly gentle as he murmurs, “She knows.Ima sangfluiris trying to distract herself and the rest of us from it because she’s nervous.”
I look at her, too, surprised. “Is that true, Raincloud?”
Maven’s lips press together as she looks at the jar in my hands. Whatever she’s thinking about, she’s careful not to showit on her face, but one of her hands absentmindedly goes to her chest.
“Having my own heartbeat again will be…strange,” she admits quietly.
There’s the tiniest bit of wariness in her voice that immediately has me turning to offer Everett her magically preserved heart. He takes a step back, holding up his frost-covered hands as a clear warning that he’s not sure it’s safe for him to handle it. Giving it to Silas instead, I scoop our keeper up and bury my face in her neck, kissing her there.
“Having your own heartbeat will just mean there’s no chance your holy magic will dip out and take you away from me again,” I remind her quietly, still not able to linger on that moment, even in my head. I pull back to study her face, realizing her guard is finally down and she looks…well, more than nervous. “Hey. Pretty little Angel of Death. What else is bothering you?”
She shakes her head, looking back at the jar. “One thing at a time. Silas, do you think you could…?”
His red gaze turns deeply regretful. “I barely trust myself to be near you,sangfluir,let alone reaching into your chest with the spell this will require. I know I’m useless to you right now, but I swear?—”
“For such an intelligent fae, you believe some really stupid things,” she says gently before taking a deep breath. “I was only asking out of cowardice. I’m pretty damn sure I can do it myself, I just…”
Aww. She’s more anxious about it than she’s letting on.
Deciding to get my mate somewhere she’ll be more comfortable to face this, I carry her out of the narrow passageway and up a flight of stairs. The others follow. When my dragon hisses inside my head, slowly deciding he wants to take over again, I stub my toes several times on purpose to remindhim I’ll take as much pain as needed to keep him out of my head for a few minutes.
As soon as we reach our quintet apartment and slip into her room, I set Maven on the massive bed. I sit beside her to kiss her nose, cheeks, and those soft lips before smiling at her.
“Hey. We have a surprise you’ll like. Silas, show her.”
He frowns. “Show her what?”
“You know. The thing in your pocket.”
He continues to look mystified.
Maven tips her head. “Is that an innuendo? Is the thing in his pocket his cock?”
