Chosen are as strong as possible. Must find time to fuck Valen, Sabin, and Torrez, I tell myself and then try not to giggle like a fucking idiot at my To Do list. By the moons, Vinna, get it together. Wasn’t I just droning on about how all of this is life and death shit, and here I am having naughty daydreams about when and where I can seal the deal with my Chosen.
I shake away my distracted thoughts and spend the next four hours walking everyone through calling on the runes that they have, until it starts to appear like it’s second nature to them. The satisfaction that’s bubbling up inside of me fizzles when Kallan yelps in pain and grabs onto his bleeding palm with his other hand. Ryker is there in seconds, knitting up the wound.
“Thank you,” Kallan offers absently as he wipes the remaining blood on the leg of his jeans. I’m trying to figure out what the hell sliced up his hand, since I didn’t think he had runes for any of my swords or… And that’s when it hits me.
I burst into laughter, not able to help it. Kallan’s serious face when he’s in Drill Instructor mode flashes through my mind, and it sends me deeper into a howling fit of giggles. Everyone is staring at me like I’ve lost my mind, and I work hard to calm down long enough to explain what the fuck is wrong with me.
“Kallan?” I ask on a choked laugh. “What other runes do you have?”
Kallan narrows his eyes at me, and I lose it again, tears dripping down my face.
“You got the ass daggers, didn’t you?” I question, my voice a high-pitched squeal of pure delight.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he tells me through gritted teeth.
Our collective audience starts to chuckle as the source of my amusement is finally revealed.
“Let me see,” I beg him, and he gives me an affronted glare.
“No,” he argues and drops both of his hands to cover himself like I can see right through his black workout pants. That makes me laugh even harder. I stare at his bubble butt and try to picture what the runes look like on the bottom of his ass cheeks.
“Quit being a perv,” he demands, and he pivots so I can only see his front. I can tell he’s trying hard not to crack up now too, and I wipe the laugh tears from my face.
“Oh my stars, I fucking needed that,” I admit and give Kallan a grateful smile. “All ass dagger jokes aside, it’s one of the most useful weapons I have,” I reassure him, and he puffs up a little prouder and drops his hands from where they’re hiding his sweet cheek runes.
Bastien pulls his phone from his pocket and swipes it open. “Silva says lunch is ready.” The words aren’t even out of Bastien’s mouth before he and Knox start outright sprinting toward the middle house. I laugh again before the thought of eating a meal with Silva sobers me. “Who wants to volunteer to check mine for poison first?” I ask, only half joking.
“Ours too,” Nash announces as he glares after Bastien and Knox.
I give him a small smile, and before any of my Chosen can interfere, Nash asks, “Can we talk?” The look on his face is so earnest and worried. I instantly feel like shit for not seeking him and his coven out sooner and making sure they were okay. There are just too many egos to stroke and too many guys to keep happy. I can’t keep track of fuck-all at this point.
“Of course,” I tell him and then shoot Valen and the others a pointed look. Valen seems hesitant to leave me alone, so I motion for Nash, Enoch, and Kallan to follow me, and I walk away from the other four who are dawdling instead of leaving to go fuel up on whatever’s been prepared for lunch. I don’t spare a backwards glance as I move closer to the tree line, Nash and the others close on my heels. I get far enough away that none of the others should be able to hear, unless some of them have figured out the runes on their ears already.
“How are you guys holding up? I’m sorry I haven’t asked before now. There’s a lot of crap going down, but that was shitty of me.”
Kallan leans against the trunk of a large pine tree and gives me