Page 191 of Gift from the Wing

I linger, letting the remainder of her worry bleed out into me. When that happy little hum vibrates in the back of her throat, I give her a few pecks before making my way over to the kettle.

Four sugar cubes.

Six splashes of honeyed cream.

And my secret ingredient…an incredibly small pinch of allspice to enhance the roasted, earthy coffee grinds.

The guys think they could make her coffee perfectly, but they’re wrong because I hide that little flavor that so many turn their nosesup to. If you used too much of it, yeah, the strong undertones would ruin the whole drink, but the minuscule I put in is just right.

Some would find it weird that I keep a small stash hidden with me all the time, but I don’t give a fuck. Never know when my princess may want a coffee pick me up.

She deeply inhales the aroma as soon as I pass the mug over to her and sighs happily around the rim. I give her a quick kiss on the forehead and march back to my seat with a smug grin plastered to my face that she can’t see.

I hold in the groan that wants to escape me as I look down at the paperwork scattered across my desk. My room at the palace has spoiled me beyond belief when it comes to taking care of the administrative side of my role. There’s no sense in spending hours of my day working on things such as this when I can have it done in minutes.

Biting the dagger since we’ve got to be here when the others return anyways, I take a peek over at Willow, who’s already zoned into her book on true Primaries, again, then I center my attention on my own work.

The buzzing of my communicator steals my focus as soon as I gather it, and I side-eye it, planning on ignoring it, but the name I see causes me to pause.

“Gean Everglow is calling me,” I announce, grabbing the device and staring at it.

“What?” Willow whisper-yells as if he’ll hear her, jumping from the couch. “Are you going to answer it?”

Nodding, I place my finger to my lips.

“Headmaster Vito,” I answer on speaker with my scholarly tone rather than the relaxed pitch my Nexus and family get to hear.

“Corentin, how are you today?”

I grit my teeth at the lax way he says my name. He’s always addressed me and my brother as if we’re below him rather than show us the respect we deserve. I’ve always brushed it off so I don’t cause my mom any problems, but now that I know what I know, it pisses me off beyond fucking belief.

Fucking scum.

“It’s Headmaster Vito, Councilman Everglow.”

The silence on the other end is telling but not surprising. Gima got her holier than everyone attitude honest. Her mother and father believe they are Elementra’s gift to us all, and the rotten Genko berry didn’t fall far from the bush.

“Of course.”

“What can I do for you today?” I ask smugly.

“Just wanted to give you my proper congratulations. We’ve been quite busy over the last few weeks since we received the decree about the Spring Ball. The Matriarch’s announcement was a shock, to say the least, but a happy one.”

“I appreciate that. We’re all excited and overjoyed by Elementra’s blessing of a true Primary,” I say, casting my gaze over at Willow.

“Ah, yes, a bountiful blessing. For her to be a true Primary to the Vito heirs, she must be quite a powerful female,” he says, and the phishing for information on Willow is apparent in hiscompliment.

“What do you think he wants to know?”

“I’m not sure, princess. I don’t believe there’s anything I could say that they don’t already know. The Summum-Master is plenty aware of your level of power.”

“That she is. She’s impressive, to say the least.”

“If the rumors are true, I’d have to believe that. It’s been said she’s a shifter, dragon, just like the one in your Nexus. Does her beast have the same vicious tendencies?”

This motherfucker.

Willow’s eyes flash purple before settling back to her lethal silver and I smile because truthfully, her dragon could or would be a thousand times more vicious if need be over us.

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