"Is there?"
"When I shadow you, you don't know I'm there." His thumb traced my lower lip, his gaze darkening. "When I accompany you, everyone else knows you're mine."
Something warm and fierce bloomed in my chest. "Possessive bastard."
"Always." He kissed me—softer than before, but no less claiming. "Now let's bathe before I decide my cock needs to be inside you again and we never leave this room."
The bathing chamber connected to Hakan's quarters was one of my favorite places in the academy. Steam rose from the sunken pool, carrying the scent of cedar and something darker—shadow-kissed minerals from the deep springs that fed the light realm's waters. I meant for the bath to be quick, practical.
Hakan had other ideas.
He took me against the tiled wall, my legs wrapped around his waist, the water sloshing around us as he drove into me with relentless force. He made me forget about everything when he was close and I had trouble refusing him. I never wanted to. The tiles were cold against my back, a sharp contrast to the heat of his body, and I clung to his shoulders while he fucked me through another shattering orgasm.
"Insatiable," I gasped.
"You love it."
I did. Gods help me, I did.
By the time we finally dressed and made ourselves presentable, the sun had risen fully and the palace corridors were bustling with activity. Hakan's hand rested on the small of my back as we walked—a subtle claim that nonetheless made servants lower their eyes and courtiers step aside.
We'd barely made it past the first junction when a familiar voice rang out behind us.
"Well, well. The dead rise at last."
I turned to find Sarp leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and long-suffering exhaustion. His dark hair was artfully dishevelled, his smile easy and deliberate. He knew exactly how much trouble he was about to cause.
"Sarp." Hakan's tone held a warning.
"Hakan. Ada." Sarp pushed off the pillar, falling into step beside us with the casual grace of a predator who'd decided not to hunt. "I was beginning to think you'd both died in there. Should I have sent a search party? Perhaps some provisions? A healer to check for chafing?"
My cheeks flamed, but I couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "We were busy."
"Oh, I'm aware. The entire eastern wing is aware. I believe Lord Cevdet is considering a petition to relocate his chambers to the opposite side of the palace." Sarp's grin widened. "Something about 'unholy noises' and 'the sanctity of morning prayers being disturbed by what sounded like a demon being exorcised.'"
"Fuck off, Sarp," Hakan said, but there was no real heat in it.
"Charming as always." Sarp dodged the halfhearted swipe Hakan aimed at his head. "Where are you two lovebirds headed? Please tell me it's somewhere public so I can watch everyone pretend they didn't hear Ada screaming your name loudly enough to wake the ancestors."
"I'm going to see my father," I said. "Hakan is?—"
"Accompanying her." Hakan's hand pressed more firmly against my back. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Everything is my business. It's my most charming quality." Sarp fell into step on my other side, completely unbothered by Hakan's glare.
A low growl came from somewhere near my ankles. Sarp looked down and blinked.
Melo sat directly in his path, turquoise eyes blazing, her body a small russet barricade between Sarp and me. She'd been trailing us since we left my chambers — silent, watchful, refusing to let me out of her sight since the night everything changed.
"Oh, hello." Sarp crouched to her level, the way he'd done at the festival months ago. "Still judging, I see. Still got opinions about?—"
"If you value that hand," Melo said, "you'll stop reaching for me."
Sarp froze. His eyes went very wide. He looked at me. He looked at Hakan. He looked back at the fox.
"She—" He pointed. "The fox just?—"
"Talked, yes." Hakan kept walking. "You get used to it."
