Even though everything I needed was right here. Draped on top of me like a second skin.
“You didn’t get the hook.”
He rubbed his chin back and forth against my chest in a slow shake. Though I didn’t understand why his lips curved, his eyes heating even more. “You said I didn’t get it until Shara joined us.”
True. I already came—but if she touched me, I’d be rock hard again. Hell, who was I kidding? Just thinking about our queen joining us on the bed made my dick stir again.
“I don’t love you because of the hook. You know that, right?”
My eyes flared, my mouth falling open before I could hide my surprise. I twisted my face into a vicious scowl. “Why the fuck would you love me? My winning personality?”
“How’d you know?” He squirmed higher on my body, his full lips soft against mine. “I’ve always been a sucker for a grouch.”
“Rik isn’t a grouch.” I wished I could take the words back as soon as they escaped my mouth. Daire loved our alpha more than me. I knew that. Everybody knew that. I didn’t need to dwell on it.
He traced the grim lines around my mouth with the tip of his finger. “I’m sorry I ever made you feel less than him. I didn’t know how much you cared about me, but that’s not an excuse. I shouldn’t have left you in Skye Tower. I shouldn’t have turned my back on you. Ever.”
“I forgave that shit ages ago.”
“Good.” He rubbed his luscious lips against mine, playfully sucking on my bottom lip until I seized his face and pulled him in for a thorough, deep kiss. My tongue in his mouth, as aggressive as my dick earlier.
I’d inhale him if I could. Keep him in my pocket. A locket over my heart.
Fucking hell, I’m really turning into a sap.
“Seeing you both like that does my heart good,” Shara said.
I couldn’t resist a quick, guilty jump, tearing my mouth from his. My gaze flickered toward her voice. I hadn’t heard thebathroom door open, let alone whatever commotion the dragon had caused. Probably because of my own desperate volume.
Which made my face hot as hell and probably beet red too.
We should probably get up. Stand at attention or some shit. The knight would probably bow, but I wasn’t good at bowing and scraping. Besides, Daire was heavy and warm on top of me, and I couldn’t quite get my last two brain cells to cooperate enough to move more than my head.
Our queen slipped up beside us, crawling under my arm to curl against my side, her head on my shoulder. Her other arm came around Daire, who of course purred even louder, a thunderous steady rhythm that started to knock me the fuck out.
“Do you need to feed?” I managed to mumble, though my words were slurred.
She raised up enough to press a gentle kiss to my cheek. “I already did.”
A deep rumbly groan rattled my chest, all the protest I could muster. She needed. She hungered. We all felt it earlier. Rik would have me skinned into a bear rug in front of the fireplace?—
“Go to sleep, my bear. All is well.”
Daire’s steady purr carried us away, and I knew no more.
21
SHARA
Ilay surrounded in love. Rik and Mehen joined us in the bed for a snooze. Well, Rik probably didn’t nap. I don’t think my alpha ever slept, not really. He even let Mehen have his normal spot at my back, and Rik lay on Ezra’s other side. Maybe that’s why I didn’t fully sink into sleep, and why I heard Xin’s report.
:I tracked the humans to a vehicle parked approximately three miles down the highway. They cut directly across the woods to the hill overlooking the nest. From the weight of their scent in the air, I’m guessing they were there for hours.:
:So they were watching,:Rik said grimly.:Waiting for us to return.:
:That’s my guess. They came straight here and returned quickly to their vehicle. No wandering on side trails like hikers might do. They didn’t get close enough for the security guards to see them.:
In the bond, I felt Xin running as his wolf, his nose tipped up into the air as he raced flat out, still following the faint scent trail in the air.
