Page 29 of The Shattered Kingdom
Her gaze flickers between Mason and me, her eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion.
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Kie wants me to stay until everything with you is cleared up. He claims that should be soon, but I’m not holding my breath.”
Lill drops her arms to her sides. “I’m sorry, Abbs. I didn’t think he’d force you to stay here with me.”
I’m sure not surprised by it. Kie and Mason like to say we’re not prisoners, but I know better. It just frustrates me that I understand where they’re coming from. Somebody was murdered, and I’d also want answers if I were in their position.
Mason brushes past me and takes his usual spot on the couch. He’s not much fun to be around, and I glare at the side of his head as he flops onto the cushions. I’ve known Lill for most of my life, and she’s never given me any reason to believe she’s untrustworthy. She’s agood friend—a good person.
Mason’s conspiracy theories won’t change my mind on that matter.
Lill purses her lips, then turns toward Mason. I slip out of the entryway, fading into the background as I watch them from behind the kitchen island. What’s Mason thinking? What’s Lill thinking?
Mason’s already told me his secrets, so I focus on Lill. She appears earnest as she peers across the room at the shifter, her hands twisting around themselves. Unless she’s magically turned into an award-winning actress, there’s no way she’s faking the desperately longing looks she gives the shifter.
She truly believes him to be her mate. She very well might be.
I still haven’t ruled out the possibility that it’s Mason who is broken. I much prefer that option because if Lillislying, then who is Kie and Mason’s mate? Mason hinted that he believes it to be me, which is a terrifying thought. If I can get my hands on one of them and prove there’s nothing there, I’ll feel a thousand times better. Mason’s on high alert, though. Kie will be my best bet.
“Are you all right?” Lill asks Mason. “You look tense.”
Mason crosses his ankle over his knee, the picture of confidence. “I’m just fine.”
I wish he would leave. I’ve been avoiding poking the small holes in Lill’s story, but it’s time to pry. She should know that Mason suspects her.
“Are you nervous for your coronation tomorrow?” Lill tries. “It’s a big day.”
“Nervous? No.”
Lill nods, her head slowly bobbing as her tentative smile falls. Mason’s doing a shit job pretending to be her mate, and I chew at my bottom lip as Lill closes the distance between them. Mason doesn’t pull away, but he doesn’t appear particularly welcoming as Lill bends and kisses his forehead. It’s forced and so painfully awkward, and I fight back a wince as Lill immediately retreats.
“Are either of you hungry?” Lill clears her throat. “I’ve been looking for a reason to cook. I can pick some ingredients up from the kitchens and make lunch.”
Despite the thousands of conflicting emotions roiling through me, my lips curl. Lill has always loved cooking—really anything related to homemaking—and it warms my heart to see her returning to her old habits. I give it only another day or two before she begins redecorating.
“I could eat,” I say.
My appetite is practically nonexistent, but I’m willing to force something down if it breaks the ungodly tension between Lill and Mason. He’s cold, refusing to speak more than a handful of words at a time. It’s a drastic change from the way he was behaving with me just a few minutes ago. He was spilling all his secrets, and I didn’t even have to work that hard for them.
Is that because I’m his mate? If that were the case, shouldn’t I feel something more for him? He infuriates and annoys me, and I find myself wishing for his death more than anything else. I don’t enjoy the thought of him and Kie with Lill, but that’s because I see their true colors. Lill deserves better than them.
Ideserve better than them.
I brush my fingertips over my lips, my thoughts wandering. What would it be like to kiss Kie and Mason? I haven’t seen much of the faerie recently, but I can’t get rid of Mason.
He’s probably a poor kisser. He has full lips, so maybe it wouldn’t be too horrible. I’m willing to bet he’s never done it before, and I’m not interested in teaching. I don’t have the patience, and I highly doubt Mason’s a quick learner.
Kie would be the better lover. Kie seems like the type of person to enjoy the act of sex. Mason rushes to the end, impatient and eager to get his fill and retreat into solitude. Kie would have fun with it.
Has Mason ever made a woman orgasm? Has he ever tried? I very highly doubt it.
Does he have a big dick? Is it pretty? Is he circumcised? I caught a glimpse in the bathhouse, but I didn’t take a close look. I don’t have a strong preference as long as he keeps it clean. What does he look like when he cums? Does he moan? I’d guess not. He’s probably broody and silent. Or he grunts. Like a caveman.
Lill brushes past me, and I flinch.
“What are you hungry for?” she asks. “Something sweet? Savory? Do you want a whole meal or just a snack?”
Mason’s head snaps in my direction when I don’t immediately answer. We make brief eye contact, but it’s enough to send a cold chill down my spine. I don’t want him looking at me. I don’t want any more of his wild accusations getting into my head.
