Page 111 of Fated or Knot

“You could touch me and see,” I suggested.

Ear flicking, he ignored the invitation. “And…something unhinged: wondering what color coat our first colt will have.”

“Oh, that’s not that unhinged, as long as Niall understands it’ll be a while before… you know, kids.”

“I agree. I’m not ready to be a father,” he said immediately.

Well, it was a relief we were on the same page there. “He’d probably be blue. You are very blue,” I mused.

He laughed. The rare sound was deep and rich and had me leaning forward a bit for more. “I called our potential future son a colt, and you didn’t even bat an eye.”

“What can I say? I like horses,” I said gently.

His expression softened as he asked, “Even a feral one?”

“Wild horses have spirit. I imagine feral kelpies do, too. Imagine the adventures and companionship one has to offer,” I answered.

I held myself still as he reached between us, hesitated, and then skimmed his fingertips down the side of my face. He touched me with the same energy as someone testing to see if something was real. He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and squeezed once before releasing me, his intent expression sayingmine.

“Tomorrow?” I offered breathlessly. “If you’re sure.”

“I’ve rarely been more certain of any important decision.” His feral side rose as he smiled slowly, baring his fangs. “Tomorrow,” he agreed in a rumble.

I felt those vibrations down to my core. My wings fluttered, betraying my reaction. “Now that that’s settled, why don’t you take the evening off? I’m going to nixie night.”

“Implying I won’t be guarding Tanith’s door instead,” he remarked.

I began to crutch down the hall, and he followed at my pace. “Just take a break, is all,” I mumbled.

“I will. I’m…it’s a joke, p’nixie,” he said. “The guard presence along this wing doubles right before dinnertime and continues throughout the night. I do occasionally trust those males so I can rest.”

“Marius trusting someone?” Fal said with a dramatic gasp as he fell in on my other side when I passed by where he was waiting. “Name a rarer occurrence.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Marius muttered, switching to Serian. “I trust you with my mate, don’t I?”

“You have that backward. I’ve been trusting you with my mate, despite my better judgment,” Fal replied in kind.

I sighed heavily. Could these males not go five minutes without picking a fight? It made the small nixie waiting for us down the hall an even more welcoming sight when she waved with both arms. “Hi! Oh, stars, hello! Are you my new sister?” she called.

Ambriel was the spitting image of the girl I’d spent a night dreaming with. I wondered if she would recognize me. She was speaking Serian, though, which meant Fal answered for me. “She sure is. Head inside so we can get her settled, then you can meet her, Happy Fins.” She nodded eagerly and ducked into the nearest room. Tanith’s suite, I assumed.

Fal turned to me and switched back to speaking Theli. “That’s Ambriel, the current baby of the family. Fully blood related to this male, if you can believe it.” He hooked his thumb toward Marius, whose ear flicked as he glared back. “She’s a ray of sunshine. You’ll love her,mo stór.”

I already knew I did, smiling to myself at the chance to meet her for real.

“Is that Fal I hear?” an unfamiliar female asked, followed by a nixie’s head full of red hair leaning into the hall. She switched to Theli too as she shook out her wild mass of wavy locks. “Stars, the newly mated, though. Did it really require two of you to escort her over here?”

Eletha stepped out behind her, waving. “Lark! You made it.”

A third adult nixie peeked around the first and flashed a shy smile. “We didn’t have to pry her away from our brothers after all,” she murmured.

Fal smacked his lips. “Implying you all couldpryanything from me, especially my mate.”

All three of his sisters rolled their eyes at nearly the same time. They went back into the room. After a few hugs, Eletha took my blanket and pillow from Fal, and all the nixies present shooed my males out and threatened them with pelted pillows when they tried to delay. Fal didn’t even make introductions before he took the hint and left, with Marius following after one last, lingering glance in my direction.

32

LARK

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