Page 46 of How to Hide Your Angel Kid

Then she shoved her chubby hand through the gap, trying to grab his face. Galent barely managed to jerk his head back.

“Okay, that’s too close for comfort,” Galent said, pulling the blanket back over her. “I just want to hold you, Zarrie. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re still cursed, right?” Pinks asked carefully.

Galent pressed his hand over his chest, focusing on where the dark magic had been. He still felt it—it was a swirling, ominous mess, contained in his heart.

But... it also felt lighter than before. Instead of a hopeless, inky black, it was now a deep murky gray.

As though some of it had been siphoned off.

Galent’s heart stopped. He yanked at the covers, trying to get a better look at Zarrie. “She took some of it.”

“What?” Pinks cried, yanking at the covers too. When they uncovered Zarrie, she blinked up at them and grabbed Pinks’ nose. “Zee!”

“Does she smell sick?” Galent asked.

Pinks gently dislodged Zarrie’s hand. Then he buried his nose in her hair, and took a few deep sniffs. “She’s... She still smells clean. Pure. Sweet. Like she’s completely healthy.”

They stared at each other, Galent hardly daring to believe their good luck.

“I’m not touching her again,” he promised. “That was too dangerous.”

“Yeah.” Pinks wrapped his arms around Zarrie and hugged her close. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her.”

“Me, neither.”

Pinks cracked a small smile. “You too, huh?”

“Can’t I care for her?” Galent grumbled. “If you’re going to be my mate, then she’s going to be my baby, too.”

Pinks froze. “That wasn’t your goal, was it?” he asked, all narrow-eyed. “To steal my baby?”

Galent sighed. “Why would I steal your baby, when I can put multiple inside you?”

Pinks flushed again, prettily. “You’re terrible.”

“And you’re amazing.” Galent admired Pinks, something stirring in his memory. “Hold on. Would you... Would you like it if I courted you with some... pickup lines?”

Horror dawned on Pinks’ face. “You... don’t happen to be thinking aboutthoselines.”

Galent straightened. “You’ve seen them before?”

“They’re in a cursed book.” Pinks gestured at the closet. “When I got here, one of the butlers shoved it at me. I was... very horrified.”

“Oh.” Handsome had given Galent the same pink book, probably—699 Pickup Lines For Your Wriggly Heart Muffin—and although most of them were cringe-worthy, Galent had thought there were a few gems in there.

He’d left his copy at home, though.

Maybe he’d steal the book when Pinks wasn’t looking, and find a few good lines to court his mate.

Pinks frowned suspiciously. “What’s with that look on your face?”

Galent tried to appear innocent. “What did I look like?”

“Like you were contemplating going through my closet.”

Galent whistled extremely innocently, and Pinks rolled his eyes.

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