“It’s real fun. Especially since I’m still alive or whatever this version of hell is.” He rolled his eyes, and I felt bad for him. I didn’t like to deal with Nyx on a normal day, and he only half paid attention to me. Kol was probably near suffocation.
“Have you told him to knock it off?” I side-eyed him.
“Can I?” he asked.
“Why not?”
“I did put him through quite a lot.” Guilt weighed heavily in his voice.
“You didn’t. Unless you kidnapped yourself, and if you did, bravo. I couldn’t have done all that to myself.” I shuddered, even if I wished I had disappeared myself before this voyage.
He looked at me sideways, as if working out how I knew so much about his condition. His nostrils flared again, scenting me. I wouldn’t know if he’d been aware enough to register my scent when we got him out, and it’s not like we had been properly introduced since.
“While kinky…” He paused and cracked a smile. “I’m not that much of a masochist.”
“So you’re saying you are a bit of a masochist?” I lifted a brow.
His smile widened as he looked me over. “I was… I don’t know what I am anymore. I’m not sure if I even exist some days, or who I used to be. I can’t connect to any of it.”
“Well, if you need to test it out…” A good fuck would make anyone feel better, and I’d take the distraction.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He stepped forward, pressing his hands into the rail as he leaned over to look at the dark water.“I guess I have you to thank for getting me out.” He looked over his shoulder, and I couldn’t tell if he meant it.
Was living so hard for him now that he didn’t even know if thanks were the correct sentiment? I hated the idea.
I took a moment to enjoy the view of his backside before joining him at the rail. “You don’t have to thank me. I was just there, and Luka recognized you.”
“Hazel’s mate, right?”
“The one and only,” I confirmed.
Kol nodded, looking back out to sea. “I’m happy for her. She deserved to find her ryder, and getting a mate in the bargain… Seems like a trend has started, what with Kiera and her mate finding one another, too. Just some of the many things I missed while I was gone.” He said wistfully, dropping his eyes to the dark waters beneath us.
“You know, jumping is a pretty awful way to go,” I cautioned, “The water is cold, and there’s nothing this far south to eat you, so you’d just drown, and that sucks.”
He gave me a flat look. “Hadn’t even crossed my mind, but now that you mention it…” Before I could stop him, he got a leg hooked over the side and leapt.
“Kol!” I reached for him, but he was already out of my grasp.
“Fucking shit.” I hissed, swinging my foot over the rail to go after him, because I was not about to take the wrath of Nyx, whowould surely murder me for losing the twin he had only just got back.
I was about to leap when I spotted wings. “Motherfucker,” I said under my breath, knowing he’d still hear me.Watching the darkness, expecting the bulk of a dragon to soar into view, I was surprised to see Kol had only shifted his wings. I couldn’t help but feel he was wasting an opportunity. I would not be able to resist fully shifting if I were able to, but I had appearances to keep up.
He flew several loops around the ship before coming back to drop down onto the deck, wings vanishing as he landed before me. His shirt had ripped where he’d hastily let his wings free, and now hung from his pants in shreds.
I may have enjoyed his figure a little harder than was polite, but it wasn’t entirely untoward. He was the spitting image of Nyx, but thin, too thin. He’d lost a lot of weight through his sickness, making every lean muscle stand out.
“I needed that.”He stretched and rolled his shoulders.
I didn’t bother to hide my inspection, taking my time to drop my gaze. By the time I found words, my voice was low and barely more than a growl. “Did you?”
He snapped his teeth. “You don’t ever just feel the need to stretch your wings?”
So he definitely knew what I was then. Which wasn’t surprising. We could smell it on each other.
“I do, but I’m less free to do so.”
He studied me. “I’ve noticed. But why?”
