“Am not.” I reached up to touch the dripping chandelier crystals. My fingers passed through empty air. “Oh. Maybe a little.”
Zane snorted, wrestling my boots off, and Brumous whined low in his throat as he pressed his cold nose against my palm. Rolling over, I face-planted into Seri’s pillow and tangled my fingers in her hair.
“Mine,” I slurred into her nape, vertigo warring with the sudden, overwhelming need to count her breaths. One. Two. Three. Steady. Alive.
Then she stirred, and my breath caught. If she woke— If she saw me like this—
Thank the night, she only sighed in her sleep, fingers brushing my wrist, and the lightning under my skin gentled at her touch. Less like being electrocuted and more like sparklers. Tiny, happy sparklers dancing under my skin.
“Rest, brother.” Zane’s palm covered my eyes as the world smeared into gold-lit blurs. “We’ve got the watch tonight.”
The door clicked shut, and somewhere between Seri’s exhale and Brumous’ inhale, I realized three devastating truths:
1. My fang-rotted pants were still on.
2. The wolf was closer to Seri’s ass than I was.
3. I wanted to cry over both.
“D’nt tell,” I warned the wolf. “That I… I… My tongue felt three sizes too large. “I’m immoxitated. Intoximated.Drunk.”
Seri mumbled in her sleep, cuddling into me. Something molten and terrifying expanded in my chest cavity. I squinted down at it, wondering if someone had replaced my ribcage with a hot air balloon while I wasn’t looking.
“She’s so small. How’s something so small contain so mucheverything?”
I struggled to prop myself on one elbow. Brumous regarded me with those too-intelligent blue eyes, head cocked like I was the most fascinating disaster he’d ever witnessed.
“Listen here, you, you, you dust bunny of sharp ends! I outrank you in the Seri protection hierarchy!”
The wolf huffed a laugh.
“M’serious!Veryserious. Casimir Serious Cimmerian. That’s me.” I attempted to tap my chest for emphasis, but somehow ended up patting the wolf’s ear instead. “Hmm. That’s soft.”
I continued petting it and, with my free hand, attempted to pull the duvet over us. My arm refused to cooperate, however, flailing like severed octopus tentacles. After three embarrassing tries, Brumous took pity on me, grabbing the edge with his teeth and dragging it over us.
“Good boy.”
Then, like magnets, Brumous and I shifted closer—he from one side, me from the other—until she was safely sandwiched between us. My fingers found hers, and I watched tiny sparks dance across our joined hands, harmless now, pretty even.
“See that? Magic husband powers.” I smirked at the wolf. “Can you make sparkles? No, I think not. No sparkles for dires.”
He sneezed in my face.
“Rude.” I wiped slobber from my cheek onto Seri’s pillow. “Y’know what? You did good today, Brummy. When that thing came at her. You saved her.”
His eyes gleamed with pride as his tail thumped against the mattress.
“No, no.” I tapped my finger against his wet nose. “No wagging after midnight. S’against the rules.”
He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing, then he deliberately wagged his tail again, just once.
“Impudent animal. You think you’re so clever, don’t you? With your … yourfluffand your heroics. Well, you’re not the boss here.I’mthe boss. Of you. And of Seri. And Zane. And Koko. And… and probably thewhole house! Maybe the wholeworld!”
He huffed again, his breath warm against my arm, and I wanted to argue further, but my eyelids went down and stayed down, and I had no choice but to let him win this round.
4. Certain of It
Arabesque Harrow Bell
