Page 130 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

“You’re Raptor,” I say with conviction. “Merle is soft and scared; Raven is confident and self-assured. Kestrel would have asked if I’m okay before she noticed anything else, and Jay doesn’t smell the same.”

I’ve surprised her.

“Lie down with me,” I say.

“I’m not fucking you!” she snarls.

I laugh.

She swings at me. I catch her fist, holding it in a firm grip. Her eyes glint, and the vulnerability disappears.

I yank her to me and take us out of the nest and carry her into my space. She sees the gym and lets out a sound of pure delight, running and doing several flips before she does a series of kicks and punches that have my cock straining against the zipper of my jeans.

I toe off my shoes and walk towards her. This is…unexpected. She whirls back to me, her eyes shining.

“Spar with me? I never get to practice with anyone. Please?”

She’s adorable.

I thought she was supposed to kill us all. I attack, and she dodges and attacks back, I block her, and we step back, taking each other’s measure. She is incredibly well trained.

“Ready?” I ask.

She tosses that mane of orange-tipped black hair. “Always.”

We attack.

We don’t stop until we both drop to the mats, covered in sweat, chests heaving.

“That was fun,” I say happily.

“It really was.”

She rolls so she’s on top of me, and I’m acutely reminded that this is not Merle.

“I like you. What you have done for Merle and Kestrel. For the nest, but I like you for me because of this. I won’t kill you.”

I grin at her. “Thanks.”

She leans down and seals our lips together. She’s fire and smoke. Brimstone and ice. I slide my hand up one of her thighs, dragging it up over my hip.

She pulls back and stares into my eyes. “King?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we go back and look at the nest for a bit before I have to go?”

“Of course. Would you like to have dinner with us?”

She smiles; I think that perhaps for her, smiling doesn’t come naturally, but she’s really gorgeous.

“Will Rolly be there?”

“Yes, he will.”

“And Sage?”

“And Sage.”