Page 12 of Beyond the Winter Kingdom
“His approval isn’t the person’s you need,” Cadoc said in a flat tone.
A hand darted out, smacking him in the back of the head. Mrs. Wylde pursed her lips at her son. “Stop being amisogynistic asshole and act like the man I raised you to be. This isn’t the eighteenth century. He doesn’t need anyone’s approval except Meera’s.”
“Exactly.” Meera pointed at him sternly. “I don’t need your approval, or anyone else’s. I can make my own choices, thank you very much.”
“Debatable.” Cadoc scoffed, then pointed toward Lucian with a blade in hand. “If not for that particularchoice, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Let it go,” Mr. Wylde said, voice dropping low.
I knew Meera wouldn’t appreciate me fighting her battles for her, especially where her family was concerned, but it was a hard thing to stay quiet while my mate was trading jabs with her brother.
“What’s that saying about stones and glass houses?” Meera said acidly, arching an eyebrow.
“I know better than to live in glass, so my point still stands.”
Conor Wylde’s hand clapped down on Cadoc’s shoulder, knuckles white from the strength of his grip, but Cadoc didn’t flinch, nor did he look away from Meera and the stare down they had locked into. “All right, that’s enough. Your sister gets the point. We need to focus on the matter at hand, and that’s getting Sadie back. You two can fight about her profession and associates later.”
Meera huffed, rolling her eyes. “There’s nothing more to talk?—”
Lucian’s chair erupted into fire, effectively breaking the tension and cutting Meera off. He leapt to his feet, eyes narrowed at Drayden. While the other man hadn’t moved an inch, the red glow of his eyes was the telltale sign he was behind it.
“Hey!” Farris yelled from behind the bar. “Put it out! Now!”
The flickering orange flames blinked out of existence, like they were never there to begin with. The only proof that remained was a single wisp of smoke and a pile of ash where the chair had been.
“I’ll pay for it,” I told Farris.
“Mhmm,” he mumbled under his breath. He sent a scathing glare at Drayden before disappearing in the back.
“Start moving, or next time it will be you I light on fire,” Drayden told Lucian in a bored voice. He turned his back on us and started for the fireplace, not caring that everyone was staring.
“That’ll be hard to do, seeing as I’m fireproof you feckin’ gobshite,” he called after him.
Drayden glanced over his shoulder, a cruel smile gracing his mouth. “I enjoy a good challenge.”
I sighed. It would have been better to have taken Lucian to the castle myself, but it would have delayed our departure immensely. Unfortunately, the only person that could transport people within the realm was Drayden.
“He really doesn’t know when to quit, does he?” Corvo said to no one in particular. “Even I don’t fuck with the surly one, and I’m a?—”
“We get it, you’re a god,” I cut him off. Corvo let out a harrumph and muttered something about not getting the respect he deserved.
“That’s our cue,” Meera said, putting Corvo down and brushing the fur from her shirt. “Let’s get moving.” She clapped twice and started for the door.
“I’m still going with them,” Cadoc said, sheathing his blade. He thrust his head toward the fireplace.
Molly Wylde frowned, looking between her son, Meera, and Lou. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He shrugged. “All the other bases are covered. I’m more useful extracting what information I can from the shady fuck.”
“I’ve already told you everything,” Lou said dryly.
Cadoc flashed a smile that was all teeth. “We’ll see about that, won’t we?”
“Drayden?” I asked. While King, there were only two people—three if you counted my mate—who I couldn’t command. The first was Kaia, who would have my balls if I tried. The second was Drayden, who would have my head.
A suspended moment passed when all of Meera’s family got to their feet.
“He can come.”
