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Blinking once, then twice, she had to shake her head before answering, “I don’t think I had just one…” Her hands turned busy as she gathered her empty plate and fork in her lap as if she were getting ready to stand. “There were so many; it would be impossible to play favorites. But there was this one series of books. Aunt Taiki read the first two to me, a chapter every night before bed. It was about a boy, who received a letter from a horde of owls and then this bearded giant, telling him he had magical powers.”
I wrinkled my nose. An owl? Delivering letters? Everyone knew only ravens or pigeons were capable or smart enough to transport missives from place to place. But owls? How peculiar.
Then I realized, wait…
“You read a book about magic in a world where it doesn’t even exist?”
“Yes!” Her smile bloomed. “But that’s what made it so spectacular.” In her animated excitement to tell me more, Quilla turned her body toward mine and leaned closer, making my nostrils flare when the scent of her skin reached my nose. “The author had no idea how real magic—the kind we have here—worked, so she had to make up what she thought it would be like. It was so bizarre and backward compared to what it’s like here, that I wished her version was the true way.”
“It sounds interesting,” I allowed.
“It was stupid,” Melaina spoke up from the other side of Quilla. “But do you want to know what’s even stupider than those books?”
You, I wanted to snarl, for rudely interrupting this moment I was having with my one true love just as I was finally getting her to open up and talk to me.
But what she said was, “You,” as she looked right at me. “And your pathetic attempt to flirt so innocently and purely with her while your damn cock is practically leaping out of your trousers because you’re so aroused.”
“Melaina!” Quilla scolded, surging to her feet and scowling at her aunt while I shifted my empty plate to cover my lap. “Enough.”
“Enough what?” Melaina asked, fluttering her lashes pertly. “Enough speaking the truth?”
“Enough baiting us and intentionally stirring up unease. And besides, he wasn’t flirting.” When she glanced my way with raised eyebrows to confirm her own words, I set a hand over my heart, supporting her claim.
“Right,” I agreed. “It’d be completely obvious if I was flirting.”
“Oh, brother,” Melaina muttered. “Of course, he’s going to agree with you. The man wants to get inside you like he wants his next breath. As if he’s going to dare disagree with anything you say right now.”
I frowned. “What the hell are you talking about, old woman? I disagree with her all the time.”
“I am not old.” Melaina gasped even though she had to be somewhere around Quilla’s and my age combined. She immediately began to stroke the deep red curls of her hair as if I’d somehow insulted her flaming locks. “And I’m not talking about the you from earlier today, before you murdered your cousin and went all sulky, oh-woe-is-me.”
I scowled at her because an arrow of pain sliced through my gut, making me remember earlier and what had happened with Axel.
“I’m talking about right now, while you know she’s worried about you and being nice to appease her own guilt. No way in hell are you going to do anything wrong in her eyes while she might throw you a pity fuck.”
“Seriously,” Quilla barked. “You need to shut up. Right now. Go clean the dishes or something.” She shoved her plate into her aunt’s arms. “And don’t come back until you can behave.”
“Ordering me around now, are you, child?” Melaina pushed to her feet and stepped close to her niece, challenging her. “Still doesn't change the fact that I’m right.”
I sighed and rubbed my face wearily as I realized I’d probably be playing peacemaker again and pulling them off each other—literally—in a few moments.
“Do the dishes,” Quilla growled.
I pushed to my feet to prepare for my intervening duties, but Melaina huffed out a breath and snagged my plate from my hand, adding to the pile she already held. “It’s now or never time, lover boy,” she hissed to me. “You want her cherry? Well, it’s more available for the popping than ever before.”
“You really are a crude bitch,” Quilla called after her.
Melaina blew her a sneering kiss and strolled regally away from the campsite.
We watched her long after she was gone, not saying anything or looking at each other until I cleared my throat and ran an uneasy hand over the back of my neck. “I promise I’m not looking for a pity fuck,” I announced.
Quilla turned to me, rolling her eyes. “Nor would I give you one.”
“When you finally come to me, it’ll be because you want me more than you want your next breath. Not because you feel bad or obligated out of guilt or worry.”
A deep thrum of appreciation rumbled through my mark.
But she only nodded, not telling me in words how much she liked my stance. I drew out a long breath. “Well, then…”
