Page 39 of Magic's Rise

I nod. “He didn’t even think of asking us to help.”

Tris purses his lips in consideration. “Ros would have made us help.”

“Ros would have spanked us for the thing in the toy aisle.” Aside from growling about abandoning Aspen to pick up our mess and stuffing Tris and me in the back with a gag order, Haut was shockingly ambivalent about that.

A frown puckers my brow as I look up at Tris. “Something’s wrong with Haut.”

He nods in agreement. “He’s being far too accommodating.”

I peer after my mate. “Think he’s hurt that the mall girls didn’t hit on him?”

Tris frowns with concern. “He doesn’t know about the mall girls.”

My focus jumps to the receptionist, who’s making no pretense of minding her own business. “You think Haut is hot, right? More than the others?”

Eyes widening in alarm, she shakes her head. “I don’t?—”

My head cocks to the side. “You don’t?”

“Pretty sure you were propositioning him.” Tris gives her a gentle smile. “It’s okay. The women back home do that, too.”

My head jerks up. “Who?”

He pats my head. “No one, sparky. Forget I said that.”

“That’s it.” A cup of pens sits on the reception desk, and I snatch one, then rush toward the doors as they swish open and the others return with our bags. “Haut, give me your forehead. I need to write my name on you!”

Tris catches up and scoops me off my feet, depositing me on the luggage cart. “Save it for when we’re up in our rooms.”

“You will not be writing your name on my forehead.” Haut takes the pen from my hand and motions for me to grip one of the golden bars. “If you want people to know I’m yours, put a ring on me.”

My mouth drops open. “But…” I lower my voice. “You’d lose it the first time you shift.”

“Buy me a chain to wear it on, then.” He leans down to my ear. “Although I don’t need it around wolves. They can smell your scent all over me.”

That both horrifies and delights me, and I subtly lift my arm to sniff for traces of Haut.

“It’s there,” Levi assures me.

Again, with the horror and delight.

Still, putting a ring on my men isn’t a bad idea. We did the bonding ceremony, but a universally recognized sign of commitment sounds good, too.

Tris and I have rings we bought for each other. Why did I never consider doing the same for Haut, Ros, and Owen?

We arrive at the elevator, and the doors slide open with a soft ding. Tris hops onto the cart with me to make enough room for everyone else to pile in, too.

Amusement twinkles in his eyes. “You’re quiet. What are you plotting?”

“How many rings I can fit on one finger and how to figure out Ros and Owen’s size.” I study Haut’s thick fingers. Owen’s and Ros’s are more slender, though not as slim as Tris’s. “Should we buy doubles in every size?”

“That would shock the jeweler.” Tris snuggles close as the elevator comes to a stop. “What will you do with the leftovers?”

“Put them in my buck—” I snap my lips closed before I reveal my secret bucket. No need to make Haut suspicious enough to go snooping for my treasures.

The annoying man gives me a knowing look. “We could melt them down into a platinum doorstop.”

“Platinum?” Tris sputters. “Mine is only gold!”

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