Page 110 of Gemini Wicked

“I’m fine, baby. We’re all fine.” Zara stops snuggling into Neo long enough to shoot a glare at Zephyr. “No thanks to that guy.”

My Unseelie ex stops sharpening his sword long enough to give my girl an inscrutable look. Then his gaze shifts to me. Slowly his stare wanders over me, barely in compliance with the dress code in my take on the Monday uni, with my blazer left behind in Genetics of Witchcraft class, the inky black flames of my dragon tattoo creeping up my neck, and my green-striped tie tugged loose and crooked in the June heat.

Under that smoldery stare Zeph’s rocking, my whole body heats up like he’s just tossed me in the skillet and turned on the hob.

While Zara gives Neo all kinds of reassurance and Lucius ties us off at the jetty, I grab the knapsack I’ve stuffed with fresh duds for Vasili (who’s going to need a new Monday uni after he shifted in the old one). Then I leap off the boat to the pier.

Zara unwinds from Neo to fling an arm round my neck. Simultaneously, she pulls Lucius into a hard snog that feels desperate.

A bit like her vibe in our bond.

“God, Lucius,” she mumbles against his mouth, while she clings tight to both of us. “He could’ve killed you.”

“My dear, I was never in any real danger,” Lucius rumbles. “In the commons, I was merely a bit of leverage. Nikolai Romanov does nothing by impulse.”

Zara pulls back long enough to aim her incandescent glare at Zephyr. “I meant him.”

I bare my teeth in an ugly grin that’s sparked by a nasty sense of glee. I mean, come on. Zeph’s given me the cold shoulder for ages, after he made me choose between loving him and protecting my own twin sis. He let me think I’d murdered him. Left me to flounder in the quicksand of my own guilt. Left Gwen and me to grieve and suffer and mourn his so-called passing.

That fuckery might not be the actual reason Gwen hanged herself. She was bullied to death. But all that Zephyr-related drama in her rearview mirror didn’t help.

So if Zeph’s in the doghouse, I definitely don’t mind the turnabout.

“Too right. Bloody little savage, he is.” I wrap an arm round Zara’s tiny waist and bend to give my girl’s lush mouth the quick ravage she’s begging for.

Her hot curves fit into my arms like she’s spoiling for a fuck. Her lips part on a breathy moan that tastes like sweet vanilla and mating heat. The creamy scent of roses seeps from her overheated skin.

That’s her mating scent, that is. Just a whiff makes my head spin and my dick hard.

I wrap my palm round her succulent arse and haul her up on tiptoe against my boner.

“Ronin.” She licks into my mouth and pulls Lucius closer. “You feel so nice, Adam.”

“Same, love. Care for a shag?” I slide an arm round Lucius so he’s included. Even though I know we’ve not got the time for the proper rogering I’d like to give both of them, a rousing fuck would clear everyone’s head.

“No thank you, Mr. Pendragon,” Lucius says, all growly with alpha firmness. “You have class in an hour.”

Neo wraps round us too, his big hand rubbing my back to console me for the turn-down, while he tucks his face into Zara’s neck.

While I breathe in our bookworm’s wholesome scent of soap and sage and enjoy our cuddle pile, my skin’s tingling under the stalky heat of Zephyr’s stare.

Safe to say I don’t mind that prick getting a gander at what I’ve got and he doesn’t.

“Where’s Max?” Zara wiggles away from my rampant dick and divides a worried look among all of us. “I thought he’d be the first guy here. I can’t even find him in our bond.”

“Maxim is quite unable to concentrate on his studies at present,” Lucius says gently. “That became apparent to me this morning. To channel all that energy, I’ve given him a hall pass and assigned his dragon to patrol duty. He’s opted to overfly the island—including the portal to Avalon. Consequently, he’s out of range at the moment.”

Lucius pauses and eyes Zara’s flushed face. “I’m afraid he’s going to become increasingly difficult to handle. He’s, ah, very close to full shifter rut.”

“Right.” Zara bites her lip and looks adorably contrite. “Guess that’s my fault, huh.”

While Lucius reassures her that it’s not, I snort and roll my eyes—and it’s not over the comic visual of Max’s big black dragon toting a hall pass. I’m snorting because Lucius has been in full shifter rut himself since Zara started that bit about making babies last night.

Even Vasili, who’s only got shifter recessives to deal with, has gone a bit rutty.

Speaking of.

I detach gently from our kiss-and-cuddle, hitch my knapsack over my shoulder, and amble over to V, who’s still having a full-on sunbathe with an arm draped over his eyes.

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