Page 93 of Their Fierce Little Monster

After the meeting with the king, none of us are in a particularly great mood. It’s clear he wants us at his party for another reason, and it just frustrates me. All these politics and stupid games. I suspect he’s annoyed that Kazak had a free pass to escape his punishment.

“Petal,” Lian calls out, patting the couch next to him. “Come over here.”

And I stroll over and plunk myself down. He curls an arm around my back. Across from me, Corvin sits, watching me.

“You look worried,” he asks.

“I am because I don’t really trust the king.”

“Neither do I,” Lian says. “I get, Corvin, why you accepted the invite, but it makes me livid that he just snuck that in there to keep us here longer.”

“He’s going to tread carefully,” Corvin adds. “He’s got strong allegiances with our royal families back home, and I doubt he wants to ruin those relationships. We’ll just get this done and return home.”

“Hopefully, we’re just being paranoid,” I say, pulling at a thread on Lian’s blanket, still unsure about going to Grimvale. “What about Kazak?”

Silence from both of them at first.

“Does he even want to return?” Lian asks.

“Will he be welcome?” I ask, seeing that he left his home to help me.

Lian and Corvin exchange glances, and there’s no humor on their faces. “I really don’t know,” Corvin admits truthfully, and my stomach drops.

I recall that stranger from the Selection Portal in the village saying I need to select one mate or I perish before the red moon. That’s over a week away, and I never worried about it, thinking I’d select Kazak. We’re meant to be together, but now, things are really messed up.

My attention is torn between all three of them, and my heart is beating insanely, because how am I meant to choose? I shouldn’t like a thing about these two, and yet, I can’t get enough of their company. Lian has my mark, and he’s wild enough to kill anyone who attempts to steal me from him. Kazak is the same. Corvin may not have the mark, but the way he watches me is like a predator. And the words he whispered to me in Glimhall about making me his, I doubt they were a spur-of-the-moment confession.

“Many in Grimvale, including his own clan, started to suspect he might have had a hand in your family’s killing, seeing as he went missing that same night,” Corvin explains.

“But you two know the truth, and you can speak for him now,” I suggest.

“I have nothing left in Grimvale,” Kazak growls from the bedroom doorway.

He stands in nothing but a towel wrapped low on his hips. His dark hair is wet and combed off his face. He’s cleanly shaven after having Insy bring us toiletries. But Gods, the man is huge, bigger than even Corvin and Lian. Thicker in the chest and shoulders.

Suddenly, Lian whips off his shirt and tosses it to the floor. He reclines against the lounge, flexing those huge muscles. “Look at me, I’m Kazak, all broody and sullen, while wearing nothing and flexing my chest boobs.”

I burst out laughing, while Kazak just rolls his eyes. Corvin grins, shaking his head.

“Get some sleep,” Kazak says. “It’s going to be a big day tomorrow, I suspect.”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do,” Lian barks back. “I’ve made room for you here on the floor near my couch for you to sleep.” He points down to where his tossed shirt landed.

Corvin’s on his feet. “I’m heading out.”

“Wait, where are you going?” I ask.

“I won’t be able to sleep, and I want to see if I can find out anything about our assassin friend. Maybe someone knows something.”

“Good luck,” Lian says. “It’ll be like finding a claw in a graveyard.” The corner of his mouth pulls up.

I stand up. “Are you sure, Corvin? What if someone comes after you?”

“He can handle himself. Don’t worry,” Lian states. “And if he gets killed, then we know we’re in big shit if they can take him down.”

“That’s really not reassuring,” I say.

“It’s going to be fine,” Corvin affirms, stepping closer, and slides a piece of hair caught in my eyelashes behind an ear. “Sleep, and I’ll be here when you wake up.”