“What about you two?” she asked Kai and Alaric. I tensed, expecting some sarcastic retort from Alaric about needing his own luxurious room, but none came.
“We’ll take a twin room if you have one, thanks.”
Maverick asked about food while the witch assigned our rooms and cooed at Kenji, who was busy pretending to be a cute little arctic fox instead of a snarky kitsune.
It turned out the inn didn’t offer food apart from breakfast, but she recommended a bar at the other end of the main street that served ribs and other simple dishes. I wasn’t a huge fan of ribs, but I’d happily eat a bowl of cheesy fries if they had any. Pizza too. Oh, and ice cream.
“I’d kill a dragon for some ribs,” Kenji informed me. “Your mate better feed me.”
Maverick took our key, thanked the witch, and then we followed a narrow staircase lined with a plush carpet up to our room.
I gasped when the door opened and I saw the huge four-poster bed covered in soft pink blankets and pillows in various shades of plum and green. A tall window overlooked the forest to the north, and the attached bathroom had a shower large enough for Maverick, plus a lovely tub, which I planned to use before we checked out in the morning.
Pretty paintings hung on the walls, while in the corner I spotted a bookcase stuffed full of paperback novels. Someone had stacked the fireplace with kindling and logs. When hefelt me shiver, Maverick rushed over and struck a match. The kindling caught instantly, and soon, flames warmed the room.
Zane kicked his boots off and threw himself on the bed with a grin. “Come join me, pet,” he purred in his most seductive voice while patting the spot next to him.
“My mate needs to eat, incubus. Behave!”
“I am hungry,” I admitted as my stomach let out an awful, pained growl.
The incubus pouted in disappointment. “I guess I can wait an hour. In a small town like this, there’s bound to be a few angry polar bear shifters. Not a fan of rage, but I can recharge from it.”
“Stay out of fucking trouble, incubus. We can’t afford to attract attention.”
“Care bear,” Zane gasped in mock shock. “I always stay out of trouble!”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “If you end up eaten by a polar bear shifter, don’t expect me to come to your rescue.”
“Don’t worry, my cute little care bear. I am more than capable of taking care of my own sexy butt.”
Kenji trotted over to the fireplace and fluffed up his fur in the heat. His coat had darkened since the night of the demon attack. I still wasn’t sure what he’d meant by ‘leveling up,’ but assumed he’d gained additional powers from magic-sharing with me.
At least I hoped so. Given I didn’t know what challenges lay ahead, I’d take any advantage I could get.
I yawned as I stood in the bathroom brushing my teeth. My belly was full after eating a surprisingly good meal at the nearby bar. The place had been busy, but we found a table near the back and ordered food without attracting too much attention.
Most of the other patrons looked human. At least I saw no obvious signs of magical heritage, such as extra-large stature or unusual skin colors.
The server asked a few polite questions about where we’d come from, brought us our food and drinks, and then left us alone.
I’d shoveled my food down while passing Kenji a plate of ribs, which he’d demolished in record time before demanding beer.
Since I had no clue how old he was (he refused to tell me), I put my foot down about the beer, which he was still bitching about.
I could hear Maverick and Zane talking in low voices in the bedroom but didn’t bother listening. That they weren’t arguing was a plus. Alaric had disappeared to his and Kai’s room when we came back here, while Kai went to find some water to swim in.
I’d expressed concern that he might freeze to death, but Zane reassured me merpeople were immune to cold water temperatures.
My reflection stared back at me as I finished braiding my hair. The amulet hung heavy between my breasts. Each time I moved, the hairline crack in the gem caught my eye.
I’d meant to ask Alaric if he knew of anyone with earth magic who could fix it, but he’d avoided being near me since we set off. In the bar, he chose the seat farthest away from me and made no effort to join in the conversation.
Not that there was much conversation. Maverick was too busy eating his bodyweight in ribs while Zane disappeared after eating a steak. I assumed he’d gone to top up his magic but didn’t ask. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know if he spent his time inciting lewd behavior in the bathrooms.
While I’d read up on how incubi fed, I didn’t need a practical demonstration.
“Hurry, pet. It’s getting late.” Zane’s voice filtered through the bathroom door, and I sighed. I’d delayed the inevitable long enough. It surprised me that Maverick had agreed to let Zane share our room, but because the incubus had shared our bed last night, he could hardly say no.
