I brought a hand to my mouth, nodding and staring at his full smile.
When I finally found my voice again, I whispered, “I know how to fight. And it seems I’m not alone.”
“A night and a day.” Confidence threaded through Aspen’s tone.
Hadrian’s bony head wedged between us, a large tissue box in his maw.
I laughed, taking one to dab my eyes. “Where did he come from?”
“I don’t really know. He just appeared. I’ve been trying to read up on Soulhounds to understand him better.”
Appeared where exactly?I was about to ask, then decided I was more curious about another question.
“How do you communicate?” I’d always been curious to ask Ronen.
“We can talk to each other, mind-to-mind.” Aspen sounded awkward, as if still trying to come to terms with it himself.
“Really? Is that normal?”
Was that how Rune and Ronen did it?
“Yes and no. Their age determines it and how long they’ve been searching for a soul-bind, or so I’ve read. Hadrian’s been searching for hundreds of years. He’s old.”
Aspen frowned down at him.
Hadrian unceremoniously dropped the tissue box and walked into the sitting area.
“Did you offend him?”
“The only thing that has ever offended him is—was my state of mind.” Aspen sighed. “He hears someone coming.”
I turned toward the door just as someone yelped.
“Fuck-a-duck!”
We walked out of the bedroom, finding Oliver with his hands raised and irises glowing green.
“There’s a Hellhound in our room! Quick, Lucy, incinerate it!”
Hadrian growled.
“Oliver, it’s Aspen’s Soulhound. Calm down.”
“Why is it skeletal then?” he asked, still standing in the doorway.
“He receives his body and fur once we’re officially bonded,” Aspen explained.
Oliver looked between the three of us, lingering on Hadrian, then crossed his arms.
“If he thinks he’s sharing a bed with us, he’s got another thing coming.”
Hadrian lunged forward, chomping his teeth.
Oliver stumbled back.
“He doesn’t agree,” Aspen said.
“I gathered.” Oliver pointed at Hadrian. “Keep your paws off my back, or we’re going to have issues.”
