“It was pressing this morning,” Cyrus chimed in. “Perhaps you should do it now.”
The muscles along Sorin’s jaw tightened, and I suspected he was trying to think of a valid reason to stay, but Cyrus and Altair wanted him gone, and I needed them to continue thinking I was on their side so they’d speak freely. I set my drink on the side table and grabbed Rynn by the waist, tugging her down to sit on my lap.
She hadn’t been expecting the move, and before she could retaliate, I had my arms wrapped around her middle in what looked like a hug but was really just me pinning her arms against her sides. I brushed a kiss against her neck, and she went absolutely still—definitely plotting my murder—and I met Sorin’s thousand-yard stare. “I’ve got her.”
Ivan snorted, but Sorin’s gaze never strayed from mine. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Probably so he could hold me down while Rynn kicked me.
“Sure.” I gave him a lazy smile before settling farther back in the seat. Rynn tried to slide off but went still when I tightened my grip. “So,” I drawled, looking away from Sorin to Altair, “why don’t you catch me up on how things have been?”
Chapter Eleven
Bastian
Nobody has faster reflexes than a feline shifter, which was why I was moving the second I entered the quarters Rynn and I were sharing that evening. Getting my family jewels kicked in again was not something I wanted to experience tonight. Or ever again really.
Just as I got to the other side of the room, Rynn’s arm snapped forward and something silver flew through the air. A knife sunk into the wall to my left, missing me by almost a foot.
“Guess Samara never taught you how to throw daggers, eh?” I smirked at where Rynn still stood by the door.
Rynn narrowed her mismatched eyes at me and took a step forward.
I held up a single finger and then pointed to the silencing glyph on the wall. After glowering at me for a few more seconds, she turned and snatched an emerald gem off a small table and slapped it into the glyph. Immediately, the gem let off a faint glow as the spell activated.
Then she turned back around to face me with her arms crossed. “What the fuck was all that about? You’ve never acted like that towards me before.”
“Apologies for my overall behavior and the whole making you sit on my lap thing.”
I walked over to the wall and plucked the knife out. It was from the dinner table. I hadn’t even seen her hide it. She might be shit at covering her emotions and lying, but apparently, our little princess was good at stealing.
Good to know. I tossed the knife on top of the dresser
“And all the kissing,” she growled. Actually growled. It was adorable.
“Kissing?” I turned to look back at her and arched a brow. “All I did was brush my lips across your neck and cheek a few times. If I ever kissed you, Princess, you would enjoy it and beg for more. With much enthusiasm.”
Rynn’s arms fell to the side as she gaped at me before her fingers curled into fists. “As I’ve told you before, I wouldn’t kiss you if you were the last person in all of Lunaria, you arrogant fu—” Rynn’s words cut off as her nostrils flared and her gaze snapped to the door. With the silencing spell, nobody could hear us and we couldn’t hear them either, but scents made it through just fine. I caught Sorin’s scent a couple of seconds after she did.
“Great,” she muttered and moved closer to the door, yanking it open.
Sorin blinked at his sister. “Ry?—”
She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in. Sorin stumbled but caught himself as Rynn slammed the door closed, and then both siblings glowered at me.
“You know, for twins, you two look nothing alike.” I cocked my head and studied them. Sorin’s hair was golden blond, reminding me more of Ivan than Rynn. It was only upon closer inspection that I could pick up the resemblance. Same narrow nose and high, sculpted cheekbones. Sorin’s deep brown eyes were the same shade as Rynn’s left eye. It was just his broader build and fair hair that threw me off at first.
“We’ve heard,” they both said at the same time.
Rynn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why are you here, Sorin? Father won’t like it and you know it.”
“Why?” I cut in. “What’s wrong with a brother checking in with his twin sister, who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in almost a year?”
Sorin glanced at Rynn, some silent conversation clearly happening between them. Annoyance drummed through me. I didn’t like being left out.
“Does it have anything to do with how Rynn seems to be viewed as an outsider of your pack?” Both siblings went perfectly still and slowly turned their gazes to me. I gave them a close-lipped smile. “When we rode into town, almost everyone addressed me, not Rynn, and during dinner, it was the same. People were polite to her only if they had to interact; otherwise, she was ignored.
“I told you,” Rynn said cooly, “sacrifices had to be made in order for me to join your precious Alpha pack. You assholes might have officially exiled me from the Narchis Order, but trust me, I’d been an exile in spirit for far longer than that.”
