Page 373 of Never Kiss a Fae
My fire mate snorted. “Yeah, well, good job.”
“I’m sorry,” Lance repeated. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep, and it seemed like a good way to burn off my mood. I had no idea it would… that I would… that this would…”
“It’s fine,” Exos said, his tone surprisingly soft. “The goal of the exercise was to protect and nurture our items. It’s my failure, not yours. And it’s not going to stop us from finishing this. Let’s go inside. We have meals to prepare.” His sapphire gaze met mine as he turned around, his sorrow echoed in the depths of his eyes. I caught through our bond that it wasn’t so much disappointment of his loss as it was sadness over failing me and his object.
You’re going to be an amazing father,I whispered into his mind.And you just proved that by not losing your temper with Lance.
He didn’t mean to run into me,Exos replied.There’s no sense in being angry with him. It would just make him feel worse and doesn’t solve the problem. The damage is already done.
I know,I agreed, pressing my palm to his cheek and kissing him on the mouth.But that reaction is what will make you a good dad. It shows patience, something your trials didn’t factor in at all.
“Exos still earns points for the nurturing trial,” I decided out loud, making sure everyone knew my stance.
“Yes, accidents happen. It’s how we react that matters,” Cyrus echoed.
The others all murmured their agreement, my mates coming through for each other despite the competitive atmosphere.
I glanced at my mom, her eyes beaming with pride. Our relationship had been a bit rocky at first, but we’d grown closer over the years. She offered maternal guidance that was missing for most of my life. Not that my grandparents weren’t great to me as a child, but they only prepared me for the human world, not the fae realms.
My mom came up to me as my mates headed inside, her hand grasping my shoulder. “You’re definitely ready,” she whispered, agreeing with my statement from earlier. “All of you are.”
I smiled. “They’re really great, aren’t they?”
“They are,” she agreed, heading in after them.
Kalt, Mortus, and River all followed in silence, but Lance stood just outside, his cheeks pink with chagrin. “I’m sorry, Claire.”
“Water under the bridge,” I replied.
He frowned. “Is that…? Are you telling me my punishment?”
I blinked at him. “No. It’s a saying.”
“I don’t get it.”
“It’s a way of saying I forgive you and it’s forgotten.”
“What do water and a bridge have to do with forgiveness?” he asked seriously, his green eyes the same color as his older brother’s.
“It’s a human phrase,” I replied. “And… I actually don’t know where it comes from.”
“Oh.” His brow furrowed. “I’ll have to look that one up on my next visit.”
“There won’t be a next visit if you keep doing stupid things like attacking your brother with fire for no reason,” I replied.
“I was playing.”
“You were provoking,” I corrected. “I’ve spent the last six months with you, Lance. I know your tells.”
His lips twisted to the side. “Okay. Fine. I was bored and wanted to spar. You and Kalt got to practice all day yesterday, while I helped Cyrus reconstruct stones.” He grumbled the words and rolled his eyes. “I belong in the ring, Claire.”
“All youknowis the ring and how to fight,” I corrected. “The whole point of your probation is to learn about other opportunities. You’re a powerful fae. There’s a lot more to the realms than fighting, Lance.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “I want to do something with humans. I want to find what makes them so… resilient.”
Given the human fighting ring he’d played in while in New York, that admission didn’t surprise me. “Then consider joining the Interrealm Fae Council initiative,” I suggested. “There are a lot of opportunities there to work with others on how to hide our worlds and assimilate with humankind, too. And when the academy is up and running, maybe you can teach classes similar to Titus’s, but for all fae.”
His green eyes brightened. “You think I could do something like that?”
