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Raini gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know things must feel a little awkward at the moment, but you two can still be tight. You were friends first. You’ll get things back on the platonic track soon enough.”
Just then, Asher stomped into the room, a dark scowl on his adorable face.
“Why are you sulking, little man?” Harper asked him.
Asher jabbed a finger at Keenan, who was coming up behind him. “He’s a meanie-weenie.”
The incubus sighed. “I made him put Levi’s lamp back on the nightstand. Asher wanted to take it home. And no, I don’t have any clue why.”
Harper gave her son a look that said she meant business. “You know the rules, Asher. You can’t take people’s things without asking first.”
Asher’s scowl stayed firmly in place. “Heidi duz it. Koey duz it. Grams duz—”
“We’re not talking about them,” Harper interrupted. “Why do you even want a lamp?”
“It’s blue,” he replied. “I likes blue.”
As Harper went on to lecture him, Raini turned to Khloë and asked, “Remember you went through a phase of stealing anything silver? Ribbons, screws, paperclips, even hair ties?”
Khloë pursed her lips. “No, not really.”
“Well it was a hell of a phase,” said Raini. “No one cared much about it until you started steeling wheel trims too.”
Khloë’s brows inched up. “That I remember.”
Asher sighed long and loud. “I sorry.”
“Good boy.” Harper held her arms out to him. “Now give Mommy a hug.”
“Uh … no.” Giggling, he hurried off on those little legs, and Keenan quickly trailed after him.
Smiling at the sight, Piper asked, “Has Keenan found his psi-mate?”
It was Khloë who answered, “No, not yet. I hope he does. Not all demons are so lucky.”
Piper slanted her head. “You don’t think you’ll find it hard to see him bound tight to someone else?”
“Nope.” Khloë tucked her hair behind her ear. “I get why some people do feel that way when their mate finds their anchor, but I don’t operate like that. Not all do.”
“I get along great with my anchor’s mate,” said Devon. “Hunter’s the best. He and Adam—that’s my anchor—are almost as excited about my pregnancy as I am. They’ve proclaimed themselves the baby’s honorary uncles.”
Piper smiled. “Aw, how sweet.” She could only pray she’d be on such good terms with whoever Levi took as his mate. As things stood, though, Piper would be more likely to set the bitch on fire.
“You’re zoning out again.”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Levi blinked at his Prime. “Got a lot on my mind.” Or, more accurately, he was striving to ignore how his bastard of a demon kept sending him mental images of Piper naked with faceless men. It wasn’t necessarily trying to provoke Levi, it mostly just wanted him to feel the bite of jealousy; wanted him to declare that he’d scrap the agreement if only to ensure that no one else would have her.
Levi rolled back his shoulders. “How much longer are Tanner and Larkin going to be?”
“Mere minutes, I’d say.” Knox sank deeper into the chair behind his desk, eyeing Levi carefully. “I would have thought you’d be more relaxed today, given you and Piper officially claimed each other as anchors.”
Levi felt his back teeth lock. “I’ll be relaxed when I’ve detained whoever wants her dead.”
“That’s not all you’re mentally chewing on. Tell me what has you so distracted.”
“Someone wants to wipe my anchor from the face of the Earth. You think that isn’t going to distract me?”
“I think there’s more. I also think you don’t want to talk to me about it.”
“Then why bug me?”
Humor briefly lit Knox’s eyes. “You’re only ever this defensive when you feel trapped or stuck or restricted.”
It was true. And right then, Levi did feel stuck. There was no escaping that he had to stick to his word and cease sharing a bed with Piper, because there was no other option. Not realistically. So now there were boundaries and limits that weren’t there before, and he knew he’d be shit at dealing with them.
“Is there no way I can help?” asked Knox.
Levi leaned back against the wall. “No. No, there’s no help for it. The situation is what it is and that’s that. I don’t want to talk any more about it.”
“Fair enough. Come to me if you change your mind.”
Levi grunted.
“You must be relieved that you were able to convince Piper to temporarily move into your apartment.”
“I didn’t need to convince her. She’d already anticipated that I’d ask, and she said she thought it was a smart move.”
“She trusts you with her safety, then. Good. I suppose it’s easier for her that she’s already well-acquainted with your apartment.” Knox drummed his fingers on his desk. “Just be careful, Levi.”
“With what?”
“With Piper’s feelings. You two are sleeping together, and it’s clear you like her a great deal—I’ve never known you to spend as much time with anyone as you do her. Now you want her living with you. That could give her the wrong idea.”
