Page 95 of First Offense

Zian shifted me on the bed, laying me down as he slid over me, his lips a caress against mine, a promise of more.

But he didn’t try to enter me. Instead, he held me through the pleasure-induced agony while Sorin stretched out on my other side.

They knew I couldn’t go again, that I needed a break, and they were giving it to me. For now. I kissed Zian and then Sorin, our tongues lazy as we gently played with each other.

Sorin drew his fingers through my hair while Zian traced my curves with his palms, petting me, stroking me, lulling me into a peaceful quiet.

Until a scratching sound made my ears twitch.

My brow furrowed, my instincts firing to life.Another culling? A night terror? Something else?I sat up abruptly to look around, then noticed the little nose sticking out through a new hole in the floor.

A few crunches later and the mouse squeezed through with a squeak of triumph. Then he ran right up to me with a message. “Novak sent him,” I said out loud as he spoke into my mind. I frowned as he continued chattering. “Wait,what?”

“What is it?” Zian said, his senses going on high alert.

I held up my hand, needing to hear the rest. Then I scowled at the little creature. “He had no right to do that.”

Mousey Mouse—or I supposed he preferredClyde—chirped indulgently in response. I was somewhat pacified by the fact that he agreed with me. At least in terms of Auric. But he fully supported Layla knowing the truth about my parentage.

A stab of betrayal hit me hard in the gut. I wasn’t exactly surprised that Novak had spilled his guts to Layla, but I would have appreciated him allowing me to tell my own story.

Clyde essentially replied that Novak had a good reason.

Then he went into a description of the escape plan the three of them were discussing in the other cell.

That information somewhat calmed me down, mostly because it provided me with insight into their little secret.

Of course, it was a secret Novak had wanted us to know. So I supposed that meant it wasn’t really a secret at all.

“I see,” I finally said.

Clyde ended his report by saying we should be getting out today, as it seemed the guards had secured the yard enough to allow the prisoners some fresh air.

“It wasn’t secure before?”

The Blaze chattered at me, telling me it was not secure at all and, technically, still not all that protected. But the inmates were growing antsy, so Sayir wanted to allow everyone a break outside.

“Interesting,” I murmured.

Then I looked at Zian and Sorin, who were both wearing matching expressions of impatience. Because yeah, they couldn’t hear Clyde.

So I gave them a consolidated version of the Blaze’s report.

“Portals,” Sorin repeated. “Interesting theory.”

“Sounds like Auric,” Zian remarked. “Which concerns me because the whole plan essentially hinges on him finding a way to hack into the portals.”

“Better than our plan of just lying here,” Sorin pointed out.

“True,” Zian agreed.

“I’m also pleased to hear that your cousin actually wants to leave now,” Sorin added.

Zian snorted. “You and me both. But it sounds like the princess and Auric are a package deal. So it’ll be six of us. That’s a rather large number for an escape plan.”

“But if anyone can manage it…,” Sorin started.

“It’s Auric and Novak,” Zian finished for him.