Page 79 of Stealing Mercury
“She’ll see the truth of things.” He rubbed his thumb across the inside of her wrist. “Willnotclaiming Mercury make it any better in her eyes?”
She shook her head. A week ago she would never have dreamed he could be so wise. “You always surprise me, Lo.”
“It’s fair then.”
“Fair?”
“You’re also a surprise to me.” His voice dropped to an awe filled rumble. “A prize I never imagined.”
“Lo—”
“When Carn took Hera as mate, I refused the bond.” His muscles tensed as if he’d confessed a terrible sin... or a dangerous truth.
“Why?” But she wasn’t asking why he’d refused. She knew he had a terrible past where women were concerned. And she knew he’d bonded to her because he was the only one left of Mercury’s pack brothers who could. “Why tell me?”
His ears flicked. “Go to Mercury now. I hear him getting up.”
She stroked one of the velvet triangles and watched him tremble with pleasure. “I’ll get Felzaf. Then I’ll be back. Mercury wouldn’t want me to let you face this alone.”
He closed his eyes as if her words wearied him. It sent shards of doubt through her. She had never been good at relationships and she’d never let it bother her, but this time she was navigating the trickiest of waters and she was afraid she’d tip the boat in the wrong direction and all of them would drown.
Chapter Twenty-Four
HaverleeRefugeeCamp,Krena
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“Will you open your father’s box in the morning?” Mercury had already pulled off his new clothes and crawled into the collection of stuffed mattresses they’d stretched across the floor of her old bedroom. A strategically placed blanket prevented her from drooling over him—too much.
“I don’t know.” Samantha pulled the comb through her hair one last time then set it aside. “It doesn’t really matter. Nothing in that box could change the way he lived his life.”
Though Samantha was beginning to see that just because she didn’t understand something that didn’t make it wrong.
“Moira speaks of him with happiness in her voice.”
“She always did.” She crawled into the bed still wearing her tank and briefs. The others would be joining them to sleep. Somehow it had seemed wrong to ask Carn to sleep in the other room, and then there was Lo.
“You should speak to her about it.” He leaned against her, nudging her temple with his jaw.
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
He nipped at her lips then stared her down. “Maybe?”
She was saved from having to answer when Lo stepped into the room. He’d taken off his boots, detracting from the more civilizing effects of the clothes he still wore.
“Carn is walking Moira down to visit with one of her friends for a few hours.” Lo stood very still by the door.
Samantha looked from Lo to Mercury. Both men watched her as if she were a star with nova potential. “You arranged for her to be gone?”
Mercury stroked a hand down her back. “You’re uncomfortable with your mother knowing about us.”
So, he’d made it possible for them to have sex without her mother hearing. “I’ll explain it to her in the morning.” Because she didn’t want him thinking she was ashamed of him.
She could see her promise made him happy.
Mercury looked up to Lo. “Come closer.”
