Karma’s sketchbook smacked against the stone floor, his coloured pencil clattering beside it. “That wasyou?Fuckingassholes.”
I stared between them as Tyler reset the chess board. Over salted… meals? That must’ve been before I was sent down.
“You didn’t know?” Jared snorted.
“I never fucked up a task for you!”
Jared held up his hand, showing off five calloused fingers. “Which one is the ring finger?”
Karma snarled, nails digging into the arms of his chair like he was barely restraining himself from throwing himself across the room. His frustration pulsed through the bond. “You didn’t. Fucking. Specify.”
“You really thought we wanted hispinkyremoved? That’s barely a punishment.” Tyler tossed the words over his shoulder.
I looked down at my hands. It… felt like a punishment to me. The Archiva pack reallywassuper mean to everyone else.
My hand darted out to grab a cube of cheese before they could take back the offer and tossed it straight into my mouth. The cheddar tasted old, like the block had already had mold shaved off it a few times, and the edges were a bit dry, but Karma was right about it being luxury. The cafeteria didn’t get any cheese.
I immediately felt a little guilty.
Karma had been down here way longer without cheese.
I cleared my throat, interrupting the bickering. “Um, can I give Karma some of my portion? I’ll eat less so he can have a piece or two.”
My alpha’s gaze darted to me, the negative energy in the bond melting away in seconds. “You don’t need to do that, Moonlight.”
“I want to.”
I took another cheese cube and two of the small, torn-off pieces of bread, and pushed up from the chair. Jared and Tyler weren’t stopping me. I crossed the room to Karma and sat on his thigh, pushing the cube to his lips.
“I don’t need?—”
He had to open his mouth to speak, and I pushed the cheese in.
His only choices were to spit it out or chew. Karma opted to chew, his eyelids fluttering shut for a moment. Thiswasa special thing for him. I knew it.
The Convent meals weren’t luxurious or anything, but they were better than here. Once a week we’d get something with cheese, like a baked potato or pasta. Here, they kind of only served… slop.
I took a bite of the bread while he enjoyed his cheese.
It was sourdough. Or maybe just… stale?
I was going with sourdough, and I wasn’t going to look too closely.
When his eyes had reopened and he peered down at me with pure adoration, his arm wrapped around my waist, I pressed the bread to his lips. This time he took it between his teeth without complaint.
I beamed, eating the rest of my piece and sliding off his lap.
He caught me before I could head back over to chess. His lips landed on mine in a searing kiss, and I swallowed down the moan I wanted to let out. He broke the kiss as quickly as he started it, smirking at me.
“Go back and keep playing.” He tipped his head. “You’ll beat him, I bet.”
There was slick already pooling between my thighs in the aftermath of the kiss, but I nodded.
Chess.
Yes.
He’d definitely kissed me knowing what it would do.
