Page 62 of Fated or Knot

“We could prop the door,” I suggested. I also felt how charged the air had become and knew we had to change the subject.

Fal chuckled. “Nay, sweet thing. I think Kauz gets to explain himself while I take you to the female’s bath.”

“Fine,” Kauz said.

I imagined Marius and Tormund being much less relaxed about the whole thing. “Sorry,” I whispered.

He shifted and put an arm around me, pressing one last kiss against my cheek. “It was worth it.” There was still lingering heat in his gaze as he stroked his fingers through my hair.

My heart leapt. I think I fell deeper for him then and there, and it had nothing to do with my pre-heat or any post-orgasm high.

Then he handed me down to Fal, who already had a towel and my bag of toiletries in hand. The dark elf scooped me up to carry me out of the room. “What are you doing?” I protested. “I can walk!”

“Then Kauz didn’t do a very good job,” Fal said. Something hit the other side of the door with athumpafter it closed behind us, and he snickered.

“He…” Oh, taking about this with his brother was weird, even if they were packmates.

Fal raised a brow behind his mask, his grin full of mischief. “He what?” he asked.

I cleared my throat, grasping for another change of subject. “Why are you wearing that?” I pointed at the mask.

“I found it,” he answered. “And, you see, it’s mine. I figured you should see my Seelie disguise in the light of day.”

The illusion on it had changed him into a forest elf, sure, but there was no mistaking his Unseelie mischief or the lilt in his words. Now that I knew better, all I saw was Fal overlaid with tanned skin and green hair and eyes. It was eerie.

“Why? Do you want it?” he teased. I started to smile, hopeful to have at least one of my tokens back for a future nest. “You know what to do to get it back, tricksy li’l omega.”

I might as well stop coveting it. How was I supposed to steal it from him again when he was expecting it this time?

He set me on my feet before the female’s bath with a wink, offering over the towel and toiletry bag. I glanced over my shoulder, wary Cymora or Laurel were having one of their long soaks in one of the tubs while they waited for me to show up.

“They’re not in there,” Fal said. I glanced back at him, catching the confidence of his statement. He’d bared the edges of his fangs, just the beginnings of a snarl. “You won’t have to worry about them anymore. Trust me.”

I did. Trust him, that was. Despite the way we’d met—and the reminder of it he wore—he’d earned my trust with the rest of his brothers for caring for me after my feral moment yesterday.

“Okay.” I tilted my head, flashing my throat purposefully to show him that trust. He released a pleased rumble that I felt to my core.

I walked into the female’s bath and found that he was right. Iwasfeeling weak in the knees.

20

LARK

Achange of clothes was folded and waiting for me just within the threshold of the female’s bath once I was cleansed. Tormund waited for me to emerge, a hopeful little smile crossing his face. “Hi, li’l bird,” he said in a way too gentle voice.

He offered his arms for a hug with the slow movements of an alpha to a frightened omega. But there was no need. He wasn’t raging, nor did more straightforward alpha anger waft off of him to spook me. I limped into his embrace and sighed happily when a deep purr rumbled in his chest. He gave the best hugs.

He scooped me up to carry me back to our room, and I huffed into the heat of his shoulder. “I can walk,” I grumbled for the second time today. It was hard to stay irritated with him still purring so soothingly.

“I just want to comfort the li’l bird,” he answered in a low voice.

He shifted unhappily, guilt filling his eyes. He’d beaten himself up too much already for his sudden rage yesterday. “Could you stop here for a moment?” I asked when we were between cars.

“Of course. You want to look at the sea?” He turned so the sun was at his back, though it still cast a glare over the water far below us. “Soon we’ll be over Serian. I can smell it.”

“What does it smell like?” I asked. All I could scent right now was salt water and dust.

He smiled wistfully. “The cold. The more north we go, the colder it gets. And I can smell the chill from here. We’ll be home tomorrow.”

---