Page 66 of Maleen

“Can you two knock it off,” Aemon growls. Oops, it seems we have awoken the dragon.

I laugh, quickly reaching back over Talyn and yanking Ravina over to me, her giggles ringing through the room. “She’s mine today,” I tell them, holding our mate possessively against me as I stride butt naked across the room to the closet.

I place her on a dresser and kiss her nose. “We better get ready. I want to get this conversation over with so I can spend the rest of the day spoiling you. The others have squirreled you away.” I pout.

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” Then her face falls. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I may have been neglecting you. I will do better.”

“You will do no such thing. There’s four of us, and if we can’t figure out a way to share you, then that is our problem to worry about. I didn’t mean to make you think otherwise. Plus, Tal and Kill really did need you. I haven’t seen them so relaxed in… Well, I actually don’t remember, it’s been so long.”

My second favorite smile graces her lips, the happy and content one, and it makes my stomach flutter.

“Well, if you’re sure…”

“Positive! Now, what does this male have to do to see you in one of these fancy dresses?” I eye a black lacey gown that has hints of red underneath, reminding me of blood, and I think it will look gorgeous against her pale skin, especially once I have her flushed after making her come on my tongue.

“No dresses,” she growls. “What if I need to defend myself? Nope, not until after the war is done, and even then it will take a lot of convincing.”

“Still not a fan of dresses are we?” I smirk “Well, I suppose I will just have to entice you into them.” As much as I want her in a dress for my own personal desire, I do agree—fighting in a dress would be… difficult.

She glowers at me as she grabs some leathers, wrapping herself up for me to unwrap like a present later.

“Come on. Let’s go find your brother.” She tosses my clothing at me.

My cock goes semi-flaccid. “Fine.” I will just have to find a room to devour her in later, as a reward for me conceding to my mother’s wishes to repair things with Evander.

HER HAND SQUEEZES mine every time my thoughts wander to the frustrations with my younger brother. We still haven’t found him, and I’m starting to think that this is a lost cause and to try a different day—or never.

Ravina grips her stomach and a wave of discomfort travels through the bond.

“Are you okay?” I stop and turn her towards me, my brows creasing as I check her over.

She nods. “Just a cramp. It usually happens around my cycle, but it’s still a few months early. So it’s probably just something I ate.”

I frown. “Are you sure it doesn’t have anything to do with this frenzy?” I ask, the gears turning now. Do I need to hide her away in our room? I carefully scent the air around her—nope, still smells like my Rav.

She tilts her head in consideration. “I’m not sure. It’s probably fine though. Come on, we haven’t checked the stables yet.” She grabs my hand and pulls me along, causing Nero to jostle and take flight above us instead.

As we arrive at the stables, Rav slows and I sense a flurry of emotions fly through her, too quick for me to decipher.

Before I can ask, she whispers. “This was the last building I was in before I was forced to flee.”

I pull her into me. “I can run in and take a peek and see if he’s in there, if you don’t want to go.”

She shakes her head, her chest rising against me as she steadies herself. “No, I can do this.”

We walk inside, our boots thudding softly against the cobbled, straw-covered floor. The smell of manure is stronger here, but it brings back memories of playing hide and seek here as a fledgling. I know everywhere you could hide in this building.

Rav huffs out a breath. “No one is here.”

The horses are quiet as we walk past, deeper into the stable. “No, someone is definitely in here,” I murmur to her quietly.

Nero soars past us, landing on one of the rafters looking away from us toward a storage cupboard where they used to keep all the tack for the horses—who knows what’s in there now.

“Not doing a good job of hiding, either. I hear shuffling coming from in there,” Nero says to both of us, tilting his head in their direction like he is trying to hear more.

I place my finger to my lips and wink at my mate before tiptoeing toward the closet. Carefully I place my ear against the dark oak door, listening.

“Do you hear anything?” Ravina asks anxiously.