Page 19 of Resurgent

“Can everyone please chill the fuck out?” Annalise shouts.

“Stop acting like an untrained junkyard dog. You and I both know he isn’t trying to attack me, so whatever that was, was excessive,” she chides Tyr loudly, her voice far steadier than her still wobbling body. Still, she removes one hand from the chair steadying her, reaching up to gently stroke his face—a bold move, bonded or not, when he's still so angry.

I can't help but grin as Tyr curls his tail in response to the scolding Annalise just gave him. But when his face nuzzles into her hand, I lose all control and snort out a laugh. It’s the wrong move. Tyr growls, and Annalise’s eyes snap up to meet mine.

“And you—” she barks, knife-hand aimed directly at me like a weapon she could actually wield, “What kind of dumbass move was that?”

“I—”

She raises her hand, cutting me off before I can say anything, and I can feel Kali’s amusement radiating from her like her chuffs are being blasted through a speaker.

“You are bonded, which is both shocking, and makes so much fucking sense.”

What the fuck?

“What does that mean?”

“Shh, I’m not done," she cuts me off again, her glare sharpening. "Instructor or not, you lost your turn to talk when you thought charging an already on-edge ALPHA dragon was a smart idea.”

Annalise’s body sways slightly, but before even Tyr can react, she rights herself, and I'd bet money it was done through spite alone.

“Not only would Tyr never hurt me, but he would happily kill anyone who tried to—which, based on what you told me yesterday, you already know. So please, Sir, tell me why you'd come barging into what little space you were only pretending to give us?”

Kali gives me a pointed look. “Based on the expectant look she’s giving you, I’d say you have permission to speak now. But, if you’re not going to, at least close your mouth. It’s not an attractive look on you.”

Only then do I realize my jaw’s hanging wide open.

“You…”

“Please don’t say something creepy about you watching her breathe," Kali interrupts, stopping me from saying exactly that.

“…forgot to take your medicine this morning.”

“I did?” she asks, scrunching her forehead as she tries to replay her morning.

“Yeah. Sasha left it in the fridge, and the bottle got pushed behind the pickle jar.”

Her eyebrows shoot up, the fight draining from her face in one slow motion.

“Ugh. You’ve got pickles?” she asks, voice full of longing.

“Looks like you owe—what was it you called him? The insufferable man-child?—a thank you for saving your ass,” Kali chuffs, abandoning me to flop down onto a sunny patch of dirt.

“We’re never telling him this conversation happened,” I mutter to Kali before answering Annalise. “Of course. A big jar of dill I opened the other day.”

“Opened, gagged, and threw two away so she wouldn’t think it was a new jar.”

“Shhhh. I know why I did what I did. Now, go take your cat nap you've been whining about all day and pretend the rest of us aren’t here.”

Annalise’s eyes widen, a small smile tugging at her lips—something I haven’t seen in far too long.

I offer my arm for her to grab onto, but I’m hit with a burst of smoke in the face right before Tyr takes a small step toward me—and conveniently toward the house so he doesn't get in trouble with Annalise. He extends his neck for her to hold onto as she takes unsteady steps across the clearing and up to my back door.

Tyr's eyes burn holes into me as I approach them, but without looking, she reaches back, her fingers brushing against his jaw once more. Whatever passes between them seems to dull his edge, and stupid as my dad would say I am, it's all I need to see before meeting his eye contact until I make it to where she waits for me at the threshold.

"He said he'll be right out here if she needs something," Kali passes along, as if that's any different than every other day.

"Oh, and he'll block all of your exits and set your house on fire if you hurt her," she adds, not even bothering to open her eyes.