Page 118 of Wicked Heirs

Xavier settled in too, folding his arms across the chest of his brown leather jacket with one of his go-to gray hoodies beneath.

Alena surprised me then as she came to my side and wrapped her arm around me, her warmth as she touched my shoulders skin-to-skin with me only wearing my tight orange and black tank radiating through me. I blinked, trying to focus through it as she told the guys, “He doesn’t need to defend himself.”

Off my surprise, she told me with a grin, “I’lltake care of it.”

Before I could fully process that and her going out of her way to stand up for me and to tend to my emotions and make me feel better, she launched into the story of our time together out here wherein I’d made myphoenix fire artfor her and we’d hung out.

She even went on to tell Orpheus how I’d defended him and put in a good word, howsweetlyI’d spoken about him and our circumstances, and how it had made her see me in a different light from that moment onward.

“Whoa,” X breathed, when she was done.

“Thank you,” I told Alena.

She lifted a shoulder. “Just calling it like it is, sweet thing.”

“Damn, having her call yousweet thingis the big time with her,” X said, with a chuckle.

Yeah, I’d heard her call him that.

Not Orpheus, though.

He wouldn’t like that.

Although, he did have a sweet side, and she knew that now. Their time on the turret and then flying together for a bit had seen to that. Especially the part where he’d let her in.

After they’d finished up, he’d called X and me to his chambers and he’d also told us what had happened back then between his father and Alena’s mother.

It had been a lot to absorb, and the fact he’d been keeping it quiet all this time must’ve been eating him up. I knew a thing or two about that. He’d seemed lighter over the last few days since it had been put out there. Again, I knew that feeling well. Seeing Alena’s memories of my parents’ deaths had done the same for me—after the pain of the worst part of reliving it again had eased somewhat first.

“Well, then, we stand corrected,” Orpheus spoke. There was a glint in his eye as he looked at me, suggesting that he really knew I was capable of bringing the romance, and that he’d just been ribbing me.

Actually, knowing him and his master manipulator ways, it could have been more than that. It stood to reason that he could have done it to get Alena to come to my defense, to draw her to me, because our connection wasn’t as strong as his and X’s were with her yet. We hadn’t spent as much time together. And nothing physical had happened between us either, while she’d been with each of them. He was trying to help me out, something that would also help all three of us out as a unit with her.

“Come on,” X said, “Let’s enjoy our snow picnic.”

With that, we all headed over to the chairs situated in an arc in front of the fire.

As we did, we all noticed Alena shivering.

I jogged over to the supply area and snatched up a warm cream blanket, then came back to her and draped it over her shoulders. “Sorry, me and X can’t feel the cold because of what we are—especially me. And growing up in the DFR—Dark FaeRealm—it has to be extremely cold for Ore to be bothered by it. Butyou’rehalf-human so you’re susceptible to temperature changes.”

“Thank you.” She smiled up at me as she held the blanket to her at her chest with one hand. “I wouldn’t trade this snow paradise for anything. It’s well worth it.”

Catching me off guard then, she snagged the neck of my tank and used it to jerk me to her.

Then she pressed her lips to mine.

The startlement off it took me a few moments to respond.

I sank my hand into her hair, holding her gently as I kissed her back.

It was soft, slow and easy.

And all fucking consuming.

Holy hell.

As it escalated and I slid my tongue into her mouth, exploring and tasting her, everything fell away, and there was just this moment in time with her.

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