Page 75 of The Poison of the Earth
I blink up at him, my eyes narrowing.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lonan
Oleander glares at Kai, the annoyance clear on her face even with the mask.
I slip my body between them, placing a hand on Kai’s chest and one on Ollie’s face. I feel Kai tense up at my public affection. I’ll work on that with him later. Hopefully by shoving my tongue in his mouth on the dance floor.
“What are you upset about, sweetheart?” I ask quietly, as I slip my hand around her waist. She sways into me easily, comfortably, and I thank the Gods for it. I’m so pleased that my little mate is becoming accustomed to my touch.
“Not upset,” she says quietly, sliding around so that she’s between us again. We start to walk amongst the booths. “Just... suspicious. How are you both so able to feel my emotions when we have not accepted the bonds yet?”
We weave through folks in various stages of drunkenness and undress.
I make a noise. “I don’t know. Perhaps the powers that be are forcing the situation.”
She laughs. “You think the Lord and Lady care enough to push on the scales of fate?”
I level a look at her. “Mayhap.” I clear my throat nervously. There is something I need to tell Ollie and I have the feeling delaying it will further annoy her. “Sweetheart, I did something. And I realized after, that I should have spoken to you about first.”
She frowns, eyes going between us as she swallows a bite of pie.
I continue, “I’m not yet accustomed to ruling with anyone, so I gave the order to Korben without thinking about getting your opinion.”
Ollie makes a very displeased noise and I see Kai rub her back again.He stays silent though, the traitor.
“You were sleeping off the effects of your cycle and—”
“Spit it the fuck out, Lonan,” she quietly says.
I take a deep breath. “I, uh, ordered some of Alder’s closest friends murdered.”
Ollie makes a noise in the back of her throat and I solider on. “I wanted to remind him who he was fucking with. This situation at Squall’s End.” I shake my head. “It’s unacceptable and I can’t just attack the men he has surrounding the city.”
I cringe, waiting for her to be upset that I didn’t consult with her, that I even perhaps ordered the death of some folks she might care about.
Her coral eyes study me. Finally, she shrugs. “Kill ‘em all.” And she forks another bite of pie into her mouth as she turns.
Well, that went better than expected.Kai tosses me a look over her head.Yeah, we need to get more about her past out of her.I nod to him.
“Come dance,” Kai says, rather surprisingly, holding out his hand to Ollie. She grins and takes it. I cross to a pole and lean back, watching my mates dance with nothing but overwhelming joy inside me. They move well together.Not surprising.
“Commander.”
I straighten even though it’s only Lilac.
She continues, “So, it’s public knowledge, then?”
I just nod and Lilac grunts. “I suppose she seems nice enough. Her head doesn’t seem to be full of fluff, like most women you bed.”
I chuckle at her correct assessment.
Kai leads Ollie back to me and she greets Lilac.
“You’re summer, Kai is fall, and Lonan is spring, but you have no winter,” Lilac says, obviously trying for polite small talk, which is a good sign she doesn’t hate Ollie.
Ollie’s face falls, her gaze turning inward.Remembering something.I frown.
