Page 61 of Gemini Hunted
Like he’s thanking his rival both for saving his life and sharing his kiss.
Of course, being V, my snake has to go and ruin the moment. He releases Zephyr’s shoulder and steps back abruptly, breaking Zephyr’s grip on his lapels.
“I did it for Ronin and not you,” Vasili says, every word stinging like a wasp. “He’s suffered enough trauma on your account.”
Zephyr’s face shutters and closes. His eye narrows and his mouth hardens. Quietly he says, “Even so. I owe you a debt, beautiful one. A life for a life. You may be certain I will repay it.”
Then, without waiting for the acknowledgement he probably knows he won’t be getting, the Dark Fae King pivots on his booted heel and stalks toward the pillar where Draco lies sprawled, trying to clear his head.
The Cajun twists around and bares his werewolf fangs—newly emerged, but fully descended—at Zephyr with a rumble of warning.
“Jae.Whoa. Hold up.”Mallory extracts herself from her brother’s arms and hurries over to her guys. But I notice she gives Zephyr a really wide berth. “I honestly think we’ve had enough violence in thisdomusfor one morning.”
“I’m not the one you should be telling,chere.” Jae crouches and angles his body to stay between Draco and Zephyr. The Cajun’s amber eyes are getting wolfy, a spark of green fire glowing in each pupil.
Of course Zephyr, being Zephyr, just keeps coming. His lithe green-armored body slows to a prowl.
But that only makes him look more menacing.
“Everybody take it easy, okay?” Ash moseys over there himself, his long legs eating up the distance. “If this is about Sparrow nabbing me way back when, Freckles, you’re blaming the wrong joe.”
It takes me a sec to realize he’s talking to Mallory, who is indeed very freckled.
“You mean hedidn’tkidnap you?” By now, Mal has reached Draco’s side. She swings off her heavy backpack and huddles beside her guy, but her worried eyes track Zephyr’s every move.
Behind that pale golden sprinkle of nutmeg freckles, her face is white with fear.
“You may be certain I did,” Zephyr says loftily. “I covet your brother relentlessly. Whatsoever a Dark Fae covets, he steals. ’Tis been our custom for millennia.”
“Not helping, Your Transcendence.” I snort and head that way myself, with a protective Max dogging my every step. “Let’s focus on why Draco swung that axe at your head.”
“Yeah, what she said.” Ash sidles up alongside Zephyr and slings an affectionate arm over his shoulders, which manages to halt his advance about two seconds before that werewolf would’ve lunged for Zephyr’s throat. “Been in love with this guy for a good long time, ain’t I, Sparrow?”
“There were witnesses to the kidnapping,” Mal reminds Ash in a tight voice. “IncludingMom.The whole thing happened right outside the council room. They all said you fought like heck.”
Huh.
Maybe that’s why Draco just tried to kill him.
“Let’s just say I didn’t fight all that hard.” Ash tucks Zephyr against his side and basically makes clear to the whole room that they’re together.
“FokkingStockholm syndrome.” Draco gathers his big frame in a gingerly way and clambers to his feet with awince. “Hel.Your brother thinks he’s in love with hisfokkingkidnapper.”
Mal shakes her head like she can’t cope with her brother and his love life right now (understandable) and rootles around in the first aid kit belted to her waist. With a small sound of triumph, she extracts a plastic vial of acetaminophen and scrambles up. We all watch in bemusement while she slips a bottle of water from her well-stocked backpack, shakes out a couple of tablets, and firmly instructs Draco to take them.
He grumbles at her, then swallows the pills dry, like the grumpy Neanderthal he clearly is.
Mal tugs Jae gently to her side as well and holds his hand tightly, which seems to help with his wolf. Watching the three of them interact, I’m starting to realize shy Mallory McSnicker is every bit as much the queen of her small harem as I am the queen of mine.
Maybe it’s not so hard after all to imagine her as the Seelie Queen.
Under her pale face, her color is rising as she watches her brother cuddle the Dark Fae King.
“Then there’s the part about you being gonefour years.” For the first time I can ever recall, Mallory’s meek and mannerly First Girl voice is rising. “Without a single word to anyone. God, I read a poem at your funeral. We all thought you weredead, Ash.”
“Bit of a dick move, that,” Ronin mutters, with a chiding look at Ash, who meets it with his own level stare.
Ugh.
