I hadn’t had that deep of a sleep in a very long time. The next morning, I felt snuggly and warm and safe. I pried my eyes open, stretching and taking my sweet ass time getting out of bed.
Though I was pretty sure I experienced some out-of-pocket hallucinations last night, that tea Audrey gave me sure did the trick. I couldn’t feel a single cramp or ache in my body. No random boob pain. No nausea. Nothing.
What a beautiful thing to exist.
Stretching again, I rolled onto my side, and my hand smacked something hard. Tapping my hand on it again, I finally registered what I was feeling next to me.
A string instrument.
The same one I saw at Bandthral. And it was beautiful.
Audrey really didn’t have to do that for me, but I appreciated her little gift regardless.
I immediately sat up, grabbing the neck of it and resting it in my lap, like it was a precious infant or something. It looked like a violin, but with two necks and an oblong shape.
I loved it.
Grabbing my phone off the nightstand, I sent Audrey a quick thank-you text. Within a minute, she responded.
Audrey: You’re welcome?
Short. Sweet. Simple. She always got uncomfortable whenever I fawned over her for taking care of me or doingnice things. Audrey was genuine like that. So now that the obligatorythank you, you’re welcomeexchange was out of the way, I adjusted my seat so that my back was resting against the headboard and started plucking away.
Chapter 17
“Are we just back to square one, then? Since Bandthral was a bust?” I asked Liam and Audrey a couple of days later. We were all in the office of my coffee shop, and Audrey was massaging my shoulders. Training that morning was rough, but the good news was that I was able to roll a massive Liam off of me with success. He tried pinning my body to the ground with his entire weight, but I stuck my arm out above my head and rolled, using it as leverage to throw him off. Audrey and Liam were excited by that move, confident in the fact that most Hyvenmerians wouldn’t expect a human to accomplish such a feat, which would work in my favor, should I need it.
“I couldn’t find anything useful,” Liam replied as he sipped the cold brew I made for him. He was manspreading on my office loveseat as he hummed his appreciation for the lavender syrup I added to it. “Caelena was eager, but a littletooeager.” Pink stained his cheeks. “I couldn’t figure out how to encourage her to take me anywhere important without actually…” Liam shook his head as he stared down at his drink.
“Why didn’t you just go for it?” I asked Liam, wincing when Audrey’s grip on me tightened even more.
“I’m going for a run,” Audrey randomly announced, obvious irritation lacing her words. Liam and I both stared at her wide-eyed as she called over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back.”
I waited until Audrey’s heavy footfalls led her outside the back door of my coffee shop, and when the door slammed closed, I leaned forward in my chair. I folded my arms and rested my elbows on the desktop as I gave Liam my best stern expression.
We fell into silence, and he seemed very unbothered by it. I was staring daggers at him for what felt like five solid minutes before I finally groaned and broke the silence for us.
“Can you just fuck each other already?” I asked him. Liam choked on his cold brew but managed not to make a mess of himself as he turned to stare at me wide-eyed.
“I beg your pardon?” he gasped out, pounding his chest with his fist.
“You’re both clearly into each other. It’s been years. Why haven’t youdoneanything?” I was tired of playing around with this. Liam blushed again as he flattened his lips together.
“It’s complicated,” he muttered.
I lifted an eyebrow at him in disbelief. “Are you saying that you aren’t interested in her? Because I’m calling bullshit?—”
“You cannot fathom how veryinterestedI am, Van,” Liam interrupted me, “Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.” He frowned at his drink as one large hand rose and rubbed his chest absentmindedly.
“Why? What’s holding you back?” I pressed. Liam glared at me, but I held my ground. My friend was sexually frustrated, and if Liam was “very interested,” then I didn’t see why he hadn’t gone for it yet. What was stopping two consenting, age-appropriate adults from?—
Fergus’s longing expression at his birthday party floated to the forefront of my mind, and it clicked.
“You’re waiting for your mate,” I whispered. Liam’s light blue eyes drifting over to me were all the confirmation I needed.Oh my god, were all the men in Hyvenmere hopeless romantics? “That’s so messed up,” I scolded Liam with a point of my index finger. “You need to turn her down gently. Let Audrey move on. Give her space. Let her meet someone else if?—”
“Audrey ismine,” Liam practically growled the words, which made every muscle in my body lock up. “I knew it the moment I laid eyes on her, curled up behind her library, confused about her new powers.” I sat up and leaned back in my chair, anxiety filling my chest at what he was saying.
“Audrey is your mate…” I didn’t ask; it was obvious at this point.How did I miss that?
