Page 53 of Slaying With Sylphs

“Did too. I bet I’m bleeding.”

I lick her earlobe, then suck it between my lips. When she giggles, I nuzzle below her ear with the tip of my nose. “Not bleeding. Jest delicious, Louanna.”

Connall joins us, setting three short glasses on the island. He opens the fridge and grabs a decanter of what looks like cherry juice. Dropping a splash into the glasses, he adds an orange twist on top and pushes two glasses toward us.

“My take on what the triplets tell me is called an Old-Fashioned. I’ll admit I comm’d Morgan to ask what you like.”

Lou reaches for the glass as I resist the urge to lift it to her lips myself. Instead, I reach for mine and take a tentative sip. Orange, cherry and the deep, oaky flavor of whiskey burst across my senses.

“How about a toast?” Connall smiles at us both, leaning over the counter and lifting his glass.

We clink ours together as his eyes rove between Louanna and me. “To surprises. To new beginnings. To delicious food and delightful company.”

“And hot sex,” I add. “Don’t ferget that, Wolf.”

His nostrils flare. “Thought I was covering that with delicious food.”

Louanna chokes on her drink, sputtering as she laughs at his comment.

He gives me a superior look and turns to the fridge once more, withdrawing a tray covered in filets. He sets it on the countertop and looks between us. “I thought filet, salad and mashed potatoes was a pretty good start. Any allergies or dislikes among those foods, though? It’s easy to make something else.”

“This looks amazing, Connall.” Louanna reaches across the counter to rub the back of his hand.

I lock my gaze to his. “I’ll eat whatever yeh give me, Wolf.”

Louanna slaps my stomach. “Jesus, Dirk, do you make everything sexual?”

I snort, pretending to be affronted. “I’m not a picky eater, Louanna. I’ve no allergies. I’ll eat anything.”

“Grab your drinks.” Connall lifts the tray of steaks and grabs a spatula from a drawer. “Let’s go outside.”

When he turns, he calls out a command to the treehouse. The entire back wall of the living room goes clear as glass, giving us an unobstructed view of the verdant green forest at the edges of Shifter Hollow. Lou gasps and runs to the door, stepping out onto a wide deck with simple wooden rails. She holds the door for Connall as we follow her outside.

The deck is gorgeous, running the full length of his home, nearly fifty or sixty feet long. At the far back end, it bumps out, and there’s a covered hot tub. Up against the wall stands a built-in grill with a countertop running five feet on either side. The deck is deep, stretching maybe fifteen feet out into the forest. Comfortable-looking chairs and sofas form a half-moon shape around the grill area. A glass table in the middle has a tray of fruit, cheese, and crackers on it.

“Dig in while I cook,” Connall says, setting the tray of steaks down. “Make yourselves at home.”

His words send something painfully tender stabbing through my guts.

Home.

A word that’s always been hard for me. Elementals don’t have homes the way other monsters do. We have home territories, but nothing like this. I’ve never lived in a house. Even during my hunter training, it was hard for me to live inside, and I never did well at it, preferring to spend time outside in my elemental form.

But the idea of a home with my mates is something I’ve dreamed of my whole life.

Clearing my throat, I lift my eyes to find Louanna staring at me. She’s fookin’ observant, but when she opens her mouth to say something, I make her a cracker and offer it to her instead.

“You okay?” she mouths.

“Never better,” I answer truthfully. Once my plan is complete and I have my mates locked down, Connall’s home will probably becomeourhome. House Zefferus. Would they take my name? It’d be my honor if they did.

I cast my train of thought aside. I’ve wanted all of this for so long, but Connall invited us here so we could get to know one another better. My mates aren’t as far down the path toward claiming as I am. They likely haven’t been imagining the three of us together for ages like I have. I’d do well to remember that.

Lou takes the cracker and nibbles on it, staring at the wonder around us. When she’s done, she glances over at Connall. “This is absolutely beautiful. How long have you lived here?”

He smiles as he turns the grill on and waits for it to heat. “About ten haven-years. I spent most of my life in my home haven of Arcadia. That’s where Richard and Ohken are both from too.”

She tucks her knees to her chest and rests back in the chair. “Did you know them there?”

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