Page 96 of A Trial of Fate

“All right, all right.” He laughed, holding up his hands and placing them into his pockets. “I’ll give you two hours. But I can’t promise more than that.”

“I’ll take it.” I grinned.

“Here, this will help keep your hands busy.” Rhea handed her mate a tall glass of whiskey.

“Is that wise?” Neera asked. “Adding alcohol to a newly mated couple on the verge of the female being in heat will lead to them…” Neera blushed.

“Fucking?” Rhea stated bluntly with amusement. She knew Neera couldn’t bring herself to say what we all knew she was thinking.

“And it will likely be in my garden!” Neera exclaimed.

“That sounds intriguing,” Talon answered with his pale blue eyes locked onto his mate.

“Neera,” I scolded. “Don’t give them any ideas.” And then I turned to Rhea. “Is she right? Are you on the verge of being in heat?”

Rhea only smiled and not-so-slyly interlaced her free hand into her mate’s pocket. “Weren’t we supposed to be talking aboutyourrecent nighttime adventures?”

“Seems I have arrived at just the right time to leave,” Shaw announced as he entered the kitchen, his scars along his arms shimmering against his skin as he rolled up his sleeve. “Are Rhea and Talon at it yet?”

I ran to Shaw and gave him one of the biggest hugs I could manage. “Whichyetare you referring to? Fighting or fucking?”

Shaw turned his dark eyes around the room to assess the mood. “Pre-fucking then. Got it. So, we maybe have them for a few hours before they disappear.”

“Exactly.” I winked and hugged him once more. I clung to him tightly, sinking into his arms with ease and an unhindered understanding.

I was going to miss Rhea, Talon, and my family like crazy, but I couldn’t deny that I was going to miss him the most. Shaw and I always shared a love of knowledge and wonder of the world. He was quiet and patient while I sometimes tended to be loud and impulsive. We also shared an understanding of what we experienced at the hands of the hunters and their mage.

“You all right?” Shaw asked. “You’re shaking, Sky.”

I pulled back and realized I was crying. “Shoot, I-I…”

Rhea crossed the kitchen to me with Talon and Neera close behind. They all wrapped me in a giant hug that almost squeezed the air out of my lungs, but it was totally worth it.

“You get this one,” Rhea said as they released me.

“We all agree,” Shaw said with a soft smile.

“Just this one for the night… That’s the only one. We are celebrating, and there are no tears at a party,” Talon added as he flipped back his shaggy black hair and slung his arms over Rhea’s shoulders.

“Fine,” I said as Neera looped her arm through mine and handed meoneof my very large glasses of wine.

“Drink up.” She laughed.

“Are you joining me?” I asked.

“If you want me to, I definitely can.” Neera didn’t typically indulge in drinking. She had one terrible hangover the first time she tried wine and had sworn off it ever since.

“Don’t sweat,” I answered as I kissed the top of her head. “You can be the voice of reason tonight when everyone else is acting foolish.”

“Great.” Neera sighed. “I’m going to bed long before that happens.”

“Old lady.” I laughed.

“Hey, Neera,” Shaw began. “Can we steal time alone with Sky before her delicious dinner is ready? Would you mind helping Julia and Magnus outside with the seating?” Neera didn’t want to leave, but she could never turn down a request from Shaw. I think a big part of her had a secret crush on him.

“On one condition,” she said.

“Name it.” Shaw flashed her a grin that spanned from one ear to the other. Hmm, maybe it was a two-sided attraction? That would be an interesting pairing.

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