Or be attacked by a wolf shifter!
“Come on, let’s ask Zane to teleport us to the pool. It’ll be easier than trudging through the snow.”
Zane jumped up from the sofa and pulled me into his arms the minute I came downstairs. Maverick still hadn’t returned, which was a concern, but Rasmus had made some eggs and toast for me.
“I’ll eat when I get back,” I told Rasmus, feeling a touch guilty that he’d gone to the trouble of making me breakfast when I planned to leave immediately. “Can you take us to the pool?” I asked my incubus. “Kai needs to swim.”
Kai stood awkwardly by the door, refusing to look at anyone. He’d pulled on some shorts but wore nothing else. If I looked closely, I could see every one of his ribs.
“Am I your Uber now, pet?” Zane’s smirk said my request didn’t bother him, but Kai flushed with embarrassment.
“It’s fine. I can walk.”
“No, you need to take it easy.” Kai jerked back, surprised by my sharp tone, but didn’t argue.
“Ooh, I like this bossy side of you, my pet. We should explore it further later.”
I squinted at Zane, confused about where this was going. “Explore it?”
“He means he wants you to tie him up and shit,”Kenji explained with a yawn from his spot by Rasmus’s feet. My vampire reached down and fed him a slice of cooked bacon.
“Oh my goddess.” I flushed bright red.
“Trust me, I’ll enjoy it,” Zane purred in my ear. Then he swatted my ass and pushed me toward Kai. “Hold on!”
I shut my eyes as the world lurched away.
23
Kai
I’d lied when I told Raven I was fine. Every part of me ached, and the moment I closed my eyes, flashbacks flooded my mind.
Of the sea witch forcing me to swallow vile potions.
The unrelenting agony in my chest as my rib cage threatened to cleave apart.
The sensation of the tether tearing.
My mother’s sneering face as she stared down at my broken body.
One thing I hadn’t lied about was that I could never go home again. Even if I wanted to, I doubted my mother would let me pass through the city gates.
Not my mother, I reminded myself.The queen.
She’d never been my mother.
No mother would subject her flesh and blood to such torture.
The familiar scent of brine filled my nose as I pushed open the door to the indoor pool. I detected no signs of other magicals, which was arelief. If a bunch of wolf shifters chose now to attack me, they would win the fight.
I was weak as a kitten.
My mate trotted after me, the sour scent of nervousness clinging to her. That she’d traveled down to the mer kingdom, despite her instinctual fear of the water, meant everything to me.
What had I done to deserve such a brave, selfless mate? A mate who would burn the world down for me. Risk the wrath of my mother, a fearsome queen.
I didn’t deserve her.
