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Standing up, I cleared my throat, trying to cover up the intimacy of that small interaction. She stepped back as if she too just became aware of what we were doing.

“Katrina…”

“We need to get back before Cooper comes looking for us.” She took off, her head held high, with every wall locked back in place.

“You smell like a pirate hooker.”

I blinked awake to an eyeball peering into mine.

“Gods dammit.” I jerked, batting at the fuzzy thing on my chest. “Sprig. Go away.” I slumped back onto the bag I used for a pillow, my bones aching from sleeping on the floor. Well, at least some soreness was from that. Most of it was from the girl sleeping in the bed across the room.

We had wordlessly returned to the room after our meeting with Dzsinn. Cooper bolted awake the moment we stepped in. He took one look at us, smelled us, and laughed.

“Shut the fuck up,” I muttered, making a place on the floor to sleep. He snickered louder, his head shaking.

“So?” he crooned. “What have you two been up to?”

“For that, I’m not telling you shit,” I muttered, watching Katrina take some of her items and head down the hallway to the restroom.

The moment she stepped out, Cooper chuckled again. “You two.” He rubbed his head. “You’re screwed. You know that, right?”

“No.” I gritted my teeth. “Just drunk and needed an outlet.”

“Yeah. Okay. Sure.” Cooper folded his arms. “Deny all you want, but you know the truth. We all know. Hell, we allfeelit.”

“I said shut up,” I growled.

“Fine.” He grinned, knowing he was needling me. “What did you find out?”

I told him about meeting Dzsinn, leaving out the deal we made. No one needed to know my side hustle, especially one who also worked for the king.

“Now leave me alone. I’m passing the fuck out,” I grumbled, taking up space on the floor. Pretending not to notice Kat when she returned and that I wasn’t craving to be near her so badly, it took me over an hour to settle down. Everything in me wanted to crawl in next to her, to fall asleep with my cock snuggled against her ass and my arm wrapped around her.

I was assaulted by memories of us in the alley, how I still felt her, even when she was guarded.

I didn’t want to think about what Cooper said, but to have someone call it out and put it front and center…

Mate.

Did fate hate me that much?

Scouring my face, I forced all thoughts from my head, ready to fall asleep.

“You normally smell like alcohol and pussy.” Sprig sniffed me again, white underwear around his neck as a cape and Pam in his arms. “But this time it’s a real pussy.”

“Sprig,” I growled, sitting up.

“Oh pussycat, pussycat, I woooove youuuu…” he sang out, leaping out of the way of my hand. “Yes, I dooooo!”

Disregarding my morals, I stood, but I was too slow to catch him as he darted out of the way, leaping on the end of Kat’s bed.

“You and pussycat nose—”

“Sprig.” I rolled my fists up. “If you don’t shut up, I will use Pam to wipe my ass this morning.”

“She’s notreallyinto ass stuff. Though I’ve persuaded her a few times.”

“Oh, come on,” Cooper groaned, covering his face. “You know better, pirate.”