Page 163 of Harley & Her Ferals

“You’re a bad liar.” Laurent pokes Harbinger in the ribs. “You were as scared as the rest of us were.”

Laurent is elegantly lounged on Harbinger’s lap like it was made for him. He nuzzles at Harbinger’s neck, lazily sniffing his scent gland.

“Busted.” Harbinger holds the coffee mug to Laurent’s mouth, as if this is a morning routine between a married couple of twenty years. “I’m happy that you’re still breathing, Kit.”

I’d think that he didn’t care, except I can feel his sincerity flowing through the bond.

River had been leaning over the back of the couch, quietly chatting to the other two men in an intimate way that makes me feel fuzzy and happy.

But when he sees me sitting up, he beams.

“L’anima gemella, you’re up.” River twirls around the couch, humming to himself. “Do you know that Lion has let me off chores for the next two weeks? I don’t even have to tutor him. He said that I should stay here in the suite with his sister and not come in to work for him at all.”

“M-mandatory bond leave.” Feral holds his hand out to River. “Has to.”

I have a feeling that it may be more that it’s too painful for Lionzio to see River right now, especially if he smells of me.

I hope that Lionzio takes this time to heal.

My brother’s heart has been broken.

I would say that it was nobody’s fault, but then, I now know that Allegra was scheming against him and dripping poison in his ear.

Feral is stretched out like a guard tiger in red shorts at the end of my bed.

I am relieved to hear his voice.

After he reverted to entirely feral during his extreme rut, part of me feared that he would wake up and be unable to talk.

I feared that gaining my bond would lead to the loss of his voice.

Actually, this morning Feral looks the healthiest that I’ve seen him in a long time.

He appears confident and self-satisfied.

The true King of this pack.

Being Chief Alpha suits him.

“It was still kind of Lion.” River glances at me with a complicated expression. He takes Feral’s hand. “He lent me the suit for Harbinger. He was really concerned about you, bella. He helped me to carry you back here from the ballroom, until Dad sent him away. And he didn’t sleep at all during your heat because he was so scared of losing you. He told me that:he didn’t care about losing the succession, if he lost his sister.”

My eyes burn with tears. “I love Lion, you know that.”

“I love him too. He’s my best friend.”

“Do you think that we can mend things with him?”

River smiles, sweetly. “Of course, I can do anything for you two. I told him how Allegra has been playing him. He’s upset but he understood. He didn’t even beat me.”

I really need to get River to raise his expectations.

“That’s good,” Harbinger drawls, “because now I don’t need tobeatmy bonded Omega’s brother to death with his own office chair.”

We all turn to look at Harbinger.

Harbinger shrugs. “What?”

Laurent taps the mug. “Give me more coffee, killer.”

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