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I slowly rolled onto my side, blinking at Ash who smiled softly. His features had changed in the past five years, the youthful glow in his eyes gone, replaced by the glint of steel only known by living a harsh life. Thin lines framed his mouth and eyes, and his dark hair even had a few strands of gray.
When he held his hand out to me, I entwined my fingers through his.
“Good morning,” I rasped.
“Good evening.” He tenderly kissed my knuckles, sending a trill down my spine and reminding me we hadn’t made love in days.
“Good evening?” I asked, still disoriented as a fog settled in my skull.
He gently stroked my face. “You’ve been sleeping all day.”
“All day?” I tried to sit up, but that fog in my skull was far too thick for me to do anything beyond draping a hand across my brow.
“That tea knocked you out.”
Which one? I thought to myself, though I supposed it didn’t matter now.
My eyelids fluttered when he gently traced the side of my face. “Are you okay?”
I forced a smile. “I will be.” As soon as I killed Thorin.
The wolf flared in his eyes as his voice dropped to an ominous rumble. “I will find the mind spinner and cut him to shreds. I will make what we did to Fachnan look like child’s play.”
Interesting how Ash said what I’d been thinking. “Not if I kill him first.”
“It would be your right, but I’ll gladly do it for you.” There was an eagerness in his voice, as if he hoped I’d relinquish my right to kill Thorin, but I knew I must be the one to do it, and not just because of my thirst for revenge. I didn’t trust Thorin not to harm my mates.
“Where are Finn and the girls?” I asked, choosing to change the subject rather than waste any more of my energy on the mind spinner.
“He took them in search of food.” He sat up, frowning down at me while the covers fell to his waist, revealing a hard, muscular chest covered in swirling tattoos. “Darling,” he said while continuing to rub my hand, “I’m sorry for getting angry with you yesternight.”
I sat up, too, giving his fingers a squeeze. “It’s okay.” I deserved it after taking my mates for granted.
He frowned down at our joined hands. “It’s not.”
“I don’t love Helian more than you.” I scooted closer to him, placing a hand on his warm chest. “I’m sorry if I gave that impression.” I looked up into his eyes, swirling with longing, a deep yearning that pulsed off him in waves. He wanted me, and not just as a lover. He craved a connection so much deeper. I bit my lip as my veins heated at the thought of crawling into his lap and placating his desires with feverish kisses and promises of love. “You’re my protector.”
“I’m a jealous wolf, and I’m not sure I can ever change.” He settled a hand over mine, a frown marring his brow. “I’m trying, though.”
The longing that pulsed off him was enough to shatter my heart. I remembered Finn’s words from yesternight.
“Do you think you won’t be alpha if Helian joins our pack?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” He averted his gaze. “I haven’t given it much thought.”
I dipped my head and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look me in the eyes. “You’re a terrible liar.”
His skin heated beneath my touch as a crimson blush fanned his face. “He’s my older brother, and a dragon rider, and a prince—no, wait...” He visibly swallowed, looking away. “A king. He will naturally want to be alpha.”
I offered him my best reassuring smile. “And you’re a prince, and a wolf shifter.” I gently stroked his face, rewarded with a low growl that rattled my bones and turned my insides to lava. “You’re also the one who’s been keeping me safe these past few weeks, not him.”
His jaw slackened. “So what are you saying?”
I bit my lip while crawling on top of him and straddling his waist. “I’m saying you’re my alpha.”
His features hardened, even as he wrapped his arms around me, cupping my bottom. “He won’t agree.”
“He won’t have a choice,” I said while settling myself against his groin, rewarded with a very hard and thick protrusion pressed against that sensitive juncture between my thighs. Desire coursed through me and turned my veins to molten lava. Oh, how badly I wanted him. “You’re my protector.” I combed my fingers through his long, thick hair. “If he doesn’t accept it, he doesn’t join our pack.”
