I’d barely seen my friend lately and had been hoping we could hang out for a bit, so her leaving made me sad.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, forcing a smile. “Although I’d have appreciated a head’s up about this!”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but the guys made me promise not to say a word,” she said sheepishly.
“Ugh, I forgive you.” I clambered off Zane’s knee and hugged my bestie. “How long is a bondmoon exactly?” I feared for my poor pussy if it lasted for weeks. As much as I loved my mates, it would be me asking Zane for anti-chafing potions before long.
“Three days.” Glynda winked. “Have fun!” She moved away from me and dropped the potion. A small portal opened behind her, giving me a glimpse of the witch dorm before she stepped through it and vanished.
“Right, pet, wait here while I gather the fun crew so we can start our bondmoon.”
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Did I have time to down a few more of these pink drinks? I sure hoped so, or my nerves might just get the better of me.
There was so much snow outside. Like, piles of the stuff.
“I was hoping for tropical sun,” I admitted, while trying not to sound ungrateful.
“I’m sorry, little mate. The incubus said he couldn’t teleport us that far, and since Miss Windborne has only given us three days, we didn’t have time to travel via more conventional means.”
“This cabin is luxurious by most standards,” grumbled Alaric. “My father paid serious cash for it.”
“It’s lovely. Super luxurious,” I said to placate him because none of us needed a storm on top of endless snow. Besides, Alaric was right—the cabinwaslovely.
Thick rugs covered polished hardwood floors, and the furniture was all beautifully crafted from teak and rosewood. I hadn’t seen the bedrooms yet, but the kitchen looked like it contained every appliance we could possibly need, and better still, the refrigerator was well-stocked.
“Will Fig be alright with your father?” I asked Maverick. Dad had taken Daisy after Zane had advised him that having a pet made a male more attractive on dating apps. Something about emotional availability. I’m not sure hellhounds counted as cute pets, but whatever.
“Fig will be fine, little mate. My dad will benefit from the distraction.”
“The only thing you need to worry about for the next three days is relaxing, darling,” Rasmus assured me. Kai dropped his bag in the doorway and nodded.
“Is there anywhere for Kai to swim?” I didn’t want my merman to suffer.
“Yeah. There’s a lake at the bottom of the hill. Can’t see it right now because of the snow, but it’s deep enough to swim in.”
“I’ll go check it out.” Before I could protest, Kai had slipped away into the night.
I yawned. The excitement of the surprise bonding ceremony, plus the multiple glasses of pink drink, had left me exhausted.
Never mind three days of kinky sex. I was more interested in sleeping.
“I’ll go run you a hot bath,” Maverick announced, taking charge as usual. “Zane, fetch more logs.”
“Why me? Let Captain Fangs do it!”
“It has to be you because you’re the one she’ll miss the least if you freeze to death,” Alaric said with a smirk.
Zane grabbed Alaric’s arm and they both disappeared. A few seconds later, Zane returned on his own, brushing snow off his shoulders.
“For fuck’s sake, where did you leave him?” Fur bristled down Maverick’s arms as his nails lengthened into claws, a sure sign he was about to hulk out. I yawned again and stumbled toward the staircase. Alaric could take care of himself. I’d vowed a week ago to stay out of my mates’ arguments.
“He’ll be back in a few hours,” Zane snickered. “Maybe.”
The bathroom on the first floor had a large soaker tub. I picked up one of the small pots of scented bath salts from a shelf and dumped it under the steaming hot water flowing from the faucet. The scents of lavender and passion berries soon filled the room, helping me to relax.
The dress Rasmus had conjured hit the floor before I climbed into the tub, letting the heat soak into my bones as wet snow slapped against the window.
It would have been nice to wake up tomorrow to sunshine and the sound of waves lapping a sandy shore, but all that really mattered was spending quality time with my mates.
