Page 68 of Midnight of Ashes
I nodded my head the slightest amount, unsure of how to make this better.
Cillian struggled to breathe normally, and finally, I lifted a hand to his face. He pressed his cheek into my touch, nuzzling. And a bit of the tension in him eased.
I stroked my thumb back and forth across his skin, and Cillian let out another of those noises that sounded like a purr. He dropped his forehead to mine. “Sorry, Little Flame. My dragon is riding me hard this morning.”
“Did I hurt you?” I whispered.
Cillian shook his head. “No. It’s not that my dragon doesn’t want you to bond with my brothers; it’s just that he wants it, too. And he’s a possessive bastard.”
There was a part of me that wanted to offer him the same claiming, here and now. But I knew that wasn’t what Cillian wanted. The bonding had to happen when we were both ready, when it felt right.
I pressed up on my tiptoes, kissing him. “I love you.”
He lifted me into his arms, soaking in those words. Instead of putting me down, Cillian carried me back to his seat and settled me in his lap.
I frowned up at him. “Um…”
He grinned at me. “Need to feel you close for a bit.”
Maddox shook his head as he lowered himself back into his chair. “Possessive bastard is an understatement.”
Knox chuckled. “Cill’s dragon is probably going to brand her on her forehead.”
I twisted in his lap so that I could glare in warning at Cillian. “Don’t even think about it. If you give me a face tattoo, I will make it my mission to give you blue balls for the rest of your life.”
Cillian laughed, and more of the tension in the room eased. He kissed my temple. “I’ll try to rein him in.”
“You’d better.”
Cáel loaded up a plate full of various breakfast treats. Scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage. Then he slid it over to me. “OJ or milk?”
“OJ, please.”
I reached over for a fork, but Cillian stopped me. I looked up at him in question.
A devilish look entered his eyes. He broke off a piece of pancake with his fingers and dipped it into the syrup. Then he lifted it. “Open.”
My mouth opened, part in shock, part in response to that alpha tone.
Cillian slid the bite of food between my lips. “Close,” he rasped.
My mouth closed around his fingers, and he took his time pulling them free. Heat swirled around me, need, as the sweet taste flared on my tongue, mixed with that hint of Cillian.
A chair shoved back, making the dishes on the table rattle.
My gaze jerked toward the sound, toward Easton. His eyes cut to me, so much agony swirling there. His chest rose and fell in ragged pants. “I’m sorry. I can’t sit by and watch—I can’t?—”
He cut himself off, storming out of the dining room and slamming the front door. And my happy haze fled with him.
35
HAYDEN
Knox and Cáel were sticking close. That, I didn’t mind. The fresh bond had me craving their touch and presence all the more. But I hated that I didn’t know if they were staying nearby because they wanted that or because they were worried about Easton’s stunt.
I could feel Knox’s annoyance with his brother, anger even. But I wasn’t feeling either of those emotions. I knew that Easton wasn’t trying to be an asshole or trying to hurt me. He was in pain. And there was only so much he could take.
The ache in my chest flared, and Cáel let out a growl, pulling me into his side. “I don’t know how to make it better.”
