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"Laszlo, wait, I—"
But Conall didn't chase after Laszlo or loosen his grip on me as the gryphon turned away and headed for the castle. He groaned and sagged, wobbling us both before sinking wearily down into the familiar meadow. I stroked my hands around his shoulder to his collar, flicking at buttons.
"Evie, no, what are you about?" Conall muttered, trying to catch my hands and pull them from their work.
"You're burning up. Are you sick?"
"It's just—No, I'm fine, darling, I just—"
It was the mating impulse. The one he was refusing. It had been a week and a half since Asterion left, and while I'd attempted to tiptoe into the topic of a mating bite with Conall, he'd deftly skipped around my efforts, turning me away with sweet flirtation and seduction so I could never really be offended by the change of topic.
I stepped back, a sudden thought nearly knocking me back to the ground. "Do you notwantme as a mate?"
Conall's choking splutter of outrage was reassuring, but for every second he stammered, an oily thread of unease slithered through me. I pulled my shoulders back and inched away, and his eyes widened.
"No—I mean, damnit, Evie—I—Wait!" He gasped as I started to turn, diving for me and catching me by my wrists. "Don'twalk away. Not after asking me that."
"Conall—"
His hands tightened, not enough to hurt me, but refusing me any escape. "Yes, Evanthia,mo chroí, I want you as a mate. You are my mate, and you have no idea how glad of it I am. Grateful. Fuckingecstatic," he added in a rush, a grin wavering into place. "A touch terrified too, but Hywel promises he won't let me fuck it up. If I haven't already."
I sighed at the sight of this familiar figure in front of me, intense and playful in equal measure. "But?" I prompted.
"No 'but,'" he said quickly.
I rolled my eyes, and Conall tugged on my wrists, pulling me into his chest. "It will hurt, Evanthia," he said softly. I blinked and stared up at him. His gaze was soaking me up, hungry and anxious and loving—because I was starting to understand the meaning of that. "The bite will hurt, and I can't bear to. As much as I'm desperate to mark you as mine, and yes, I know it's driving me and everyone else mad that I haven't. It will hurt you. And I've never wanted to hurt anyone less in my life."
A fissure of sweetness cracked through my chest, and I sank into Conall's strength, tucking my face in his shoulder and kissing the skin of his fevered throat.
"Will it make me a werewolf?" I asked.
"No. Or it would, but only under the right circumstances. I would need to be fully shifted, a full moon, and that would be much, much worse for you, so don't even ask—"
"I'm not," I said, pulling my hands free of his and sliding them up under his shirt to stroke the bare skin of his back. "You know I'll heal quickly, Conall."
"You've been through enough," he whispered so softly I thought he probably hadn't meant me to hear the words.
I smiled into his throat, shifting closer, widening my stance so my feet trapped his between them. "It's just a little bite."
"Little?"
I laughed at his offense and leaned back to find his cheeks twitching as he fought a smile.
"A nip."
His eyes narrowed. "Evanthia, it will take more than anipto—"
"Conall, I doubt I'll even notice—"
"Not notice?!"
I shrugged, and he scoffed. "I mean…if you think it's such a very impressive bite…" I stepped back, releasing him from my arms.
Conall stiffened, glaring at me. "Evie, what are you up to?"
"Nothing," I answered quickly.
"You can'ttrickme into biting you."
