Chapter Fourteen
Flowers are for Admiring. Not Drinking.
I’m going on a date with Rowan.Excited, I shot out of bed and grabbed my boots, shoving one foot inside, then the other.
“Where are you taking him?” Lake placed the whittling knife on the table and stood.
“Out,” Rowan answered.
Lake bared his teeth. “Give me more details than that, thief. Evan means more to me than anything in this world, and I’ll be damned if you—”
“Oh, relax, Daddy Wolf,” Rowan said with a flippant wave of his hand. “I’ll bring your precious boy back to you safe and sound.” That snaggletooth appeared. “I’ll take real good care of him. I promise.”
Warmth pooled in my belly. Did he mean what I think he did?
The purple in Lake’s eyes glowed brighter as he glared at Rowan. “You intend to bed him.”
“Aye. I do.” Rowan’s smirk blossomed into a full-blown cocky grin. “If you weren’t serious about stabbing me before, I’m sure you are now.”
“I have no desire to hurt you. Right now, anyway. If you hurt Evan though, that’ll change.” Lake stepped over to his knapsack, withdrew something, and handed it to him. “Take this before you leave.”
“What is it?” Rowan held up a glass vial and moved it from side to side, scrutinizing the liquid contents.
Very familiar contents.
“Oh my god,” I said as realization slammed into me. “That’s the nasty flower juice.”
“The what?” Rowan asked.
But I couldn’t respond. Emotion welled up behind my eyes, and an achy pressure squeezed my throat.
Briar had suspected I’d have sex with Rowan and planned ahead for it. He and Maddox had told me they were okay if I wanted to be with Rowan, but seeing the proof of that acceptance nearly sent me into a crying fit.
“It’s a tonic that rids the body of disease,” Lake explained. “And it’s nonnegotiable if you wish to be with Evan. It’s for his protection, as well as for the rest of us.”
“Nonnegotiable?” Rowan uncorked the vial and sniffed. “Smells revolting.”
“Believe me,” I said, fastening the cloak around my shoulders. “The taste matches the smell.”
“Lovely.” Rowan made a face. “What if this is a poison meant to kill me? My death would knock a player off the board.”
“The board is big enough for all of us,” Lake told him, making my heart flutter. “Evan wants you in his life, and the three of us support him. Killing you would make him cry.”
“Doesn’t take much to do that,” Rowan muttered, then sighed. “Fine. I’ll drink the silly tonic.” He downed it in one gulp and cringed. “Why’s it so bitter? I need rum to wash out the taste.”
Lake flashed a devious smile.
Realizing what happened, I bit back a laugh. Briar had added honey to ours when we’d taken it to help with the taste, but it wasn’t a necessary ingredient for the tonic to be effective. He must’ve given Rowan the full dose of floral nastiness without anything to sweeten the bitterness.
I bounced over to Lake and buried myself against his chest. His arms came around me, and he pressed his face into my hair.
“Be safe,” he whispered.
“I will.” As excited as I was to go with Rowan, it made me sad to leave Lake behind. So I held on to him a little longer. A bit tighter. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” He nuzzled me as a sound built in his throat, like a whine but softer. “If you need me, say my name.”
“I’ll always need you.”
