Rowan huffed out a breath that sounded close to a chuckle as he stepped beside Damien and ran a heated finger down my cheek. “We want you to relax. You’ve had a hellish week, and you need time to process before going to rescue your father. Rhett and Alister agreed, but they’re leading a staff meeting right now otherwise you know they’d be here to see you off too. We want you to let go of everything that has happened and focus on relaxing, okay?”
My heart swelled as love thrummed through my bonds. “Okay, but only if you promise once everything settles, you’ll take two entire months off to relax too. All of us.”
His lips curved into a smile as he dropped his hand. “How about a week?”
“How about one month or I won’t relax?” I pouted, and his resolve crumbled.
“Deal, fledgling. One month, but only after this war.”
“Off you go, babe!” Trixie clapped her hands before pointing between Kian and Lachlan. “You two take care of her. She’s precious cargo!”
“We won’t let anything happen,” Lachlan growled.
“And we promise to help her relax,” Kian said before blushing. “I mean, like actually relax. Not like something ah—you know, likethat.”
‘Actually, he means exactly that.’Shade snickered, his paw covering his nose.
Everyone laughed, and I smiled at them.
“Oh, no, familiar,” Rowan said with a stern tone as he reached over and picked Shade up off Kian’s shoulder and held him to his chest. “You’re not going with them.”
‘But what if Kian needs me?’He squeaked in protest, wiggling but not managing to escape Rowan’s grasp.‘What if my mistress needs me?’
“She won’t,” Kian assured him, patting his head lovingly. “We’ll make it up to you.”
“Besides, you don’t get to see my little bird naked.” Damien’s shadow tendril tickled under Shade’s chin.
‘I’ve already seen her naked. I saw her naked before even my master!’Shade grumbled, still trying to wiggle free.
Damien, Lachlan, and Rowan growled as Trixie’s gaze flicked between them. Kian ran a hand down his face as he sighed.
“Thank you.All of you,” I dropped my voice to a whisper as they turned their attention from Shade to me. “I’ve never felt so cared for before, and I don’t know how to truly show my appreciation.”
“By being happy, tiny fox.” Lachlan squeezed me into his chest.
“Exactly right,” Damien said with a smirk. “Now, I’m going to drop you off at the hot springs, and Thorn will pick you up and take you home after a few hours. If my little bird isn’t fully sated by the time I get home, I’ll take over and play.”
An electric jolt shot down my back before heat pooled between my legs. “Play?”
“Eager, are we?” Damien patted my butt. “Don’t worry. We’ll have time to play later.”
I wiggled against Lachlan and turned just as Damien shadow-traveled us out of the office.
We stepped onto a stone platform, and a slight gasp left my lips as I noticed how large the area was. Snow blanketed the ground, but huge stone springs full of steaming water nestled into the earth until it moved closer to the raging waves on the horizon. It was stunning, and the sound of the surges crashing over each other in the distance was peaceful.
Damien’s hand wrapped around my throat as he tugged me forward and leaned in until his teeth caught my bottom lip. “Have fun, little bird.” He faded into the shadows before I could reply, the bite wound on my lip healing without pain.
“We’re in the Bizarre,” Lachlan said, clearing his throat.
Fates, let Damien scope out the facility with no issues. I turned my attention back to Lachlan and Kian.
“Professor Cunningham suggested it.” Kian rubbed the back of his neck. “Plus, I remember you mentioning that you had been to one before with your parents. I figured it’d bring back fond memories.”
Images of my parents bringing me to the hot springs in Briesia flashed in my mind. A carefree little girl who wanted nothing more than a moment of peace with her parents. That trip to the hot springs was one of the only times we were able to just relax—something I never understood as a child.
My eyes fluttered shut as I sucked in a deep breath of the moist minerals hanging in the cold air, and I opened them again. “Thank you so much. This… it means a lot.” An excited flutter filled my belly as I moved forward and kissed both Kian and Lachlan on the lips and stepped forward.
There weren’t any supernaturals out, the hot springs were completely deserted. The burble of the water pushed to the surface of the pool in front of us, causing bubbles to ripple up through the water.
