cheeks redden. I bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing, and Audun coughs into his elbow. No wonder Dushan and Isla get along so well. They apparently share the same skill set in flirtation.
Giggles burst from Isla’s mouth, and she wiggles her eyebrows at Dushan when she catches his eye. His grin widens, and Ilari only looks more flustered now than when he first approached us.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Audun says to the prince.
Ilari looks at the empty chair beside Dushan longingly, clears his throat, and shakes his head. “No, thank you. I should get back to the castle. But I’m looking forward to seeing you all again in a few weeks.”
He bids us farewell, and we watch as he walks away down the busy street. The moment he’s out of sight, Isla grins like the cat who got the cream. She brings both her pointer fingers together in a lewd gesture, saying the men’s names in a sing-song tone.
“Dushan? Ilari?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively while she does it, and I bark out a laugh. She made the same damned gesture when she asked me if Audun, Caelan, and Maalik were my lovers.
Audun widens his eyes in horror and clamps his hands over hers. “For Briya’s sake, Isla. We’re in public!”
That only makes me laugh harder, and I’m happy to see Dushan seems amused too. He grins at Isla and tells us, “I don’t care if she never learns Briyan. I think I want to be her best friend.”
Chapter Twenty
Isla
“Vstávej, kotě.”
Someone brushes their fingers through my hair. Reule is the only one who calls me kotě, but I’m, like, ninety-nine percent sure I went to bed with Audun last night. I guess that really doesn’t mean much. Reule and Caelan have snuck into bed with me every night the past week, no matter whose room I’ve decided to sleep in. I groan sleepily and grab the hand of whoever’s touching me.
“Just come back to bed, Reule. It’s cold, and I want to snuggle.”
I reach behind me to pull Audun closer only to discover I’m in bed alone. My eyes pop open in surprise, and I sit up. It’s still dark out, the only light coming from the embers burning in the fireplace. I have to blink several times before my eyes adjust, and I find Reule, Caelan, and Audun standing beside the bed.
“What are you guys doing?” I ask, my stomach twisting. I don’t know why, but I have a horrible feeling.
Caelan steps forward and cups my face in his hands, leaning down to kiss me softly. He doesn’t say a word. He just wraps the comforter around me and pulls me up, leading me out of the bedroom. I grip the blanket tighter and look between each of the guys frantically.
They never wake me up like this. Everyone is tense, and it’s still fucking dark outside. Why are we awake at this hour, anyway? Did something bad happen? Caelan holds me close, and Reule and Audun keep darting glances at me over their shoulders until we make it to the living room.
The fire is brighter in here, and the lights in their weird lamps are on, so it’s much easier to see. My eyes nearly bug out of my head when I realize the guys are dressed. And they’re wearing fucking military uniforms. The same ones I saw in the photos Reule showed me days ago. It’s also the same uniform Ilari and that older military guy were wearing when I first arrived in this realm.
“What’s this?” I gesture angrily to Caelan’s uniform. I’ve never hated this stupid language barrier more. “What the fuck is happening? Where’s Maalik?”
My red-haired mate may be distant from me, but he’s still the leader of this family. He’ll help me understand what’s happening even if I won’t like it.
“Kotě, prosím.” Reule whines, stepping close and pulling me into a tight hug.
Caelan and Audun surround me too, and the three of them kiss all over my face and the top of my head. Tears prick at the corner of my eyes. It doesn’t feel like they’re just being sweet. It feels like they’re saying goodbye.
“Musíme jít do práce,” Audun whispers.
I sniffle and meet his eyes. “I don’t know what that means.”
If they’re leaving me, where is Maalik? He might not have wanted me to be his stupid mate, but I am. Before I can call out for him again, someone clears their throat. I turn my head to see Maalik standing