Page 56 of A Witch and Her Minotaur
“Lyra Wilder,” he says, voice stern. “Where the hell were you last night?”
Raelan likes to act like he’s not just Alina’s bodyguard, but mine and Poppy’s and Maeve’s as well. It’s equal parts annoying and endearing.
“Sheesh,Dad. Didn’t realize I had a curfew.”
Raelan purses his lips. “You know how worried they all were?”
A pang of guilt goes through me. I was afraid of that—but it certainly wasn’t on my mind last night while Cairn had me spread on his kitchen table...
Before I can respond, the door flies open, startling me. Alina stands there, blue hair hanging around her light brown cheeks, eyes blazing like crystallized fire.
“How did you—” I start to ask.
Oh, the mate bond.
She must’ve realized I was here based on something she felt through her connection with Raelan. That still freaks me out.
“You,” Alina says, pointing at me. “Get in here.” That same angry finger points at one of the couches. “And explain yourself.” Her cold blue eyes narrow. “And what you’re wearing.”
Well, I guess I knew this was coming. Ididkind of hope they’d all still be asleep and I could slip in and pretend I’d been here all along, that I came back last night after staying out late at the bonfire. But that’s obviously not happening.
With a last glance at Raelan—though he’s obviously not coming to my rescue—I step into the room.
Juniper is perched on the back of the couch, and when she sees me, she squeaks and immediately climbs down and scurries across the floor. I stoop to pick her up and hold her to my cheek.
“Where were you?” she asks, putting her paws on my face and nuzzling her nose and whiskers against me.
And she’s echoed by Maeve and Poppy, who wear varying expressions of anger and relief.
I drop the soft knapsack Cairn lent me onto the floor by the door, then pull off my boots and pad barefoot into the sitting room, feeling all their eyes on me. Hell, even Isis and Yuki seem to be glaring. But Isis always kind of looks like that—snake eyes and all.
“You don’t want to eat breakfast first?” I ask. They’re all a little less grumpy once they’ve got food in their stomachs.
“Lyra,” Alina says slowly, voice simmering as she follows me into the sitting room. “Sit.Now.”
I sit.
Maeve and Poppy sit down on the other couch, but Alina remains standing over me. She crosses her arms over her chest.
“Where were you? Why didn’t you come back? We were worried sick about you.”
“Yeah, Raelan said . . .”
Alina just narrows her eyes, waiting for my explanation. The room is so quiet as they stare at me, all I can hear is the crackling of the flames in the hearth and the softtick,tickof the clock on the wall.
“Okay,” I say, then let out a big sigh. I move Juniper into my lap, where she cuddles up against the palm of my hand, her fur warm and soft against my skin. “I was with Cairn last night.”
Alina blinks. Poppy’s cheeks go pink. Maeve just tips her head back and lets out a sudden startling laugh.
Juniper nibbles my finger and mumbles, “I should’ve known.”
“Cairn?” Alina echoes. “Thegroundskeeper?”
I avert my eyes and nod.
“Are those his clothes?” She points at me, though the finger is slightly less angry now.
I nod again.
