“And now, you’re carrying his baby,” I tell her, looking pointedly at her stomach.
She rubs her stomach and smiles. “Yes.”
“What if I go there, and he...doesn’t want me to stay?” I ask, hating my weakness.
“Then you come back here,” Farrah says fiercely, “and Rysden will cut off his—”
Kinsley slaps a hand over her mouth. “We got it.”
I can’t help but laugh, and it seems to ease some of the tension and emotion. I take a breath. “If he rejects me, I’ll do the deed myself,” I tell Farrah.
She pumps her fist, and Kinsley throws her hands into the air. “Nobody’s cutting off anybody’s anything!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you ladies talking about?” Lox asks, coming into the main room.
“We’re talking about maiming Rauk for life if he rejects Harper,” Farrah says easily.
“Farrah!” I hiss. It’s one thing to tell Kinsley and Farrah; it’s a whole other thing to tell Lox.
Lox looks over at me, surprisingly serious. “Are you actually worried about that?”
I shift uneasily, unsure what to say. He shocks me by laughing—like throwing back his entire head and laughing. “It’s not that funny.” I snap at him.
He tries to rein it in. “Oh, Harper.” He wipes his eyes, while I narrow my eyes at him. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about with that beast of a man.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Oh, what? You’re suddenlybest friends with him?”
“No.” He scoffs. “I’m pretty sure he’d like to gut me.” He leans against the wall and crosses his arms over his chest. “You remember the night he pinnned me against that wall?” The memory hits me clearly.
“I thought he was going to kill you that night.”
He nods, completely serious. “I did too.” He meets my gaze head-on. “Want to know what he said to me that night?”
“Not particularly,” I admit.
He smiles. “You do; trust me.”
“What did he say then?” I challenge.
“He told me that if I ever touched you again, he would rip my arms from my body and feed them to his dragon.”
“Ew,” Kinsley says, gagging.
“He just says stuff like that,” I say with a shake of my head.
Lox continues. “And then he said, and I quote, ‘Nobody touches my girl except for me and lives to tell the tale’.”
Shocked silence wraps around the four of us, and the words on my tongue shrivel right up. So does the spit in my mouth. “He said that?” I ask in a hoarse whisper.
Lox meets my eyes and gives me a tender smile. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that, Harpie.”
“Oh my word,” Kinsley says, wiping her eyes.
“I know,” Farrah says.
It’s at that exact moment that Kaldar and Rysden stride into the room. They both freeze, take in their crying mates, and shoot matching scowls Lox’s way. “Why does everyone always assume it’s me?” he complains loudly.
Rysden and Kaldar both wrap their arms around their mates, and I shoulder my bag. It’s time for me to go; I’ll have the entire ride to ponder Lox’s words. It will take at least that long. I take a deep breath. “I’m leaving.” No one in the room is surprised by my words. I let a small smile form. “I guess it’s time for me to be brave.”
