I snorted and unrolled my own pastry. Sticky, buttery, flakey dough laid before me and I practically drooled on it before taking a bite. Moaning my pleasure at the symphony of godly flavors.
Then I watched in disbelief as a bronze hand reached into my space and ripped off a piece of my hand pie without so much as a may I. Following that hand, I dragged my gaze upwards, watching the smirking shifter king slowly place my pastry in his mouth and chew.
Licking his lips, he drew them into a salacious challenging smile that made my shadows curl up around me possessively.
Penina whispered a harsh curse next to us.
“Care to try that again?” My shadows darkened and curled around my arms, following the swirls of my tattooed ink.
Emon raised his brow with a predatory gleam. “If I do?”
I gripped my dagger from my boot and threw it point down into the stone surface of the table—right in front of my pastry and said sweetly. “I didn’t promise Jarquinn not to kill you today.”
He chuckled darkly and then lunged. His shifter speed was a blur but I also had speed of my own. Another dagger appeared in my hand from the void and I threw it at his advance. Emon’s claws slashed outward and the blade ricocheted off them, spinning straight for the youthful shifter munching happily away on her own treat.
Right before it struck, Penina leaned backwards, the blade passing by her nose as she took another bite, humming delightedly to herself before returning to her seated position.
At the same time, my shadows launched forward, pinning the king of shifter’s arm to the table while my hand wrapped around the buried dagger between us. The blade spun in my palm until its edge pressed against Emon’s exposed throat, my fingers curling around the hilt. Our heavy breaths mingled together while I leaned into his space, and Emon smiled, brushing his nose against mine with a rumbling purr.
“You should look up, little umbra.” He teased and I could see his other hand in my periphery waving.
My eyes slid to his waving hand where my damned pastry was skewered on his claws like a dessert barbecue.
“Your move.” He whispered, kissing my turned cheek affectionately.
Sliding my gaze back to him, I played his game, returning his affection with a soft kiss on his smiling mouth. “I could just slit your throat and take it.” I whispered breathily, watching his eyes dilate with desire.
Emon purred. Somehow leaning closer without actually touching me. “Such a savage, bloodthirsty animal you are, you sure you're not a shifter too?”
The sound of baking paper sliding between us drew my attention. Glancing down, I noted another fresh pastry bag had been placed in front of me along with my wayward dagger.
I snatched the bag, pulling the dagger from the shifter king’s throat, and sitting back down with a quizzical look.
Penina winked watching me toss the daggers back into the void. “His majesty is known for pinching pastries, General Dark. I had a feeling you wouldn’t appreciate that, knowing your affinity for them. I was prepared.” She shrugged and nudged Emon withher elbow. “You should really ask him sometime why his nose remains crooked.”
Emon grinned at me and lowered my skewered pastry down to his delectable mouth, eating it straight from his claws, and challenging me with that fierce stare.
I scowled, digging into the bag. “I was wondering why you ordered five of them.” I murmured but eyed Penina’s anticipatory character suspiciously.
Emon drew my attention by slapping his toned stomach happily, then chuckled. “Do you mind releasing your shadows now?” The three of us glanced down. The shadows were currently snuggling Emon’s arm like a damned cat. “They are not so much holding me hostage now as they are cuddling me.” He shook his head at them ruefully and reached over to pet them.
“Stop domesticating them.” I snapped out and commanded the shadows to release the king. Slowly…almost reluctantly they released him.
Emon chuckled and stretched out his newly freed arm. “Now that we are all fed—”
I interrupted him with a snort and bit with emphasis into my hand pie.
He stared at my mouth as I chewed, then blinked, clearing his throat. “Almost fed. We are leaving for the outposts today, as soon as we finish up here.”
“It wasn’t Tyr that sent Xi on a mission was it?” Penina’s normally cheerful demeanor darkened. I had seen it like this once before…during breakfast yesterday when she learned news that the queen had survived.
Emon spread his feet outward, brushing his legs against mine affectionately. I allowed it. The shifter was quickly becoming my constant grounding force and I craved the security that brought me.
“Technically he did, on my orders though.”
“And when you say we?” She questioned darkly.
“Tyr, Xi and Riley, You, Remnant, and I.”
