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A couple of soldiers are lounging around one of the tables. They look up when we pass them by and salute Raiden.
None of these men were responsible for the incident a few days ago, so I relax and allow Raiden to lead me to a table.
Familiar footfalls sound nearby. Looking up, I see Alistair staggering toward us. The elderly veteran’s one blue eye focuses on me.
“You doin’ okay, kid?” he asks in a gruff voice.
“Yeah,” I mutter.
“So, Caleb finally sees sense in keeping her out of here,” he says, glancing toward Raiden.
“He can’t complain,” Raiden replies with a chuckle. “Iris is an excellent cook and is rescuing us from Julian’s culinary specialties.”
Alistair guffaws. “Yeah, that kid’s responsible for my chipped tooth.” Opening his mouth, he points at one of his canines.
“How?” I ask, surprised.
“Jules left a piece of almond shell in his cookie dough,” Raiden explains with a chuckle. “Alistair was unlucky enough to bite into it.”
“Chipped my tooth in one fucking bite,” Alistair curses.
A chuckle bubbles on my lips but I mask it with a cough.
Alistair’s one good eye pins me, knowing I meant to laugh. He scowls and scuttles away.
“Want some coffee?” Raiden asks.
“Sure.”
He gets to his feet and moves toward one of the counters. There’s no one manning it, so Raiden goes around the back to use the coffee machine himself.
I watch him tinker with the expresso machine. He takes his sweet time and when he comes back, I see that he’s made us cappuccinos with thick swirls of foamed milk.
I eagerly pick a cup and take a sip. “Mmm.” The coffee is sweetened perfectly and tastes great.
“Like it?” Raiden asks.
I give a nod, taking another sip of the hot brew.
Raiden leans across the table and uses his thumb to brush the foam sticking to my upper lip. His touch sears my lips, reminding me of the tingling heat that Damon left there.
The look in Raiden’s glass-blue eyes intensifies.
My cheeks warm and I struggle to reign in my reaction. Why the heck do I keep reacting to these Solveig alphas like a thirsty omega?
Pretending to drink my coffee, I hide my face.
“Will you tell me what happened?” Raiden asks after a while.
The mess hall is nearly empty, so I risk confessing my sin. “Damon,” I whisper.
Raiden’s eyebrows lift questioningly. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” I give myself a moment to think about it. He kissed me out of the blue but he hadn’t exactly hurt me. I doubt I’d be sitting here and blushing stupidly if that’s what Damon intended to do.
“What did he say?” Raiden urges.
“Nothing.”
