White and gray tile lines the entryway and continues along the downstairs hallway. We pass by a living room, but Saber doesn’t step inside to give us the tour. Instead, he stomps up the stairs, which are thankfully covered with carpet.
“You can put me down,” I assure Laz, patting the back of his neck.
“Nah, I’ve got you. At least until we make it to wherever we’re going.”
I nod, snuggling closer to his bare chest.
One of my favorite things about Haven is how acceptable it is for monsters to be out and about in their monster form.
“There are two options,” Saber says. “The first is smaller, but it could help if you get the need for a safe, confined space, like shifters do when they go into heat. The second is what I would recommend.” His voice gets farther away, and Laz slithers down the hallway after him. “This is the main bedroom, but the house came outfitted with a nest. It’s never been touched.”
I twist in Laz’s hold just in time to see Saber disappear inside a door.
Laz follows him inside, which is a struggle with how big he is in shifted form. “You’ve got this big-ass house, and you’re putting us in your bedroom?” He chuckles. “Are you lonely?”
Saber flips him off over his head, and I try to ignore his impressive muscles as Laz continues to follow him through the bedroom and down another hallway.
Laz is built more like me. He’s tall and extremely slender, with lithe muscles.
Saber is an inch or two shorter than Laz, but still has close to six inches in height on me. His muscles are more pronounced, and he has a thicker build in general.
Don’t even get me started on the black tattoos that line his chest, arms, and back.
If I had to describe each of their vibes, Laz would be the happy-go-lucky golden retriever, while Saber would be the moody, judgmental black cat.
Saber stops in front of a door on the left and pushes it open. “This was here when I moved in, but like I said, I’ve never touched it. I did have the cleaners give it a thorough cleaning, just like the rest of the house. I believe the decorator outfitted it accordingly.” He holds out an arm.
Laz pats my ass. “I might put you on your feet for this. If you feel confident you can keep yourself upright?”
“Yeah,” I agree, though my voice is hoarse. Laz places me on my feet, holding on to my arms until he’s sure I won’t wobble. “Thank you, handsome.”
He and I really need to talk, but I’m not sure how to go about tackling that conversation.
“Go on, check it out. It looks like you’ll be riding out this quickening in style,” Laz says, a naughty little smirk tipping at his lips.
The urge to tackle him washes over me from nowhere, which is a solid sign my quickening is in full control.
Shaking my head to clear away the fog, I step into the nest. It’s not as spacious as the other rooms we passed, but that’s a good thing.
Fae, much like shifters, feel safer in a more confined space while we’re in nesting mode. The floor is plush carpet, and the walls are a warm, dark cream. The ceiling is lower than the one in the hallway.
The first thing I come to is a circular sunken cushion. It has hanging gauzy curtains and small throw pillows tossed around the mattress.
Just past it to the right is a set of five steps, which lead to a den-style nest. A raised king-size bed takes up most of the space. A massive curtain can be pulled to close in the entire den, while additional gauzy curtains hang from the ceiling framing the bed.
It’s nothing like the nests in Faere, but it’s beautiful.
I’m not even sure when I moved from the center of the room and made my way up the stairs, but I lean over, testing the mattress. It’s plush and springy.
“Is it up to your standards?” Saber asks in his low, rumbly tone.
Damn.
Iamout of it if I didn’t even notice him following me up the stairs.
“It’s incredible.” I nod, shoving my hair behind my ear. “This is where you want me and Laz to sleep?”
“All three of us are going to be getting quite cozy,” Laz says, laughing.
