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My wife seems to be fond of that these days and I can only blame myself for that.
Chapter 15
Rose
Cyrus is still shaking by the time we make it up the stairs, and into the main part of the castle. I fumble my way through a few hallways until I find the dining hall, cleaned up from breakfast.
Mina rushes over to us. I’m impressed with her ability to get here so quickly. I guess Malix made sure she would be here when I need her. That almost makes me warm to him. Almost.
“I grabbed some clothes from my son’s room, though I’m not sure what will fit,” Mina says, looking over Cyrus in a way only a mother could. The overwhelmed boy next to me relaxes slightly, as do I. Mina just has the ability to make everyone feel safe and secure around her. “He’ll need to eat afterward; poor boy is skin and bones.”
Mina ushers Cyrus off somewhere private, promising to be right back. I nod, keeping myself together a moment longer. Once they leave and I’m blissfully alone, I sink down into the closest chair.
My body is tired.
Everything happened so quickly, and I wasn’t lying when I said I had no clue how I broke whatever sleeping curse Cyrus was under. Maybe it wasn’t me? Perhaps the curse is losing its strength or was never as strong as Malix and his council originally thought.
Aeron seems to think it was something I did. Maybe he’s right, but that still doesn’t magically make me understand what happened back there. And if my body wasn’t so fatigued, maybe I could put a little more thought into it.
The door to the dining hall opens again, and I turn to smile at Mina and Cyrus, but it isn’t them who walk through the door. It’s my husband.
Malix takes one sweeping glance around and crosses the room in long strides. I pretend like I don’t see his pants strain against his muscular thighs with each step.
Seems criminal that he’s only seen me naked and I haven’t had the chance to appreciate his naked form.
“See something you like, wife?” Malix says and I realize how hard I’ve been staring at him. Hard enough to get fucking caught. I feel the blush burn my cheeks and neck as I avert my gaze from his powerful thighs to his smirking face.
“Nothing of importance,” I say and I swear I see him flinch. I elect to ignore it. “What do you want?” I don’t attempt to hide how tired I am with niceties. I want nothing more than to slip back into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours.
“How are you feeling?” He’s next to me in an instant, looking me over with what I might say is actual concern if it belonged to anyone other than Malix.
“Tired. Very tired.” It is a testament to just how tired I am when I can’t even come up with a snarky remark for him.
“Let me make you some tea with honey.”
“I’m fine, I don’t?—”
“I insist,” he says, reaching out his hand for me. I hesitate for the briefest moment, before taking it.
“I can’t be gone for long. Mina and Cyrus will be back soon and I’m not going to leave her alone with him. He’s my responsibility.”
“He’s ours,” he corrects, “and Mina is more than capable of taking care of Cyrus. I already informed her I would be stealing you away.”
“Always pushing off your unwanted tasks to other people, I see,” I murmur under my breath, but my husband’s a damn dragon so of course he hears it.
Malix stops walking and turns to face me. The look on his face is equal parts pissed and resigned to his fate. “You’ll let me care for you before you give me a verbal lashing. Hate me all you want, I deserve your ire. But I’m going to make you some damn tea, so stop being stubborn for one damn second and let me cater to my wife.”
It’s not often I’m rendered speechless, but this is one of those times. I have no witty retort nor the energy to deny him, at least for the time being. My silence is acquiescence enough and he takes my hand again, pulling me to the kitchen. I have no choice but to obey.
“Sit.” He gestures to the high bar stool by the island as soon as we enter the kitchen. A few of his staff members are working, but Malix barks something to them that I don’t quite understand, and the staff begins to file out one by one until we’re alone.
Malix works in silence as he heats water in a kettle. His movements are soothing, and I find myself getting lost in his motions. The kettle sounds and he pours the hot water into a teacup with tea leaves. After adding a healthy dose of honey, he places the steaming cup in front of me before taking a seat next to me.
“If I didn’t watch you make it, I would think you poisoned it,” I say and pick up the cup and saucer, giving it a quick taste. The warmth spreads from my head down to my toes and the honey adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
“I believe the words you are looking for are ‘thank you.’”
A smile tugs at my lips, which I quickly hide behind my cup. “Thank you, Malix.”
