Page 148 of Gift from the Wing

A chuckle escapes me and her teasing laugh wraps around my heart as her arms lace their way around my waist. I don’t mind her eavesdropping, nosiness, whatever we want to call it. I’ve just found that I like teasing her. I love the pink her cheeks turn when I make her blush from something other than arousal.

I know I can make her skin pinken from the palm of my hand or a darkened look, but to make her flush at something funny or playful I said is completely different.

The whole feeling itself is something I’ve never experienced.

Me? Corentin Vito, teasing. No.

Realm’s most controlling headmaster, oldest and sternest of the heirs.

Yes.

For my princess, though, I’ll be it all.

I want it all. Her laughs, her playfulness, her moans. I need it all. So for her, I’ll tease, taunt, and joke until her cheeks are pink from laughing so much.

Then I’ll spank the other ones to make them match.

“Corentin…” she breathes.

“See what you get, little warrior,” Tillman mocks and the two of us send our low chuckles through to her, making her squirm.

“Draken’s almost done talking Layton’s parents heads off and Gaster, Keeper, and Tanith should be arriving at the academy any minute now, but to address your comment, princess, I am excited. It may not seem this way here lately, but I do love being headmaster. It’s not always so chaotic, and that’s when I really get to get important work for the academy and students done. Taking Layton today for a tour is a perfect example of that. Very rarely do we get kids his age with the ability and potential he has. This is going to make a huge difference in his life. For the better. This is the best part of my job,” I tell her honestly.

I remember her tour like it was yesterday.

That was one of the best days of my life, and I’ll never forget it.

Granted, I was still being a hard-ass, but on the inside, my body was thrumming with the awakening of our bond, and I wanted nothing more than for her to have an amazing experience. I didn’t miss a moment of any of her reactions. The awestruck wonder that came across her face when she took her first look at the academy will be imprinted on my mind forever.

“Then let’s get a move on so we can show it all to him and get him situated,”she says softly, squeezing her arms around me tighter.“Come on, dragon. You can talk more with them when we get there.Let’s go.”

“Okay, Fank family, we can talk more at the academy. We’ll have to walk you in through the wards, so hold on to me and the big guy,” Draken says, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Sira, Layton, and two of his dads join Tillman, while the other three move toward Draken. Each of them looks nervous, understandably, but hopefully once they see where their son will be, they’ll grow less anxious.

Willow stays with me, and I obscure her sight of Sira touching Tillman, although I don’t think it would cause her to growl this time. Plus, as Cas presses into her back, she shivers and we share a look, plenty pleased with her being smushed between us.

I’m surprised he’s here, although I guess I shouldn’t be when the being he’s most obsessed with is between us. He’s been consumed over our uncle’s room since yesterday, but she got him to come to bed and come with us today without an argument.

Our mischievous grins swiftly turn into frowns when Willow announces, “Okay, on me.”

Caspian quickly covers his laugh with a cough and then looks at me with that fucking twinkle in his eye. He’s going to make me say something.

Asshole.

“Princess, maybe—”

“No, I know what you’re going to say. I can do this. I don’t like doing it, but I have to get over it. Oakly’s training on long distance tracking is starting ASAP and I at least need to know how to transport more than just me before then.”

Her unwavering tone settles any rebuttal I had ready. She wants to know and is determined to do it, so that’s that. Who am I to stop her from learning, and if this is what she wants, I’ll be the one to teach her.

“Okay then, princess. Pinpoint the spots we’re touching you and send your magic there,” I instruct and when I feel the caress of her magic across my palm, I carry on, “Perfect. Now in your mind, clearly picture the front of the academy. Right where I took you the first time. Once you have it clear in your mind, open the transport, but don’t forget to pull our magic with you.”

I leave my instructions short, quick, and to the point. She’s already read everything she can on transporting herself and others. It’s just the matter of doing it now. The only reason I bothered saying anything was to give her a moment to settle her nerves and ground herself.

“Ready?” she asks, blowing out a breath.

“Ready, princess.”

---