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Smiling, I look about the room to find Cora, Fynn, and Kye frozen in the middle of a three-way sparring match. Chuckling, I wave my hand towards them. “Don’t stop on my account.”
Cora shrieks as she runs to me, colliding hard into my chest with hers as her arms wrap around me. “You’re mated,” she breathes emotionally in my ear. “I’m so happy for you.” She pulls back, just enough to twist her head and peer at Draven, too. “For both of you.”
He gives her a thankful nod as I sniffle to hold back the tears welling behind my eyes. “I’m happy for you, too.”
Her brows furrow as she cranes her head to the side in question. She follows where my eyes have landed, on a male who is so completely infatuated with her. His gaze has yet to leave her, and when she notices Fynn watching intently, pink blooms on her cheeks.
She scrunches her nose with a smile. “I’m happy for me, too.” She giggles and I nudge her with my elbow.
“Welcome back, Em,” Fynn greets me. “Maybe now Drav will stop growling under his breath and burning a hole in the wall with his glare.” He nudges his head towards the broody male who proves Fynn’s point by growling in a huff as response when he sits down in the cushioned chair.
Fynn laughs before winking to Cora. “C’mon, love. You promised to knock me on my ass, and I’m waiting,” he chides as he watches Cora roll her eyes before she skips over to him.
Brushing my hand through Draven’s hair, I press a chaste kiss to his temple before leaning down, licking up his throat and nipping at the lobe of his ear. “I think your growly broodiness is hot.” My breath feathers against his ear as I speak into his mind. Tingle dance along my spine when I pull away and find his eyes staring darkly at my lips, his nostrils flaring.
“Fuck. Hot enough to make you wet for me, little demon?” He inhales deeply and his eyes shutter. “I can smell how turned on you are for me.”
My lips part and my throat dries. Slowly stepping back and away from him, I bite my bottom lip. “Tonight, I’m yours.” I don’t speak that through the bond because I want him to hear the huskiness in my voice, how my breath hitches with the words.
His jaw clenches but his expression shifts slightly when laughter bellows behind us. I turn around and find Fynn on his ass, with Cora’s boot pressed to his chest. I can’t help but smile; this is my family.
I notice Kye standing off to the side with his arms crossed, and I make my way over to stand beside him. “Are you brooding, too?” I ask him, but my eyes are watching how Fynn grabs Cora’s ankle and pulls her down on top of him.
A smoky chuckle sounds next to me. “No, Princess. Just…worried.”
I twist my neck to look up at him. “About going after Whiro? Because you don’t have—”
“No.” He cuts me off. “I’m worried about you.” Those amber eyes meet mine, and what I see swimming in his gaze feels like a punch to the chest. Always the protector.
“I’ll be fine. My powers aren’t restrained anymore, and I can take on the strongest soldiers because of you. I honestly wouldn’t be able to say that if you never taught me how to fight.” Naturally, I place my hand on his forearm, squeezing it. “You gave me that gift… A way to protect myself.”
He huffs, but the smile gives away how big of a heart he has. “You just needed a helping hand.” The way he says it sounds like he’s brushing off my words, as if he’s not important.
“No.” I move to stand in front of him, staring sternly at his face to make him understand. “I needed you. Only you.” Now I huff, but this time in aggravation. “So, don’t do that. Don’t make it seem like it could have been anyone to teach me.” My eyes bounce between his shocked, unblinking ones. “No one gave a damn, anyway,” I whisper. “But you did.” I jab a finger into his chest. “So, accept that you are worthy to worry over, too.”
“Princess…”
“I’m worried about you. About all of you.” A shaky exhale leaves my lungs voicing it. Bringing reality crashing down on top of me all at once.
Suddenly, my cheek is pressed to his muscular chest, the rough beat of his heart pounding in my ear. “Then worry, but only for a moment. We all are choosing to fight with you, even if you say no. It's our choice to make, and one I would make repeatedly.” His voice vibrates against the side of my face as he gently strokes my hair. Then, his stomach shakes with a soft chuckle. “I know one way to make you feel better and ease your thoughts.”
I pull my head back to find him smiling wide at me, and the scar on his face stretches with it. “And what's that? A sugary dessert?”
He laughs louder as he lets me go, and the sound makes my heart swell. “Sorry, Princess. No dessert. But maybe a good sparring will help instead?”
My eyes light up with excitement. It feels like forever since he and I have trained together, and I don’t hesitate to get into position. I widen my stance, only slightly with a small bend to the knees. Tucking my elbows into my ribs as I raise my fists, tracking Kye’s movements as he does the same.
With a smirk, I crook two fingers to egg him on. “I’ll go easy on you,” I taunt.
That earns me another smile before his features settle on his face. Calm, neutral, unnerving. This is the warrior I know. The one who understands the calm before the storm, focusing on every twitch of my muscles, the direction my eyes wander as his zero in on me, studying my every tell.
A lightness fills my chest as we stealthily walk in a circle, facing each other. And when he darts in to kick out my leg, I realize how much I’ve missed this.
We trained for the next hour, until beads of sweat trailed down my spine and my muscles felt warm and well-used. All of us were spent and agreed to call it for the night since we would leave bright and early in the morning.
When we all reach the break in the corridor, Draven and I say goodnight to the others as they go their separate ways towards the tower. The moment they are out of sight, Draven swoops me up, eliciting a squeal as he tosses me over his shoulder. Before I even know what's happening, a loud smack echoes in the silent hallway. A sting of pain blooms on my backside until his palm massages the spot, gripping and rubbing the now-tender flesh.
“I need to be deep inside you.” His footsteps are quick, thumping on the floor as we make our way to his room. “Watching you fight has made me so painfully hard. I almost spread you out on the floor and took you roughly until you screamed my name in front of everyone. I’m losing my damn mind right now.”
