“Growl all you want, pup, but he’s mine right now.”
“I didn’t growl,” came a different voice from the other side of the bed. Lake exited the small connecting washroom, shirtless and with the ends of his silver hair damp. He paused when seeing Oreo. “Oh. You weren’t speaking to me.”
“Aww.” Rowan lifted his head and smirked at Lake. “You jealous?”
“No.” Lake’s wolf ears twitched. He strode over to the wardrobe and withdrew a dark green tunic. “You’re allowed to call him ‘pup.’ He is one, after all.”
Oreo looked at Lake, one of his ears flopping in that cute way. He returned his gaze to Rowan and growled again.
“Save those growls for the captain,” Rowan said before petting him. “We’re on the same side here.”
Given that the puppy didn’t bite him or pull away, I suspected he loved the attention and being doted on. Once he’d had enough pets, Oreo licked my cheek, jumped off the bed, and padded over to the window bench. The tip of his tongue jutted from the side of his mouth as he peered outside.
My heart warmed. He looked happy.
“Morning, love.” Briar entered the room holding a small tray that had a wooden bowl on one side and a steaming cup on the other. “How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad.” I shifted up higher in bed, feeling only a slight tightness in my chest. “But I’m going to feel even better if that cup has in it what I think it does.”
I’d know the smell of coffee anywhere.
Smiling, he placed the tray on the nightstand and sat beside me. “First, let me have a look at you.” He touched the area between my collar bones, then glided his fingers lower, his brows pulling together with a deep frown. “Just as I feared. Inflammation. You need your medicine, but this will have to do for now.”
A glowing warmth seeped from his palm. He asked me to take a deep breath, and I did, then I took another. No crackly breaths. My lungs seemed to be back in working order. He nodded to himself, and his concerned expression alleviated, if only a little.
“Will he be all right?” Lake asked. He had fastened his tunic and was sitting at the table near the hearth tying his boots.
“For now,” Briar responded before handing me the cup from the tray. “Careful, love. It’s hot. Fane placed a fire rune to ensure it wouldn’t cool before I delivered it to you.”
Eager to get a fix after so many days of withdrawal, I took a drink and groaned as the strong brew hit my tongue. He’d added the perfect amount of milk and sugar.
“Oh, coffee.” I pressed the cup to my cheek. “How I’ve missed you.”
Briar’s nose crinkled with a smile. With his tousled brown hair, it gave him a boyishness he normally lacked. Made him seem younger. More carefree. “I made you porridge as well.”
“Gimme.” I wiggled beneath the sheet. “I love when you cook for me.”
“Perhaps I can make fig bread for you again soon.” He handed me the bowl, visibly pleased when I wasted no time before shoving a spoonful into my mouth. “Fane was preparing lunch when I went down to make your meal and offered to let me use the stone oven when I wanted.”
“Don’t tease me,” I said after swallowing a big bite of porridge. “I’d kill for your fig bread.” Then his words registered. “Wait. Lunch? What time is it?”
“Nearly midday.” Briar lightly swept his fingers through the top of my hair. “Your body clearly needed the rest. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”
Not hard enough, I’d argue. I missed waking up early and preparing for a day at the café. I missed cooking with Miles asPeter and Alice fluttered in and out delivering orders to hungry customers.
Rowan hadn’t moved from his place beside me in bed and stole a bite of my porridge. A good distraction from that building sadness. I grinned and spoon-fed him a second bite. He wore no shirt, and the sight of his bronze skin and lightly toned muscles against the sheets fed me better than food ever could.
I sipped more coffee and rested against the headboard, expecting Maddox and Callum to come in any moment. A handful of minutes passed with no signs of them, not even the sound of Quincy’s voice echoing from down the hall.
“Where’d the knights go?” I asked. “Don’t tell me they’re sneaking around the castle trying to find an escape route.”
Lake smiled at me, no doubt remembering our own little escape mission. It had ended with Fane catching us and sending us right back to our room.
“About that…” Briar softly cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses—an action that instantly triggered my internal alert system that something was afoot. It was a tell for him. A nervous tic. “Maddox and Callum requested an audience with Lord Onyx. Duke and the others accompanied them. They’re meeting with him as we speak.”
“What?” I threw the blanket off me and rushed out of bed, hunting for a clean pair of pants. Any pants, really. I was in my underwear. “Meeting with him? Why?”
“No need to panic, love. I’m sure all is well.” Briar’s expression didn’t convince me.
