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“I know.” He squeezed my bare thigh before trailing his fingertips dangerously close to my apex.

“Rami!” I wasn’t sure if the breathless plea was embarrassment or need. Since when was my big teddy bear such a tease?

The sound he made could only be described as male satisfaction. “Keep saying my name like that, and we won’t make it to the kitchen.”

Holy hell.

Before I could test his resolve to see if he’d make good on his threat, I was being set back on my feet. My head spun with the change in orientation, but Rami kept me steady, his eyes warm with adoration. It looked like the stairs off the kitchen nook went to his room. He pulled the extra sweatshirt down over my head, dwarfing my much smaller frame and cocooning me in his crisp, woodsy scent.

“Eventually I will have to wear my own clothes,” I told him, even though I had zero intention of giving his hoodie back.

“Or no clothes,” Bel suggested as he came up the stairs behind us.

“Yeah?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “You first.”

That earned me a wicked grin as he reached for the neck of his shirt. Heat flared over my cheeks, and I turned away from his teasing before I could embarrass myself. There was no such thing as innocent flirting with these guys—they wanted it all. I found Alaric’s hungry gaze, and it did nothing to cool me down. Fate might have made a mistake. I didn’t know if I’d be able to handle so many tempting men.

Two of whom were missing.

“Where are Quinn and Lucian?”

Bellamy pressed a soft kiss to my cheek before sitting down. “Quinn’s still sleeping, and Luce is…giving you space.” He finished with a wince, his gaze moving to the wall of windows that surrounded the kitchen nook. There was an expansive deck off the back of the house. Lucian was propped against the railing, looking out at the thickly wooded property.

I huffed in frustration. “I don’t want space.”

Ric caught my wrist before I could start for the French doors that led outside. “Pixie. Sit.”

My eyes flared wide before narrowing in irritation. “I am not a dog. And I remember telling you that you don’t get to boss me around.”

He stared back with unflinching authority. “Lucian is fine.”

“Well, I’m not!” I yanked my arm out of his grip. “My heart hurts, Alaric.” His stern expression cracked at the use of his full name, and the swell of anger quickly ebbed. I sighed and moved to stand next to his chair, forcing him to look up at me. “I can feel whispers of his shame like I can sense your frustration right now. It all echoes in here.” I pressed my closed fist over my sternum. “I know we have all kinds of crazy to untangle, but let me make this right so we can do it together.”

His hazel gaze softened, and he pulled me closer to press a kiss to the back of my hand over my heart. “You’re right,” he murmured, lips brushing my skin. “I’m sorry.”

I dragged my fingers through his thick hair, hugging him to me a moment before turning back for the door. Rami was waiting with a plate full of fresh fruit, sausage links, and some kind of glazed scone. I took it with an amused smile and rolled my eyes.

“We will all need to learn to make compromises,” he said, and I was starting to realize how true that was. I nodded, and he swung open the door.

It was time to fix things with my beautiful, dark hybrid.

41

CORDELIA

Lucian didn’t acknowledge me when I joined him at the railing and balanced the plate of food between us. “I brought breakfast,” I told him anyway.

He exhaled a measured breath like he was annoyed, silver eyes trained on the woods around us. “I’m not hungry.”

I hummed and followed his gaze. Mid-morning sunlight filtered through the canopy, making shadows dance. Birds called back and forth between the trees, and the air was sweet with late summer blooms. I tilted my face up toward the warm rays.

“I heard you kidnapped my cat.”

Lucian continued to stare straight ahead, still refusing to look at me. “You’re welcome.”

I studied his handsome profile. The barbell of his anti-eyebrow piercing glinted as his eyes tightened. Ink extended above his collar to wrap around his neck. He was the quintessential bad boy, caught up in bad things and ready to wreak havoc on anyone foolish enough to offer their heart.

Guess I was a fool.