Page 71 of Blood on the Ice

Meeting Magnus at a charity event changed the trajectory of my life forever.

I pull into the driveway, turning the SUV’s engine off and removing the keys. My body is on auto-pilot as I try to figure out how to come to terms with the situation I’m walking into. It’s not like I’m going to drop to my knees and mimic that movie from the 90s with cries about not being worthy. However, I am still concerned about how I’m going to be received by all these crazy rich people families and their minions. It’s making me nervous about their proposal and I don’t like it.

“Morgana,” Lucas says as he approaches me carefully.

Blinking, I look up at his handsome face in surprise. I didn’t realize he’d come around to my side of the car. “Mmm?”

His hand brushes a lock of hair off of my face as he smiles. “Get out of your head. I don’t know what you’re stewing on, but if it’s about the Prince and I… You have nothing to worry about.”

“As if,” I scoff, slamming my car door shut. “I’m not worried about the two of you. You’re not the first two men to proposition me—not even the first to do it in a car.”

There. Now I feel less exposed.

“Good to know,Salaadir. But you’re not wrong to wonder how this will be different.” Liam tilts his head, holding his hand out to me. I move towards him without thinking about it, and he grins. “There are many differences—both subtle and less so—between species, as well as ones that vary when you encounter a royal or an alpha.”

I take his hand and my temperature spikes by a thousand degrees as his hand squeezes mine. “I didn’t know that.”

“Especially when you are likely one yourself,” Lucas says as he joins us. “Because you, my slithery mate, are likely descended from alpha blood. That’s probably why our first time was so… explosive.”

“Who told you that?” I ask as they escort me up the steps to the front door.

His lips curve, and he winks. “I’ll never tell.”

We’ll see about that, my gargoyle growls in my head.

The guys stop, blinking at me. Lucas grins broadly as he lifts my free hand to his lips. “Ifeltthat. One of your sides just surgedthroughout the bond like a steamroller. It made my bear want to wrestle for dominance. What was it?”

“The gargoyle,” I murmur as I punch in the code at the door. “She didn’t like when you said you wouldn’t tell me.”

Liam lets go of my hand, moving his to my lower back as he ushers me inside. “Now we know which side is the most in charge, Morgana. Your gorgon might be a defender, but the gargoyle is dominant. And she wants you to be as well.”

I give him a look that says ‘duh,’ and he shrugs. Rubbing the back of my neck, I turn to Lucas. “He doesn’t have an alpha inside of him. Will it always anger your bear?”

“Hell if I know. He doesn’t hate the idea of fighting for control, though, so perhaps we just have to encourage them to play nice and take turns.”

The scent of flowers fills the air and I turn to see Liam growing vines out of thin air, letting them curl as they grow toward the ceiling. “I can help with that. There are lots of ways magic can enhance things, Morgana. Have you been with a magic user before?”

“Not Fae,” I admit, as I watch the flowers in awe. “Twin demi-gods for a short time, but they… were a bit too flighty for my taste. And a small vampire coven… all before Magnus, obviously. But no one with the kind of magic you have.”

Liam winks as he whispers, “The magic both your professorandI have. Not to mention what variations the siren and Kaspar possess.”

I snort. “Kaspar willneverbe a concern. He’s made that very clear.”

“Yet he’s out sleuthing for clues.”

Shaking my head, I lean back into Lucas with a sigh. “Because you asked him to, and it’s his duty.”

“Not this. It has nothing to do—officially—with court business for the moment. This he could refuse if he so chose.” Liam grins as he steps forward, pressing me between the polar bear and his own muscles. “But he didn’t even protest much. You should think about that.”

“But not now,” Lucas says as he tilts my head to one side. His lips brush over my neck and I shudder. “Because right now, we have plans.”

Oh. Well, I can’t ruin their plans, now can I?

intrigue

This campus is chock full of supes who are completely clueless. I have no idea how these idiots even function. Most of the students I’ve encountered barely realize the leadership here has changed unless they’re athletes. The sporty looking people echo sentiments I assume are coming from their well-to-do parents or bullheaded coaches. Nothing they offertells me a damn thing about who might try to frame the bear, nor why any of them are even considered qualified to attend a university.

The gargoyle’s ex may have played games with admission standards for the college players as well as fucked up the finances.

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