He could go fuck himself.
31
Raven
Kenji rolled around in the snow as we waited for Maverick to fetch our bags from the boat. The captain had agreed somewhat unwillingly to return in five days. Zane whispered something to him before he turned white and nodded his head vigorously. I assumed Zane was issuing some kind of threat, but I didn’t have the energy to yell at him for acting like a dick.
We didn’t need two dickheads in our crew.
Alaric filled the dickhead slot nicely.
Kai hovered on my right side, his hair beads jingling each time he moved his head to check out the people milling around the harbor. My merman had barely left my side since I woke from a restorative nap after the serpent-monster tried to drown me.
Part of me wanted to sulk that it took a near-death experience to make him like me, but mostly I was just grateful he’d saved my life.
Maverick continued to act like an overbearing shifter mate. He’d cuddled me for the rest of the night, refusing to let me go even when Zane joined us on the small cot.
The only one keeping his distance was Alaric. Not even the prospect of my untimely death was enough for him to be nice to me.
I watched as he rolled his eyes at a group of children throwing snowballs at each other.
“Fuck’s sake, what’s taking him so long?” he huffed when Maverick still hadn’t appeared. Then he dug his phone from his pocket, stared at the screen, and hurried away to take a call. I tried to listen to what he was saying, but my hearing wasn’t sensitive enough.
“Why’s the mage so horrible to me?” I asked Kenji, who’d finished playing in the snow. He’d been a snark-free zone all morning, which I appreciated.
“Ever think it might not be about you, witch? Not everything is,” came Kenji’s reply. This time, it was me rolling my eyes. Goddess save me, was it too much to ask to expect some sympathy from my familiar?
“Yes. If you want sympathy, ask the bear. For some strange reason he’s besotted with you.”
“The mage is an asshole, pet. Ignore him. We don’t need him.” Zane’s words in my head made me realize he’d heard my conversation with Kenji.
“Oh my goddess, can I please have some privacy in my own head?!”
“Try maintaining a decent mental shield, witch, like other half-competent witches.”
“No need, pet. I love listening to your endless internal monologue. It’s highly entertaining.”
“I don’t.”
Storm clouds brewed over our heads. When I glanced back at Alaric, his conversation had ended, and he was busy staring at the ocean, anger radiating from him in waves. The longer he glared at some unseen enemy, the darker the sky grew.
The kids playing nearby looked up anxiously and then scurried away toward the huddle of houses surrounding the harbor. Thunder rumbled, making me sigh.
Great.Someone had pissed off the mage, and now we’d have to deal with his angry storm. Like I wasn’t already tired, worried about the vampire, and not enjoying the prospect of a long hike.
“Hey, Alaric, do you think you can chill for a bit?” He spun on his heels and glared at me. I pointed up at the sky. “I’m guessing that’s you. If it is, please tone it down. I’m not in the mood for a storm. Not today.”
He clenched his jaw before stomping over. “Excuse me for being in a bad mood because I’m exhausted after puking for twelve straight hours, cold, and not exactly excited at the thought of hiking up a fucking mountain either!”
I blinked.
“Um, you didn’t have to come on this trip.”
“You’re right. I didn’t.” He stared at a patch of snow between us while I tried not to admire the way he filled out his winter jacket or the cut of his pants where they stretched over strong thighs.
“So why did you?” It occurred to me he’d not actually explained his presence. From the way he ground his teeth, I concluded it wasn’t because he loved my sparkling personality.
“Because your control of your magic is shit, and I figured if I wasn’t around to help you, someone would probably die.”
