Lessia being his. Them being safe—at least for now.
The two of them being able to do something just… normal.
She seemed to understand what he was thinking because she smiled against his lips and her hands around his neck tightened as she breathed “I love you” into his mouth.
He was just about to tell her how fucking much heloved her, and then move his mouth to her ear to whisper all the things he was going to do to her once they’d left this place, but before he could, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.
Merrick whipped his face forward—to where he’d been sitting before—and he wasn’t able to stop his lips from curling back, a warning growl vibrating through him, shaking the entire table between him and Lessia and the two Fae males settling on the bench opposite them.
“I told you he’d fucking kill us if we interrupted!” the younger of them snarled. “The entire bar can see they want to be alone.”
“Shut up,” the other one snapped. “It was your idea.”
Merrick sighed deeply, pinching his nose not to slam the two males’ heads together like he’d done many times before. He should have known he’d run into people he knew here.
Lessia still had a whisper of a smile touching her swollen lips, and her grin pulled wider when the two idiots started shoving each other, making the bench slam against the ground with every movement.
“Who are they?” she breathed into his ear as she rested against him, watching the two Fae males, who should fucking know better, argue.
“Two soldiers I used to command,” Merrick muttered back. “I thought they might have grown up, but clearly not.”
“Nicol and Emret,” Merrick barked when there appeared to be no end to their bickering. “What do you want?”
Lessia’s elbow in his side was probably a warning to be nice, but she should know at this point the onlyperson he’d ever be kind to was her, and he squeezed the hand he’d left resting under her ass until she huffed another laugh. He wanted to smile again at the sound, but first, he needed to scare away the two bastards who somehow were brave enough to interrupt him.
“Did you not hear the orders I sent out? You’re to head to war,” Merrick said, letting his tone lower. “Or are you abandoning your people in a time of need?”
The two males went white.
“Well?” Merrick glared at them.
“Merrick,” Lessia whispered. “I think they are probably only here for a last night of fun.”
His eyes went to hers, and he could tell she was yet again holding back laughter, fighting to keep the serious expression she’d apparently decided was necessary before she took a sip of wine from the goblets before them.
How was it possible to fucking love her this much?
She knew exactly what he was doing, and she was playing along. He’d need to reward her later.
Her eyes flared as if she knew exactly what thought had floated through his mind, but then Emret finally found his voice again.
“We apologize, Commander Merrick. She is right. We… we were just hoping to get some drinks before we head to the port tomorrow. It’s been a while since we had some fun, and…”
“We heard Kerym is meeting us by the ships, and we could barely believe it! And then we saw you here,” Nicol added. “We haven’t seen you since… you know.”
Merrick’s teeth snapped together. He knew very well. They’d been in the room when he swore the blood oathto Rioner, both already tied to the king because of their strong water gifts.
Merrick’s eyes dropped to the faded tattoos on their arms at the same time Lessia’s did.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, as if it was her damned place at all to apologize for what Rioner had put them through.
The males’ gazes moved to hers, and Merrick held Lessia closer when appreciation flickered in their brown eyes, but he took a breath to calm the possessiveness overtaking him when Emret responded, “I hear we have you to thank for being free.”
Lessia started shaking her head, and he couldn’t fucking have that. Merrick cast a look around the room, realizing many were studying them again, their curious gazes leaving him to whisper over his mate, and a slow smile pulled at his features as an idea formed in his mind.
The people in this town had hated Rioner. And while there had been a few thankful rebels and humans, most had shied away from Lessia after he’d brought her back from death with all the souls now connected to them. But these people wouldn’t care about that…
Merrick shot Lessia a smile, hoping she wouldn’t be too angry with him.
