“Brotherly bonding my ass,” Tibby growled.
“If you insist.” Slater shrugged before lunging at my brother.
They crashed to the ground in a blur of flailing limbs and grunted insults. Though, it wasn’t violent, not really. It was more like two predators testing each other’s bite. Slater got Tibby in a headlock; Tibby flipped him into the grass. They rolled a few times, flattening a patch of wildflowers as they did so.
Tibby had been more affected by Darian’s treatment of me than I’d realized. He was always protective but never like this.
I barely had time to react when a warm hand slid around my waist and tugged me back against a broad, muscular chest.
“Miss me?” Zuko purred, his voice all dark and wicked sounding against my ear.
I stiffened before melting against him as his fingers splayed at my hips, possessive and smug. His burnt sugar scent was unfairly intoxicating.
“Why would I miss you, toxin?” I asked, slightly breathlessly.
How was his touch sending my nerves through a shredder like this?
“Aw, you gave me a nickname?” Zuko leaned down until his breath teased the shell of my ear. “Careful, pretty little poison. You’ve got full grown men brawling over you in the evening sun. Makes me feel left out. I almost want to start biting.”
“Give in to your intrusive thoughts,” I dared him, my voice taking on a raspy tone. “Bite me.”
Tibby shouted from the ground, pinned halfway under Slater. “If he bites you, I’ll burn him!”
“No need to threaten me with a good time,” Zuko called back with a grin that was far too pleased.
Slater whooped loudly. “See? This is already the best soon-to-be sibling bonding ever!”
I sighed, leaning against Zuko’s chest more. “Fates, help me.”
“I can help you. Do you want to inject me with your venom without stabbing me this time?” Zuko offered, voice thick with that honeyed heat I was beginning to become a fan of.
I flashed him a fang-filled grin. “Only if I can try your venom this time first.”
“Rune Bloodwyne, don’t you dare!” Tibby barked, finally disentangling himself from Slater and scrambling up.
“Tobias Bloodwyne, don’t tell me what to do!” I snapped right back, sassily tossing my green braid over my shoulder.
He stomped over with every bit of his ‘big brother fury’ blazing in every step. Without hesitation, he wedged himself between me and Zuko and shoved a hand into Zuko’s chest with enough force to make him actually take a step back, though he kept a dangerous smirk on his lips the whole time.
“Oh, touchy,” Zuko drawled.
“Okay, listen here, you fuckingbasilisk,” Tibby growled, glaring up into Zuko’s eyes, grabbing him by his shirt. “You might think you’re smooth with your flirting and whatever dangerous-vibe thing you’ve got going on, but Rune isnotsome playground you get to mess around in. She’smyfuckingsister.So, if you’re here to play games, back off. If you so much as breathe around her wrong, I will incinerate your pretty hair and feed your ashes to a fucking stray dog. Understood?”
Zuko blinked his pretty orange eyes at my brother before his lips curved into an amused smile. “I’m not playing. I’ve actually never been more serious about a woman in my life.” His gaze slid to mine with sincerity. “I’d drink her venom every day if it meant I got to stand by her.”
Tibby made a strangled noise that was equal parts frustration and horror.
“But…” Zuko tilted his head and stared into my brother’s face with interest. “Why are you so protective of her? I’ve never met such a…dotingbrother.”
“Because she dated someone I considered my best friend, and he hurt her beyond repair,” Tibby seethed, the words tumbling out without a second thought. “I won’t letanyoneelsehurt her.”
My mouth fell open in shock. “Tibby! Why did you just tell him our business in public like that? And for the record, I amnothurt beyond repair. Darian’s a fucking asshole. I’m so far over him.”
Zuko’s eyes locked on mine. His molten-orange irises gleamed like they were carved from fire-opals. “Are yousureyou’re not hurt anymore?”
My breath caught. There was something in his gaze, something almost invasive, like his stare wasn’t just seeing me but sifting through my soul. I felt a strange pressure crawl beneath my skin and a phantom pull at the base of my skull.
“Not beyond repair,” I admitted, the truth wrenching from me. “But a year-long relationship ending the way mine did hurts almost anyone.”
