my closet, but I haven’t seen anything he’s made yet. Audun painted a mural of constellations on the ceiling to match the ones in their bedrooms at my request, and Caelan helped me paint the walls a dark, shimmery blue. With good lighting and white accents, it’s going to be fucking gorgeous.
Setting the muffins down on the closest workbench, I step closer and carefully run my fingers over the shelves. They’re so intricately detailed. I can’t believe Maalik made these himself. For me.
“Isla?”
I jump at his voice and spin around to find Maalik standing in the doorway. His hair is messy and his sleeves are rolled up, and the butterflies I’ve had since coming out here multiply by about a million.
“Hey.” I smile, tapping my fingers gently against one of the wooden shelves. “Did you make these for me?”
He walks closer, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks redden. He places his hand beside mine and glances at me sideways. “Líbí se ti to?”
Maalik looks so nervous, and this is so incredibly sweet. I think maybe I’ve been wrong all this time about his feelings for me. I thought he was against having me as a mate, but maybe he’s just scared and inexperienced with relationships. The night of the full moons kind of made us all crazy, so I guess I can understand him not being as forward now as he was then. Especially when even then he tried so hard to keep control of himself.
I step closer so we’re only a couple inches apart, and I watch in delight as his Adam’s apple bobs. Before I can psych myself out or feel self-conscious, I stand up on my tip toes and brush my lips against his. Sparks shoot down my arms, making my mate runes tingle.
“DÄ›kuji.” I giggle, stepping away slightly.
His face is still red, but he looks pleased. There’s the barest hint of a smile on his lips as he watches me walk to the other side of the room to grab the muffins I left on the table. I join him by the shelves again and offer him one.
We eat them together, never taking our eyes off each other. It’s a strange sort of intimacy I’ve never experienced. The guys love feeding me. While it’s totally not my favorite thing, I like making them happy. Maalik has the same pleased look on his face watching me eat that the others get when they feed me. I figure it must be a sort of pride thing for them. Providing and caring for their woman. Some of the customs in this realm seem old-fashioned, and I have to remind myself that the guys are old. Even if they don’t look like it.
I brush my fingers off on my coat when I finish and grin at Mal. I don’t know how to ask what he was working on before I came outside, but I point to myself and say the Briyan word for help. I’ve learned that one well enough after bugging the guys to let me help them with things around the house incessantly the past few days.
Maalik furrows his eyebrows and raises his hands to adjust my scarf. He growls under his breath and mumbles, “Je zima.”
Cold. I silently high-five myself for remembering that one too without having to check my notebook. Maybe I’m getting the hang of this language thing quicker than I give myself credit for. Instead of answering or trying to explain that I don’t want to be alone in the house, I stick my bottom lip out in a pout and give Maalik puppy-dog eyes.
He grunts again, but I can tell he’s giving in. He turns to walk outside, looking over his shoulder to make sure I’m following him. I’m filled with nervous energy now that spending the day with him is actually happening. He’s normally so quiet, reserved, and oftentimes seems grumpy. What’s he going to be like after hanging out for a few hours?
All I really know about him is that he’s the oldest of the guys, and he’s their alpha, if they use titles like that. Like Reule and me, he didn’t have a family, though I don’t know any specific details about his childhood. I also know he’s hardworking, and he’s obviously good with his hands.
I trip in the snow behind him when I follow him into the dense forest surrounding the property. Maalik grunts when I stand up and grabs my hand, keeping me close and