“What did he do?” Val asked instead of the usualhello.
“How did you know he did something?” Lilliane tried to keep the laughter from her voice. Of course, her sisters would already know something was up. They were mated to Atlas’s best buds. They had probably seen more of Atlas than she had!
“Umm, seriously? I know he did something because he was here at the crack of dawn to talk to Nero. What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Right, but something happened because that man took his first day off in a decade to spend the day with you, and then next thing I know, he’s pulling my man out of bed before morning sex. I like morning sex. Now my whole day is ruined. So, spill. You owe me.”
“TMI, sis. Jeez.”
“Please,” Val scoffed. “If you knew what mate sex was like, you would get it.”
Lilliane wouldn’t point out that she sort of had an idea … Her sister didn’t want to hear aboutthat.
“Actually, this is weird, but that’s kinda why I’m calling you.”
“Because of mate sex?” Val asked.
“Yeah,” Lilliane said. “Like, why are shifters weird about sex?”
“Umm, weird how?” Val pressed.
“Withholding it or whatever,” Lilliane answered. “Is that a thing?”
Valentine was quiet for a few seconds too long before she said, “Atlas is withholding sex?”
Fuck.
“No. But he’s being a bit stupid about it.”
“Uh-huh!” Val squeaked. “DID HE TELL YOU?” Lilliane had to pull the phone away from her ear as her sister shouted. “DID HE?”
Her heart thumped loud and hard. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t play coy with me, Lilliane Longborn! Atlas is your mate. He told us last night, and I haven’t been able to sit still. He told you, didn’t he?”
“No. I guessed.”
“Ah, Atlas. Definitely should’ve told you.”
Lilliane considered this, but she also liked the way she had figured it out. She would never forget how the whole conversation had unfolded.
She just wanted a better end to it, like waking up next to Atlas.
“Lil? Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just don’t understand why Atlas is spending all his time out of the house.”
“Because you’re his mate, and he has to protect you from Victor. Do you not know how he spends his days?”
“No. He leaves before I am awake, comes back just in time to…” She stopped short, but she had a feeling Val understood what she couldn’t say. “We go to bed, and he’s gone again by morning.”
“Do you not know what he’s doing? He’s been keeping Nero away from me all day. They’re locked in Nero’s office, finding all the ways to fuck with Victor.”
“What? No way. He leaves me alone all day.”
“Have you tried to leave the cabin?” Val asked, laughing.
