Page 5 of Iced Heat

Why did Teddy and everyone else have to gossip about me? Why did they get to color his view on what happened before he heard my side of the story? He wasmineafter all.

“Everyone talks about everyone” Feral sighed. “It’s the law of the civilized jungle. You do it too, but you can pretend you don’t like the rest of us, but everyone talks about everyone.”

He was right but I didn’t have to like it. I searched out Xav’s dark eyes but his expression gave nothing away. I glanced at the hallway leading to the hotel like spiraling corridor that was housed inside Glitter Bomb. Then again, I didn’t want to be trapped here if Daliah showed up.

“That’s exactly what I meant,” Feral said, pointing at me. “You think loudly enough to slap the flight link but that’s what I meant about this fight fucking things over for both of you. Your true-mate is standing between your legs and you’re thinking about whether or not your sister will show up.” Xav side eyed Feral and the others. I opened my mouth to remind him Feral was anomega like me, but he glanced back at me and arched his brows. I wasn’t sure what he was asking.

“He doesn’t know the Starscale flight link that well,” Selt chuckled, finally setting down and pointing to the stool between him and Teddy as a place for his mate to sit.

“I think I need to smoke,” Xav said, patting his shirt pocket. “Wanna come with me?”

“He does,” Feral teased. “That’s why he’s so worked up.”

Xav didn’t even glance in Feral’s direction as he stepped back and held a hand out for me to shake. He was unflappable. I’d give him that. Then again, most unflappable people went through hell to reach that stage. I took his hand and let him pull me outside the back way. It was only as I watched him light his cigarette that he must’ve picked up where the back exit was over the Starscale flight link.

“Want one?” he offered, holding out his pack.

“I’m aright. I have enough energy without adding in a stimulant.”

“Say what you want but these calm me down,” he grinned and reached out for me with his free hand. “Wait.” He dropped his hand before my fingers found it. “You’re part fox, right? Is this even safe for you to be around?”

“If I said ‘no’, what would you do?” I toyed with him and grabbed his hand.

Not touching him wasn’t an option for me. Everything inside me buzzed wanting him. For romping sure, but also just to be close to him – to be in his orbit. Fuck! Was this how Rosemary convinced Daliah to let her take over? Was I losing my mind too?

“Walk down the block and smoke up someone else’s lungs, probably,” he shrugged.

“I smoke enough pot that if I was going to get a side effect from the smoke it would’ve happened by now,” I said, and stepped closer to him.

“How much pot?” he asked.

“A few times a week probably. More recently but you’ve heard enough about what happened probably,” I shrugged.

“That your sister didn’t even bother asking you before setting her mate lose on your shared house?” Xav arched a brow. “That’s how Teddy tells it anyway.”

“Something like that. I’d have said no even if she did ask.”

“Better to beg forgiveness and all of that,” Xav said and took a long draw from his cigarette.

For a microsecond I was jealous of its purple tip stuck between his lips. I’d have given anything to be that cigarette.

Xav smirked and I blushed. Had he just plucked that thought from the Starscale link? He nodded at me and dropped my hand before wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me in close to him. I was a bit taller than him but that didn’t stop him from sliding his hand down onto my ass. I squeaked caught off guard but then turned my attention to kissing his neck. He tasted like fresh snow smelled. A happy sigh drifted over his lips, and he leaned his head over allowing me to drag my tongue up and down the side of his throat, marking him as my territory. A bit of paranoia made me feel both of his shoulders to ensure there was only one claiming gland. Polyamory worked for plenty of people but the whole ordeal with the house and Daliah proved I didn’t share and play well with others.

“Just one gland,” Xav confirmed and took another long draw from his cigarette. “We all went a bit insane feeling ourselves up after your dad, Elio, and Nelum to be honest. The councils even had a meeting asking if it was something healers should check for. Apparently, they have councils for everything but barely ever talk about private health care stuff.”

“What did they decide?” I asked, nuzzling into the shoulder that housed Xav’s claiming gland.

“That no they shouldn’t do it automatically. Those glands aren’t part of a standard physical and even that’s something anyone can opt out of. So, upon request anyone can be checked but no one gets checked otherwise. Standard Starscale protocol from what I’ve seen so far. I don’t know much about how stuff works here but they have the best protocols of any world I’ve lived on when it comes to health care.”

I lost myself to his voice and his scent. The roasted marshmallow aroma hadn’t followed us outside, but he still smelled like fire and ice. Something metallic too. Was he a sort of dragon we’d never seen before?

“I am now. Well, sort of,” he chuckled. “It’s complicated. You’ll know sooner or later. It’s probably right up there with condoms or no condoms and babies or no babies and all of that.”

I buried my face into the crook of his neck trying not to blush as the thought of him cumming into my omegahole crossed my mind.

“Can I ask a weird question?” I asked, my words barely audible.

“Bet it won’t be the strangest I’ve been asked,” he shrugged.

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