Rowan flashed my favorite tooth. “Wouldn’t mind the next one being a rogue of the sea. Or a spy. I can think of one who’d jump at the opportunity to sink his teeth into you.”
I exaggerated a sigh. “Draven is totally in love with me. I know.”
Laughter rang out among my men. Even Rowan let one slip, which didn’t happen often.
“The hour is late. We should take our leave.” Briar grabbed his satchel from the floor and rifled through it, withdrawing a small vial. “I’ll leave this with you. Should you have need of it.”
“Oh no,” I said. “The flower juice.”
Lake cocked his head at Briar. “But Callum is untouched. A cleanse isn’t necessary.”
“You were untouched as well, yet I still insisted you take the tonic,” Briar told him. “When Evan’s safety comes into question, I’ll always take precautions. Necessary or not.”
“That’s the tonic taken for when you…” Callum’s eyes blew wide. “Oh.”
Rowan snorted. “Gods, could you be any more of a maiden?”
My eyes stung with unshed tears. That little vial symbolized Briar’s acceptance of me being with another man. It tossed aside any leftover tendrils of guilt I might’ve had.
“I added extra honey.” Briar placed the vial on the table. “It should dull most of the bitterness.”
“What?” Rowan scowled. “You didn’t add honey to the one you made me.”
“Because I didn’t like you at the time.”
At the time.Meaning, he felt differently now. We really were a family. Untraditional, sure, but our bonds couldn’t be broken. And each addition only made us stronger.
“Is it safe for Callum to…” Lake’s fluffy ears drooped. “Be intimate? With his injury.”
“Yes,” Briar said. “The wounds on his torso are mostly healed and resemble scars now. None will reopen. However.” He turned to Callum. “Do be mindful of the one on your neck. It has healed significantly, but I kept it bandaged as a precaution.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
Lake nuzzled me and gave me the softest of kisses before pulling his hood back up to cover his ears. Rowan sighed and helped him tuck his tail back in, calling him names and chiding him the entire time. The affection was evident in his topaz eyes though—the one part of him that could never lie.
Briar touched Maddox’s arm. “Say good night to your muffin.”
“I think I’ll stay,” my big grump said, arms still crossed.
“No, you won’t.” Briar tugged against his chest armor to move him away from the wall. “If they choose to be intimate, it will be Callum’s first time. He doesn’t require an audience.”
“You dare lecture me about such a thing when you love watching me fuck our male?”
“Well, that’s…” Briar adjusted his glasses and quietly cleared his throat. “Different.”
A blush darkened Callum’s cheeks. Hell, one probably showed in mine too. My men spoke so casually about me having sex with someone else, much like you’d talk about a beautiful summer day.
Well, Callumwaslike the sun. Virgin or not, I had a feeling he’d set me on fire. The heat of his skin, the warmth of his touches, and the sunspot explosions he’d ignite in my core as our bodies tangled together in the sheets.
“Listen here, rabbit.” Rowan pointed at him. “You are welcome to his ass, but his cock is mine.”
“Oh my god.” I put my hands over my face. “Yep. I think I’m gonna build a grass hut in the forest. Become one with nature.”
“You will do no such thing.” Maddox came over and knelt down, placing one finger under my chin and tipping it up. His lips skewed as our eyes met. “You can’t bake muffins in the forest.”
Callum dropped his head and laughed.
“Lieutenant?” Maddox nodded to him. “Take care of Evan. I’m entrusting him with you for the night.”
