Page 14 of Slaying With Sylphs

Pink dusts her cheeks. “I…I don’t know. I haven’t considered it.”

“No?” I reach out to stroke my fingertips down her jawline. “Pretty sure that’s a lie, my sweet.”

“Well,” she hedges, “are you planning to drag him up to a rooftop sometime soon to have this same convo? Shall we turn it into a mating production line?”

I grip her chin and force her gaze not to waver from mine. “I may be all charm, my darlin’, but the love? That’s only for the two o’ yeh.”

Her pink cheeks flush to red, but when she opens her mouth to say something, I jerk my head to the forest. “We’re gonna miss the show, Louanna. Shall we get going?”

It’s clear to see her struggle with the concept of spying on Connall.

“Don’t think of it as spying, my sweet,” I say. “I’m a hunter, so let’s go hunt.”

Louanna nips at her lower lip. “I don’t know if I’m in a good headspace to date anyone, much less this idea you have of all three of us. I just…I’m dealing with a lot right now. And if you think he’s your mate, you should be pursuing him, not acting creepy.”

“Mmm.” I stroke the shell of her ear as I don’t agree or disagree. “We’ll take it as slowly or quickly as yeh like. Just know that yeh’ve got my full attention, Louanna. Let me prove how good I can be. And don’t worry about me telling Connall. I will.”

Amber eyes flicker with an emotion I read as uncertainty, but she nods.

“Let me hear yeh say it with a playful wink: ‘Yes, Mister Zefferus.’”

She slaps my chest again, pulling her emotional armor back on. “I’m not repeating that. Once was enough; it’ll just encourage you.”

“Tae be honest, Louanna, there’s no stoppin’ an elemental male when he sets his eyes on his prize.”

She rolls her eyes. “Well, perhaps you should start by explaining more about that. What do elemental mating traditions look like? Is itallspying and secrets, or is there some part of dating you that would feel normal to a human and a shifter?”

I snort and grip her hand. “Normal? Not in the slightest, doll. But I can’t wait to show yeh what that means for us.” Glancing to the forest where Connall disappeared, I rub my gem. “I don’t need my gem tae fly. It does help to cement and strengthen my power a bit, but I can fly without it in my current form. Otherwise, it works the same way, so we’ll just step off the roof intae the air.”

Lou glances over the side of the roof to the ground two stories below us. “Umm, are you?—”

“Sure? Yeah. Trust me for the second time tonight?”

She nods and stands, reaching for my hand. “Kind reminder that I am terrified of being dropped.”

I spin her in my arms and pull her against my front again. “Never, my sweet.” And with that, I step backward and pull us into midair.

Lou screams as we fall, but before we hit the ground, I take off into the trees. Gods, I hope Connall didnae hear that shriek.

Lou grabs at the arm wrapped around her middle and threads her feet through my legs, gripping me tightly. We fly quickly through the forest, past beautifully aging pines with ferns growing thick around their bases. Minutes later, we come to the clearing, and, like always, Connall’s stopped on one side, leaning against a tree, just hidden in the shadows of its broad branches.

I stop far enough away that he cannae hear us, alighting on one of the lower tree limbs. It’s broad enough for me to sit on it with Louanna caged between my thighs. I position her there, keeping one arm around her middle. Her heart flutters wildly, her pulse pounding just under her skin.

“Keep quiet,” I murmur in her ear. “We’re just outta range of his hearing, but a lively shout would call his attention.”

“Maybe I’ll do that, then,” she snarks. “Something like, ‘Hey, over here! Dirk wants to fuck you!’”

“Good. Do it.” I grab her braid and pull it over her back so I can lift it to my nose and breathe in. “I’m gonna mightily enjoy this.”

Across the clearing, Connall glances at his comm watch. I don’t know what he’s looking for, but he drops both hands to his waist, staring around. A time or two, I’ve thought he knew I was here, but like Louanna, he’s never said a word. And I’ve watched. A lot.

Lou hisses in a breath when Connall reaches for the button of his jeans and opens it. He slides the zipper down, his heavy cock falling thick and hard from the opening. I’ve stared at it a million times, but I’m certain Louanna hasn’t had a chance to see how gloriously perfect it is.

“I’ve gotten close enough to see the veins,” I whisper in her ear. “When I’m in wind form, I can hover right beside him, spin his hair up a bit while he touches himself.”

“Getting creepier by the minute,” she hisses.

“Not creepy when yeh both belong tae me,” I remind her. “I mentioned this earlier, but it bears saying again, Louanna. There are no lengths a sylph male won’t go to to claim his mate or mates. Nolengthswhatsoever.”

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