Page 21 of First Offense

“We have a mate to consider now, Z.”

“I am considering her,” he snapped back. “She and Layla are technically family.”

“Yeah, that worked out well with Bryn.”

“I think we can both agree that Layla isn’t Bryn,” Zian retorted. “She resembled a delicate flower on that platform, not a practiced Valkyrie.”

“Which is very much not our problem.”

“Try telling that to my cousin,” Zian muttered.

I frowned.Where is Novak?I wondered. He should have been back by now. He hadn’t stayed with us at all on the field, instead choosing to join Auric in battling the Noir.

Unfortunately, that indicated Zian was right.

And while I agreed with Sorin’s stance about it not being our problem, Novak was truly family. At least to my dark-haired mate. And to Sorin, just in a friendship sort of way.

I switched off the faucet and dried myself with the old towel that we all shared. Then my healing magic rippled across my skin. It warmed each wound, then the broken skin knitted back together until it itched. I didn’t dare scratch it, or else the restoration process would have to start all over again.

Distracting myself, I combed my fingers through my hair, yanking through the worst of the snags, before rejoining my mates, who were now both standing with balled fists.

I sighed. I couldn’t believe I was about to suggest this, but it seemed my mates were at an impasse. And besides, it couldn’t hurt anything, right? “Maybe I should try talking to Layla—”

Sorin swiped his long white-blond hair out of his blazing blue eyes. “You’re going to stay out of it,” he ordered.

My knees locked.

Orders and I? Yeah, we didn’t get along well. Something Sorin and Zian very much knew.

“Look, I’m not saying I care if she’s culled,” I said through gritted teeth. “But if we can expect more cullings like that while she’s around, this is everybody’s problem. We might have ended up on the easier side of the field today, but what about tomorrow? And what about Novak?”

“Novak can take care of himself,” Sorin muttered.

“True,” I agreed. “But I’d still like to find out what the princess knows. Maybe we can use it to convince him that she’s not worth the effort.” Or perhaps she’d provide something useful we could use for ourselves.

Zian hummed in agreement as he crossed his broad arms over his naked chest. Apparently, he’d lost interest in his trophy. Or perhaps he’d wanted to distract Sorin. Which, based on how his heated gaze roamed over Zian’s chiseled torso, was working.

My guys were so easy.

Blood continued to drip from Sorin’s lip, and his nose had an awkward bump in it that hadn’t been there before.

Relaxing, I pushed him onto the bed. He slumped down onto the mattress, causing it to squeak. I knew he was allowing me a moment of dominance, but we both liked it. “Is it broken?” I asked, gently running my fingertip across the ridge.

He hissed with pain. “It’ll heal,” he grumbled.

“Nonsense,” I said, sitting beside him. “Stay still.”

He didn’t protest as my healing energy ignited between us. I spread it over his face with a tender kiss, his lips soft beneath mine. His tongue quickly consumed mine, his need for control lashing out as he deepened our embrace with his skilled mouth.

A sufficient distraction.

One that worked wonders on the tension in the room.

His forehead touched mine as I finished, the blood from his lips now on mine. He tasted as good as he smelled. “You’re a useful female to have around,” he murmured.

I rolled my eyes. “Uh-huh. All you want me for is my magic.”

His mouth went to my neck. “And your heady scent, which changes when you heal.”