The padding of heavy paws announced Whisper’s arrival. His whiskers flared as he snarled at Dillon, prowled like a liquid shadow to the couch, then sat proudly at Lucien’s feet.
Tension rippled down Lucien’s thighs as he snapped, “Go on then. Speak.”
“About that drink?” Dillon never looked away.
“You’ll get one when you’ve explained. So...explain.”
“I think I should be saying that to you.” He waved at us, arching his eyebrow at me sitting on Lucien’s lap.
I tried to slip off and sit on the couch like an adult, but Lucien just held me tighter. “We owe you nothing and you’ll get nothing.”
Dillon didn’t speak for a long moment. “Fine. But first...I need a few answers from you, Rook. Just to put my mind at rest. Then I’ll submit to whatever inquisition you have in mind.”
Lucien’s grip tightened. A wisp of his jealousy bled through the bond.
“Alright,” I said softly. “What...what do you want to know?”
“Everything.” His face fell but his eyes stayed wary. “Were you truly just playing your usual games of chase or were you trying to run away from me?”
So, we were going straight to the hard stuff. Good to know.
I shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea what I should say to that.”
“Just tell me the truth.” Dillon narrowed his eyes. “Tell me everything that happened since I last heard from you in Koh Lanta. I’d only just arrived when I realised you were already gone. Were you trapped? Are you mad at me? Are you alright? Just...tell me you’ve been safe for the past eight weeks, and I’ll drop it.”
“Sorry for making you worryagain.” I fell into familiar patterns, half-contrite, half-smug. “And I’m sorry for the hassle of the past ten years.”
He rolled his eyes with a groan. “You truly are driving me to drink, you know that, right?” He gave me one last search—his trained eye hunting out any injuries.
He wouldn’t find any (thanks to Lucien’s blood). He didn’t need to know about Cinderkeep (not yet, anyway). And...God,I wanted him to be on my side.
“Looks like you’re still in one piece. Nice dress by the way—way better than those scruffy shorts you usually travel in.” He yawned and slouched with a great sigh, releasing the past two months of hunting me. “Okay, I’ll stop fretting. However...you can expect an expensive therapist bill next time you go MIA.”
My heart warmed. His eyes softened.
Seemed I wasn’t the only one affected by the years between us.
Glancing around the room, his gaze lit up as he spied a row of earthen jars on a sideboard by the library.
Pushing off the chair with a heavy groan, he clomped in black boots to the side table, snagged a jar, uncorked the wooden stopper, sniffed it, and took a long swig.
Lucien turned fiery beneath me, but I merely shook my head.
No matter what secrets Dillon had, I technicallydidowe him a drink.
Many in fact.
Bringing his pilfered beverage back to join us, Dillon sat in an exhausted sprawl and cheers-ed me with the bottle. “To you, Elara freaking Snowflake.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a pain in my ass.”
“I’ma pain in the ass?” He snorted, taking another mouthful. “I haven’t slept in weeks, thanks to you.” Grumbling under his breath, he added, “If only I’d known what I was getting into being your personal security. I would’ve—”
“Locked her in a cage and thrown away the key?” Lucien cut in, his own experience tempering his words.
Dillon froze. “Excuse me?”
“Would’ve made your life a hell of a lot easier, rather than chasing after something sospecial, huh?”
