Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 140580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Ravi’s head tipped back as if he were saying a prayer toward heaven. “Thank god.” Dropping back down, he demanded, “And how was it?”
He let his smirk speak volumes before taking a sip of his coffee.
“Oh really.” Ravi leaned in, eyes shining. “Spare me no details. Literally none.”
Someone dropped into the chair across the table, and Cameron looked up to find his sister with a coffee and loaded croissant in hand. “What’s this? I heard sexy times.”
“I almost walked in on Cameron and Alric this morning,” Ravi explained rapidly. “And now he’s going to tell us all the details.”
Cameron deliberately put a confused expression on his face. “I don’t remember promising that.”
“I personally don’t want to hear all the details,” Cassie put forth. “Because he’s my brother. Ick. No. Just like he doesn’t want to hear what Sasha and I got up to last night, despite how dreamy it was.”
“You’re right, I want no details on that, only that you liked what you did and you’re still happy this morning.” Which she obviously was. Cassie practically glowed. He’d never actually seen her like this before. Most of her dates went rather poorly.
“Oh, I definitely liked it,” Cassie purred, more smug than a feline with a new dish of cream. “But you finally got Alric, eh? About time.”
“I told you it was complicated. I managed to get past the complications, is all.”
Ravi’s joking took on a more serious note. “May I ask what your intentions are, good mage?”
“I intend to make him happy, as much as I can.” Cameron deliberately met Ravi’s eyes, and Ravi’s relief could not be more apparent. Cameron meant every word of it. He wasn’t entirely sure what he and Alric were doing, but his feelings for the man were very strong. He wanted to make Alric happy. Nothing could please Cameron more.
Putting them back on a lighter note, he added, “And to sex him up whenever possible. Because damn, that man is perfectly delicious.”
“Yeah?” Ravi rubbed his hands together in brisk anticipation. “I’m so teasing him about this later. Alright, I’ll spread the word. No one in the king’s rooms in the morning. He’ll be busy.”
Cameron nodded solemnly. “Very busy.”
Ravi promptly stood up in the chair and announced in a loud voice, “Everyone hear that? No entering the king’s bedroom in the mornings! He’ll be occupied with the most handsome Cameron Park.”
Most of the clan was in the room for breakfast, and as one they all turned, then let out a cheer, some of them clapping. Cameron took the teasing in stride and stood, giving them a bow in both directions, taking this congratulations as his due. He should have known Ravi would do that.
On second thought, maybe it was just as well Alric hadn’t joined him for breakfast. The poor man would have combusted on the spot.
And when he heard of this later, he might still kill Ravi for it.
“Pacing is not going to do anything but wear you out.”
Alric nearly growled at his advisor, but he did stop and stand in front of the large window looking out on the valley below, his hands shoved into the pockets of his slacks. The sun was just starting to peek over the mountains and burn off the early-morning mist. The world looked peaceful and the day full of wonderful promise.
But there was also the promise of disaster.
Gunter and Melissande had left early for the town they’d discovered as the possible hiding place for the dark mages. They’d taken only one other dragon guard with them, and Alric was not happy about it. They should have taken an entire damn army with them. It wasn’t that he lacked faith in Gunter’s ability to keep Melissande safe. He was more concerned with Gunter keeping himself safe. His old friend tended to get lost in his studies and search for knowledge. He didn’t know when to retreat sometimes, and Alric didn’t want him pushing things too far.
“We should have sent more guards with them,” Alric muttered.
“This is a reconnaissance mission, Hoheit. Not an invasion,” Dieter said patiently.
Alric spun around suddenly, glaring at the older dragon. Sometimes he just wished Dieter would lose his cool, confident exterior. Nothing ruffled the man. Well, nothing but Lisette.
“They’ve already come after Cameron and his sister. To me, that warrants an invasion,” Alric countered.
Dieter just smiled at him, and Alric suddenly felt like a petulant child. “Their actions deserve an appropriate response, but not before we know who we face and the size of their force.”
Alric grunted and turned back toward the window, ignoring Dieter’s too-knowing gaze.
“When did you last shift and allow your dragon some time in the sun?” Dieter inquired, and Alric barely held in his snap of frustration. It wasn’t that long ago that he’d thought the same thing about Gunter and his endless devotion to his books.