I stare down at him. “How did you know I was wearing her clothes?” I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter.” I shift my gaze to Auri. “Are you ready to head back?”
“Not really.” But the smile she gives me is worth everything.
“I’ll stay a few more minutes and bring her in soon,” Rauk says.
“Do you need help?” I ask stupidly.
He arches a brow. “Carrying my sister? I think I’ve got it.”
I sigh in exasperation as I crouch down and pat Solace’s head. “Thank you.” Then I make my way out of the barn and back to the house. It’s quiet when I step inside and close the heavy door behind me. I walk into the large main room and sigh when I see the fire still roaring in the fireplace. The warmth of the wolves was good, but I’m still chilled. I sit on the couch near the fire, close my eyes, and let the fire warm me.
“Harpie.”
I don't even open my eyes. “You know I hate that name,right?”
“Yep, that’s why it’s my favorite nickname for you.” I feel the couch shift when he sits down. “You doing okay?”
I open my eyes and look over at him. He’s not usually serious, so it’s kind of unnerving to see him like this. “Yeah.”
He turns to look at the fire, and neither of us say anything for a minute. “Don’t be too hard on Farrah.” I don’t say anything in response. “Two weeks ago, Rysden and Brak got surrounded by three guivres. It was bad. The guivres worked together and backed them into an area where they couldn’t go anywhere. Shade wasn’t close enough to help; he’d gotten separated from Rysden.” He blows out a breath. “Brak didn’t make it, and Rysden got hurt. Badly. He took a brush of guivre fire to his arm, his dominant arm. He's just now recovering and getting use in that arm again.”
Shock rolls through me. "Brak is gone?” He was the captain of Rysden’s guard, appointed by Rsyden after his father died. I didn’t know him that well, but still. “I’m sorry. That's a lot. Farrah must have been...” I pause, trying to think of the right words.
“Yeah, she was a mess. I think having Rysden hurt messed with her. Add to that everything else she’s got going on, it’s a lot.”
I turn to him. “What else?”
He meets my gaze. “You know.”
“No, I don’t, Lox. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be asking,” I snap, getting tired of his games.
“The emotions, the crying, getting angry at little things...” he looks at me. “The exhaustion?”
“Just tell me, Lox. I’m not,” I pause as it hits me. My eyes go wide. “She’s pregnant too?”
“Can neither confirm nor deny, just saying she has a lot going on.”
“They’re both pregnant?” I’m trying to wrap my head around all this.
“I literally can’t confirm nor deny because Rysden and Farrah haven’t said anything yet, but it’s kind of obvious. Not only the fact that her emotions are all over the place, but he’s taken his protectiveness up another level.” He shakes his head. “I thought he and your mate were going to come to blows earlier.”
“What are you talking about and stop calling him my mate.”
He shakes his head. “Harper, Harper, Harper, you just don’t get it. Do you?”
I’m tired and annoyed. “Get what?” I ask shortly.
He shakes his head and smiles but doesn’t fill me in. “Just be gentle on Farrah. That’s all I’m asking.”
I blow out a breath and sit back against the couch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
He pats my leg. “I know; that’s why I’m telling you.” He doesn’t move his hand, and I glance down at it pointedly and then at him. I’m just about ready to tell him to remove his hand when another voice does it for me.
“You like having two hands? Because you’re about to have only one.”
Because I’m already looking at Lox, I see that Rauk’s voice doesn’t startle him the way it does me. “You knew he was there,” I hiss under my breath.
Lox smirks at me and then makes a show of lifting both hands. “Yep. Kind of attached to both of these.”
