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Grinning up at my mountainous mate, I hoped he could see my effervescent happiness. “It was a perfect date. Even if my arms feel like jello and my abs—which I now know I possess—ache from our lesson.” I chuckled, rubbing a hand over the soft plane of my stomach.
“You won’t be so sore next time,” Leo promised. “You’ll grow stronger after every class and the movements will become second nature. Did you like the restaurant? We would’ve taken you to Thane’s place, but thought he should be the one to take you to his restaurant for the first time. Since he was, uh, busy tonight, we took to another local favorite.”
Hades shot a glare at Leo, who shifted from foot to foot and shrugged before he noticed me watching.
I cocked my head.
Huh. Thane was busy tonight?
Unease crept in, but I shut that shit down fast. I trusted my mate. Hell, I trustedallmy mates. There was no reason to feel wary.
Still, Leo was full of restless energy beside me. If I hadn’t caught their little exchange, I would’ve wondered if he’d had too much coffee at dinner. The man couldn’t seem to stand still.
“Dinner was delicious…” I said tentatively, gazing from one sheepish man to the next, on edge.
His phone chimed, and he dug it out, breathing a sigh of relief.
Oh yeah, they’re up to something.
“Lucky for you, the night’s not over yet.” Leo grinned, and it instantly eased the tension coiling in my stomach.
At least it’s agoodsomething.
Relief was sweet, but I still arched a brow at them questioningly and propped my hands on my hips.
Hades chuckled and brushed a kiss along the top of my head on his way to the kitchen to put our leftovers in the fridge.
“I think the jig is up,” he hollered, as I slowly trailed after him.
“I know you’re up to something,” I said in my best detective voice, like I’d just caught them red-handed. “You should just tell me.”
“And where would the fun be in that?” Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Hades bowed at the waist and motioned for me to follow Leo down the hall.
My Beta offered me his hand, waiting for me to take it. “Come on, Honey. You trust me, don’t you?”
I pursed my lips. “Implicitly. But that doesn’t mean I’m not suspicious as hell. Why is the house so quiet? Where is everyone?”
“That’s for us to know, and you to find out.” Hades murmured into my ear as he slid up behind me.
I shivered pleasantly as his hands found my hips.
“Now, are you going to take Leo’s hand? Or am I going to carry your pretty ass down the hallway so we can surprise you?”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to tell someone you’re going to surprise them before you surprise them,” I commented cheekily.
The sharp, playful smack on my ass made me yelp.
“The sass on this one,” Hades growled.
“And there’s more where that comes from,” I taunted, “but if you want to spank me, I suggest you take me upstairs, lover boy. I wouldn’t want to make Jamison’s office or the library smell like our nest. Think of the books!”
Hades snorted but pressed a hand to my lower back and guided me down the hall anyway. Resigned to my fate, I took Leo’s hand, reveling in the feel of his thumb stroking along the backs of my fingers.
We passed Jamison’s office and stopped outside the closed door to the library. Inside was a room lined with shelves of books and a nook with a picture window that had a view of the barn and pastures beyond. Other than my actual nest, it’d become my favorite spot in the house. The first time I saw it, I’d wanted to curl up on the lone loveseat and read the day away.
It couldn’t be a coincidence that this was the door they’d stopped before.
“What are we—”
