Cencay broke into more sobs, shoulders heaving, before sinking to the floor.
I looked up and took a deep breath before crouching beside them. This wasn’t going to be a short conversation, from the looks of it.
Kalvoxrencol took a seat across from my desk without an invitation. He spread his wings as he yawned, and Cincin buried her face against my neck, hiding. My house goddess had yet to see the merit of any of my cousins or their mates. Poor Seth. He’d made a point to come to my quarters frequently to spend time with her, and she’d rebuffed him at every turn.
“Pest,” I greeted as I continued working through the data pads on my desk.
With the current complication, it meant I had a great deal more work ahead of me. I had to restructure duty shiftsand assignments, which meant reviewing everything as well as sending the supervising officers each a note with what I needed from their departments, though I would have a meeting with each senior officer, who could then delegate. But I’d found giving information both verbally and written worked better for everyone. I was so busy I’d had to put off speaking with Hallonnixmin and Dontilvynsan.
The three of us tried to speak every week to keep abreast of what was going on in each other’s lives. Also, I simply did better when I was in frequent contact with them. They were my closest friends, and I always missed them when we were apart.
“So, Wyn,” Kalvoxrencol commented.
I fought the urge to slump my shoulders or roll my eyes. The first would disturb Cincin, which I would never do, and the latter wasn’t something I indulged in often. This situation hardly merited it.
The instant I’d allowed Wyn into my system and then given him the use of my quarters today, I knew this conversation was coming. Kalvoxrencol was a protective drakcol, even if he was a creator soul, and he viewed Wyn as under his protection.
He was wrong, of course.
My instincts rebelled at the mere thought of someone else being responsible for Wyn. He was mine. I forced the claiming thought down, as now wasn’t the time. Wyn did not belong to me. He would certainly agree. But once I’d thought of him in the romantic sense, my instincts surged, wishing to claim him, which was dangerous. He couldn’t be my mate, and I couldn’t think of him as such. Not yet, at least.
“What about Lieutenant Wyn?” I asked.
It wouldn’t do to give him too much information. While I loved Kalvoxrencol dearly, he wasn’t Hallonnixmin or Dontilvynsan—I was beyond close with the two of them. Even with the two of them, I wasn’t sure I would confess exactly how I felt aboutWyn and what exactly was going on with us. Not that there was anything happening at the moment.
Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Soon.
I practically growled as my inner fire unhelpfully whispered to me. I knew this already, and I didn’t need to be reminded again and again.
“Monqilcolnen, you allowed him the use of your quarters.”
“For your kit,” I replied.
“Thank you for that.”
I gave him a small smile. “I would do anything for you and Bobbinvoxlyn.”
A broader version of my own smile appeared on Kalvoxrencol’s face. It was moments like this I saw exactly how we were related. We shared other similarities, such as our strong chins, long noses, and broad foreheads, but Kalvoxrencol’s smile was identical to mine, though I rarely allowed mine free to the extent he did his.
“Tell me what’s going on with you and Wyn, then.”
I chuckled, leaning back slightly. Cincin warningly gripped me with her claws, but I didn’t move enough to threaten her seat on my shoulders. “Well played, Pest.”
“Thank you, Cousin.”
My lips pursed momentarily before I forced my expression into my serene mask. I had no endearment from them, as I was their sole cousin, or at least closely related one, and I wanted one. But that was hardly something to think about right now. At the moment, I had to decide what exactly to share with him.
“Wyn is interesting.” I decided on eventually.
“He is. He is also beautiful.”
I had to suppress the snarl trying to climb my throat at the thought of anyone else finding Wyn lovely, which was utterly ridiculous. No doubt numerous people thought Wyn was beautiful, for he was. I merely replied, “He is.”
“Are you courting him?”
“No.” I wasn’t. Not yet at least. I was hopeful this was where we were going, but between my inner fire and Wyn’s discomfort with me, it would be a long time coming, if ever. In the end, we might only become close friends. I would have to content myself with that, and I would.
“Why not?”
