Page 54 of Filthy Fae

I squeezed my eyes shut. “Mother, speaking as your alpha. Stop talking.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Scarlet. You’re speaking as my daughter, and while you’re my daughter, you still have to listen to me.”

Why did my mother always have to pull this shit while I was stuck in the infirmary?

I sighed. “And Mack is earth because of his Summer magic?”

If I let her finish, she’d get it over with.

“Mack is air, and that’s why you’ll lose him if you’re not careful. But I’m not here to talk about your other mates, Scarlet. I want to talk about Lance. Lance is earth, and that’s why you need him. He’s stability. He’s limitless abundance and love. He’s the grounding force your wolf needs, just like you’re the enlivening force his wolf needs.”

I glanced at my sleeping mate. As infuriating as he could be, I knew he was our mate, no matter what my stubborn human brain thought.

“It was the same way with your father and me,” Mom said. “Lance is the one who needs you the most, aside from Mack. But as I said, I’m not talking about your fae lover. If you and Lance keep the wall between you for long enough, both your wolves will starve.”

“Me?” I asked. “I’m the one keeping the wall between us? Mom, have you met Lance? He’s impossible.”

“Sometimes you have to be the bigger alpha,” she said, patting my hand. “Everyone knows that your wolves are desperate for each other. Deep inside, I believe you’re as desperate for Lance as your wolf is. If you put aside your pride for him, even if he can’t do the same for you, you’ll see. You can’t wait for him to do what’s right. He has his own growing to do, but you can’t let that hold you back from your own growth.” She lifted her hands in surrender. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I said dryly, “I’ll have my insurance send you a check. Can you bill it under talk therapy instead of family sex therapy just in case there’s a mail mix up?”

She rolled her eyes. “You joke, but I know that you listened to what I said, so I’m satisfied.”

She left me after that, only giving me a quick kiss on the forehead and a promise that she’d leave the house for a few hours with my dad and lock the infirmary door.

Jeez, Mom. Way to put on the pressure.

Lance shifted on the mattress, squinting one eye up at me.

“You listened to all that?” I whispered, blinking to make out his features in the moonlight streaming in the window.

“No,” Lance said, his voice low but holding a smile. “I heard something about earth and how your mother wants us to fuck.”

“Of course that’s all you heard,” I muttered. “One day, I swear that I’m going to snap with that woman. That is, if she doesn’t kill me from humiliation first.”

His eyes slipped closed. “I like your mom. She’s a wealth of information on you.”

“Oh, I’ll bet she is. What has she told you?”

Lance grumbled something unintelligible, then turned toward me in the dark. His blanket slipped down to his waist, and the play of the moonlight over his bare chest made me catch my breath.

Focus, Scarlet. Not the most pressing issue right now.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Lance said quietly, his eyes finding mine. His hand slid over my cheek, thumb caressing my skin. My heart picked up speed at his touch. I was very aware of the fact that he was only wearing a blanket and boxers.

“Lance,” I whispered, heat rising to my cheeks. “Are you still injured?”

“I’m fine,” he said, his thumb brushing over my lower lip.

My wolf preened under his touch, wanting more. I pushed her down, but I couldn’t ignore the pull of my body toward Lance. My breath came faster as his hand moved back, burying itself in my hair. He tugged my head forward, and our lips met. A jolt of electricity went through me, and wetness sprang to life between my thighs as his tongue prodded my lips, drawing them open and sliding in.

I sighed, my hands moving over the planes of his taut body. His skin trembled under my fingers, and I couldn’t help but revel in the effect my touch had on him, too. He may be able to smell my arousal, but I could feel every inch of his as it pressed into my thigh. A groan escaped him, and he pulled back, breaking our kiss.

“Is this what you want, Scarlet?” he asked, rocking his hips slowly against mine.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. My body wanted it for damn sure, and it was letting him know. My mind was a little slower on the uptake.

“What would make you sure?” he asked.