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He shot right away, his strokes faltering as he soaked his hand, his chest, his abs. His shoulders shook and his chest heaved, his breath sawing in and out. When he sagged forward, I was there to catch him, my arms going around his sweaty back. We stayed like that for a moment, his head on my shoulder and his legs dangling off the counter.

At last, he sighed, his breath fluttering against my neck. “That was hot.”

“Are you all right?” His heart was still beating so fast.

He lifted his head, and his eyes gleamed with amusement—and maybe a little exasperation. “You always worry I can’t handle you.”

“I’m bigger,” I said gruffly. And I hadn’t prepped him as much as I should have. I’d been so desperate to get inside him.

He rolled his eyes. “So what? I get thrown down and pounded by a big, strong man? Perish the fucking thought.” He squeezed my biceps. “I like your muscles, Bram. And your big cock. I’ll tell you if that changes, aye?”

“Aye,” I echoed, and I lost the battle not to smile.

* * *

“As it happens,” Fergus said a short while later, “I did come in here to talk to you.” We’d showered and now sat before the fire in my suite with our legs propped on a leather ottoman.

I pulled my gaze from the flames. “What about?”

He straightened, serious for once. “It’s about the tears. The messenger we sent hasn’t returned. I worry the vampires killed him.”

Damn. It had been over a week. If Ludovic’s people had killed our demon messenger, I was going to have to answer to the Razroth. They were one of the few tribes that could pass for human, and they had no problem visiting the earth plane to seek revenge. Even if they didn’t blame me, they might demand satisfaction from the vampires.

I cursed. “I should have delivered the damn tears myself. If this starts an inter-species war, we can expect a visit from Niall.” With Cormac out of commission most of the time, the king’s consort handled the day to day business of court. And unlike Cormac’s, his mind was sharp as a tack. He was also part witch and scary as hell when he got angry.

I knew that better than most.

“Niall has his hands full,” Fergus said, his silver gaze sharper than he probably realized. “Besides, we’d just found our female. Neither of us were in any state to make that journey.”

He had a point. Separating from Halina before we’d cemented our bond would have been torture. Niall—and any other dragon—would understand that.

But there were still unanswered questions. Chief among them: Where were the tears? If they hadn’t made it to Krovnosta, Halina’s father was likely dead.

Fergus frowned, obviously guessing the directing of my thoughts. “We have to tell her.”

“Aye,” I said, but something about the prospect unsettled me. What if she demanded to go home? She might think it her duty to pay her last respects—and that meant letting her return to that nest of vipers in the Urals. “Perhaps we should think about it, though.”

“What’s there to think about? It’s her father, Bram.”

“A father who cared nothing for her.”

He shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. Family ties, however tattered, are still important. I’m no lover of leeches, but they’re part of Halina, for better or worse.” His frown deepened. “We’re her mates. We cannae start this union with a lie. And withholding the truth from her would be a lie of omission.”

He was right, of course. But that didn’t mean I had to like it. “All right,” I said.

His shoulders relaxed. “So we’ll tell her tonight?”

“Aye. Tonight.”

Chapter Seventeen

HALINA

It was going to be tonight.

As I studied myself in the mirror, my stomach fluttered with nerves. I can’t believe I’m doing this.

“This” being telling Bram and Fergus I accepted the mate bond. I’d gotten cold feet after my training session with Bram earlier in the evening, but now I was ready to admit what I’d known for days.