“Sssssss,” Connell hisses for dramatic effect, baring his teeth as all the boys laugh.
“I peered into the dark trees, and then I saw it—” Jett continues dramatically, his hands curving into an undulating shape above the table. “An enormous serpent, at least twenty feet long!”
“Twenty?” Connell scoffs. “The tail alone was thirty.” He spreads his arms wide apart, and Kai’s sons gasp.
“Thirty feet, then,” Jett agrees. “And it was hideous.”
“Enormous teeth the length of your entire body,” Connell adds.
Jett nods, eyes widening. “And it was headed straight for me.”
Kai’s youngest son leans forward, nearly toppling his bowl. “What did you do?”
“Well...” Jett sinks lower in his seat, his voice dropping. “My feet were sunk in mud up to my knees. Couldn’t move.” He demonstrates by gripping the edge of the table, muscles straining as if trying to pull himself free. “The beast reared up, fangs dripping with venom. I let it get close enough that I could smell its rotten breath, then?—”
Connell leaps to his feet, miming a wild dash through imaginary undergrowth. “I came charging through the reeds!” He grabs a wooden spoon, thrusting it dramatically. “Drove my dagger straight into that beast’s tail!”
Kai’s son’s eyes widen, mouth hanging open. “You weren’t stuck in the swamp too?”
Connell snorts, brushing imaginary dirt from his shoulders. “Me? Stuck? I would never. I was about to make my great escape. But then this one here—” he jerks a thumb toward Jett, “—had to go and nearly get himself eaten. Gentleman that I am, I couldn’t let him get swallowed. That’s the worst way to go, being swallowed. Trust me, I’ve tried them all.”
“You’ve... died before?” The boy’s voice drops to a reverent whisper.
Connell leans in, eyes twinkling. “Oh, dozens of times.”
Laughter erupts around the fire, the wolves’ suspicion momentarily forgotten. They clearly think that Connell is joking.Fox, Jett and I exchange quick glances, silently agreeing not to correct them.
There’s no need to explain that Connell has actually died countless times before and reignite the wolves’ fear of magic, especially now that the tension has finally thinned. Many of the wolves seem relaxed, as Jett and Connell work their charm. Only Viktor remains unmoved, his deadly stare burning into the side of my head.
I turn, doing my best to ignore Viktor, and settle more comfortably on Fox’s lap.
He’s been noticeably more quiet today since Jett and Connell arrived; more like he usually was back home.
“Are you alright?” I ask Fox, under cover of another loud story from Jett and Connell.
He blinks down at me. “Why?”
“I don’t know, you just seem quiet.”
He snorts, as if to say:“I’m always quiet.”
I narrow my eyes—actually, he’s not especially quiet anymore. At least, not when it’s just the two of us.
“Just thinking about later,” he says vaguely.
His hand finds my thigh, thumb tracing absent patterns against the fabric of my leggings. The touch sends a pleasant chill up my spine, and I can’t help but smile. For a moment, I can almost pretend this isn’t just for show—that we’re simply a couple among friends, his casual touch a genuine gesture rather than a necessary performance.
Is this what is would be like? Or, could be, if we wanted the same things?
I wish I understood exactly what Fox wants. Before, I thought I understood clearly that he was only interested in the physical side of our relationship, but then there are moments I think maybe that’s not all there is to it. If this is really all for showthen he’s putting on the best performance I’ve ever seen, but he doesn’t seem like he would be a very good actor.
A raw, guttural sound slices through the night air, cutting my daydream in half. My spine stiffens against Fox’s chest before my mind even registers what I’ve heard.
I glance around, surprised, and clearly I’m not the only one who heard it because the soldiers have stiffened too.
There’s another groan—almost a scream this time—and it sounds like it’s growing louder.
A few wolves stand up, including Fox, who gently nudges me off his lap so he can get to his feet.
