"I mean, granted, I didn't think it would take you as long as you did to retrieve her and bring her here. But what an adventure: pirates, a flying horse. Had I seen the flying horse before I sent you, I would've gone with you."
"You saw that?"
"I saw everything… eventually. That portal opening was like an adrenaline shot; it boosted my powers. The things I've seen."
Dion grinned broadly as he looked off into the distance, his canines glinting in the sunlight. His tongue snuck out and licked at the upper canine like he could taste the blood that I had spilled all in an effort to protect his mate.
"Pirates? How fun was that fight? And a kelpie. I would've loved to take a bite out of her. Do you think she does it in the water?"
And here we were, back to the king's favorite topic: fucking. OnlyDion would take a moment to think about sex positions during a fight for his life.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Are you pissed because I cut in on your fun with the pirate ship? You're good, my friend, but even you have to admit you were outnumbered there. You would've lost her in that battle."
"Yet you saw all the other times we were in danger, and you didn't decide to intervene then?"
Dion shrugged. "You had it under control. Besides, I had things to attend to."
His gaze trailed off again. This time, instead of looking off into the distance, his obsidian eyes landed on two fairies walking by, swishing their hips and brushing their hair away from their lifted breasts.
"But the kelpie, I wish I'd been there for that. I've always wanted to bang one. Was she slimy to the touch?"
I stared.
"Scaly?"
I gaped.
"Tell me about it later. I have a little more business to attend to first."
Dion gave me his back as though he didn't think I'd already pulled out a dagger and stabbed him with it. He said he saw everything, yet he still trusted me? Hadn't he seen that I'd betrayed him?
Then I realized that he was going in the direction of the fairies. He'd just met the woman he was fated for, and he was off to roll around with some leggy fae. When Stella found out, if she found out, she would be devastated. Dion would be nothing but Ken 2.0.
From the moment I'd laid eyes on her, I saw no one else. Just the thought of touching another female made my stomach turn. Made my panther growl in protest. But there was my king, my best friend, being led by his dick. He would never change.
"You need a healing bath, my friend." Dion had his arms around the fairies, pulling them into his sides as he sniffed at their hair,which likely smelled of flowers and morning dew. Nothing like the warm vanilla scent of my Stella.
My Stella.
"Like I was saying, my business here isn't done yet. The portal opening threw a wrench in the talks. I have to stay a while longer. I need you to take Stella back to Panthera."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Who else? Take her home. Get her settled. She's not safe here now that people here know who and what she is."
"Dion—"
"I know, I know, with you gone I'll be short-staffed, but I'll focus better with her in the palace. I think you will, too."
He winked at me. I watched his hands fall from the fairies' shoulders and go lower. They both gasped, their hips rocking forward. I was certain their asses were being pinched. With two handfuls of ass, Dion turned his willing bunch toward the back of the house.
"Dion?"
"Yeah?"
"What I wanted to say was… What I wanted to say is thank you for everything that you've ever done for me."
"You're my best friend." He shrugged off my words, not giving them another thought as he gave the fairies a shove forward, still using their asses as handles. Before he disappeared around the corner, he gave me another wink. And then he was off to get off.