Page 75 of Bones

“Ohhh, I’m thinking piña coladas. You got cherries?”

They headed inside, but I banded an arm around Aurora’s waist to keep her in place. Once it was just us, I lowered my head so she could whisper if she wanted. “You doing okay?”

She nodded, but then it went sideways until it was more of a bobble.

“It’s a lot. And sorry, baby, it’s about to get even heavier. You need a break, just squeeze my hand, and I’ll take us home.”

Even with my stooped positioning, her voice was so soft that I had to strain to hear it. “Can we make it something else? I might do that just because it makes me feel better.”

I couldn’t help it. My chest and ego both puffed at that small thing. It was good to know that despite her complicated feelings at being mates, my touch comforted her.

Would’ve been a fuckuva lot better without those complicated feelings, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

And when it came to Aurora, I’d sure as shit beg.

“Pinch me instead,” I suggested.

Her smile bordered on a little too gleeful for my comfort. “I can do that.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PIÑA COLADAS

DEKE

Placing my hand on herlower back, I guided Aurora and Victoria into the house.

Lennon sat on the far end of the couch with Lilith on his lap. Juno and her mate were in a similar position but on an office chair in front of an expansive computer setup.

As badly as I wanted to pull Aurora onto my lap, I’d have been lucky if she settled for pinching one of my legs and not what hung between them. I took the spot in the middle of the couch and tugged her to sit at the other end with ample space between us so she didn’t feel smothered.

She set the bag down before carefully placing Victoria next to it to sniff around the new room and people. I braced as Demon Dog made a lap, then rounded a spot near the fireplace a few times. When she finally sat, it was with her eyes on Aurora.

Not biting everyone’s ankles or yelling at them…

She’s a better emotional support than I gave her credit for.

Extra wet food for a week.

Juno’s lip quirked. “Since you won’t look toward the bay window, I’m guessing that’s where they were doing it.”

Lilith covered her mouth like she was traumatized. It would’ve been more believable had she done it before she’d started grinning. “Oh no, you walked in on them?”

“Poofed in,” Denny corrected as she came into the room carrying frosty beverages.

“Wait.” Juno waved her hand, and little paper umbrellas appeared in each drink.

It wasn’t that my sister hadn’t been powerful. I knew she had been because she’d reminded us every single chance she got.

But she never would’ve expended her magicks on something so frivolous.

She’s gotten stronger.

The mate benefits must actually work the way they’d claimed.

“It’s on them for not announcing themselves,” Nate added, following with more drinks that Juno umbrellaed.

“This is why we should all have entry music.” Juno paused and gave a slow, judgmental shake of her head. “But on the bay window in the middle of the afternoon?”

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