I stiffened.
Granted, the possessiveness should have felt suffocating. Instead, it felt like being wrapped in armor made of obsidian and fire.
The Fangs nodded immediately.
The Claws just continued to watch me.
Really tough group.
Reo cleared his throat and gestured to the twins. “This is Aki and Yuki.”
The two men were identical. Black hair slicked back, matching scars under their chins.
Same suits.
Same posture.
Even their breathing was synchronized.
But their eyes weren't. One held calculation. The other held rage, carefully banked. I was guessing that the twins hadsomehow learned to move as one unit, but underneath, they were two separate people who'd survived something horrifically terrible enough to bind them together forever.
What happened to them?
One watched my face.
The other watched my hands.
Coordinated surveillance. Do they always do that?
Seconds later, they tilted their heads in perfect unison.
One spoke, “She made. . .”
The other finished, “. . .banana bread.”
Back to the first, “For the Dragon's guards.”
The second shook his head. “Again. . .not for the Claws.”
The disgust in their voices was palpable.
Oh shit. How did they find out about the banana bread? These guys stay gossiping about food.
I could see it in the twins’ gazes that they felt like the Dragon’s guards were beneath them in the hierarchy.
And I'd fed guards before feeding the Claws? No wonder they had not given me a warm welcome.
I felt Kenji tense beside me. His body went rigid. A growl started building in his chest—low and dangerous. He was about to explode into a roar.
No. No. No. Let me handle this. I need to have a voice among them.
Under the table, I gently touched his hand.
He calmed.
Sighing, I looked at the twins. "You’re right about the banana bread. I'm going to fix that. I didn’t think anything of it because I have a much bigger plan for the Claws. A huge gesture."
Thankfully, Kenji didn’t roar even though his body remained rigid beside me, ready to defend my honor with bloodshed.
