“You do that in my dreams already,” she pointed out even while her cheeks blossomed into a beautiful shade of pink. “Nothing new there.”
“Mmm.” I drew my nose across her pretty flush until my lips hovered a scant breath away from hers. “Who said anything about dreams?” I pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth—the only place I’d allowed myself to truly kiss her outside of her mind. “I’m in your room, Aflora. Right now. Right here. None of this is a dream, and I will absolutely tease you with my tongue on that freshly made bed. Just say the word, pixie flower.”
She shivered, her arousal scenting the air in a sultry aroma I longed to taste.
But I wanted to prove myself first.
And for that, I needed Clove.
With a lingering kiss to the same place as before, I released her, grabbed her hand, and tugged her into the hallway without another word.
If we stayed in her room for a second longer, I’d forget all about my task and make undressing Aflora my sole priority. Butshe wasn’t ready yet, and I refused to push her more than I already had.
“You still have your wand, right?” I asked her.
She waved it in response, her knuckles white from clasping the end of it so harshly.
I smirked, understanding why. She’d been teased all week and desired a climax, one I would give her if things went well later.
Clove hadn’t moved from her perch on the recliner, her feathers smoothed back and her eyes alert. She watched me with a similar wariness to her master’s, confirming everything I already knew about Aflora’s confidence in me.
“Raph isn’t here,” I assured both of them. “Last I saw him, he was sleeping in my closet on a bed of shirts he’d taken off the racks.” He was a dick like that and enjoyed creating nests out of my clean clothes.
Clove bristled at our approach, her dark eyes narrowing at me.
I let go of Aflora’s hand and stepped away from her slowly before holding out my palm for the falcon to sniff. She didn’t budge, her displeasure evident.
“You’re going to have to get used to me,” I murmured. “I’m one of Aflora’s mates.”
This didn’t seem to placate Aflora’s familiar. If anything, she appeared even more anxious.
I tried for a different tactic and kneeled before her, making myself appear inferior, then held out my palm again. “I’m sorry for our first introduction. I promise not to harm you again.”
If Kols saw me right now, apologizing to a bird, he’d lose his shit. But this wasn’t about the falcon. It was about Aflora.
I had hurt her.
For us to move forward, she needed to see that I knew how to apologize properly. Which required me to get this falcon to essentially forgive me.
Clove tilted her head slightly, her intelligent gaze on my hand.
She shifted forward and snagged my fingers with her beak, biting down hard enough to warn without breaking the skin.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t even flinch.
Instead, I continued to stare at her. “If you need to exact blood, then fine. I’ll give it.” Mostly because one taste would tell her who I was to her master and she’d immediately release me.
“Don’t,” Aflora said, talking to Clove. “Zeph is… a friend.”
Just a friend?I nearly asked her, amused. But I kept quiet, allowing her to run the show. It was what the situation necessitated.
Clove slowly released my hand, her gaze flicking affectionately to Aflora.
“Yeah, I like her, too,” I admitted softly.
The falcon let out a gentle caw that I interpreted to mean she approved, so I slowly reached out to touch one of her plumes. She didn’t react or try to bite me again, which was a good sign. She even leaned into my touch a little, allowing me to win her over with a few gentle strokes down her wings.
