“Fresh bread,” I said on an exhale. That was ten times better than the stale, hard loaves in our packs.
Gods, I hoped the person inside the cottage was kind. We all needed a break. Especially Xander. He might not have thought himself capable of happiness because of his sister’s actions, but I knew differently.
He was worthy of everything.
My dragon shifter looked over at me, the slightest of smiles on his face as he drew me toward him. The others came up behind us; the snow crunching beneath their feet. Pressing his lips to the top of my head, Xander tugged my hood firmly over my ears.
“Daegal and I will go first,” he said. “Even though the Fortune Elves Saw this meeting doesn’t mean this person is trustworthy. Promise me you won’t come until I tell you it’s safe.”
Usually, I’d argue with him, but this time I could see his point. I gave him my word, staying at the top as he started down the hill.
“What’s the plan?” Maiela asked, coming to stand next to me moments later.
“Xander and I will go first,” Daegal said, echoing my mate’s words. I wasn’t sure if the males had discussed this beforehand, but their desire to keep the rest of us safe was endearing, if not a tad overbearing. “If anything happens, you four need to run.”
His tone was ominous, and none of us spoke as Daegal joined Xander at the base of the hill. The two males spoke quietly before Xander raised his fist. The knock shattered the silence of the forest, echoing the pounding of my heart.
A moment later, the door swung open. I couldn’t see whoever was inside, but I had the perfect view of Xander’s imposing body. His muscles were bunched, and his form was tense as he exchanged words with the unseen person. Xander towered over Daegal—to be fair, he towered over everyone—and he was nearly as tall as the door itself. Even after hiking for days on end, Xander looked incredible. I was not-so-discreetly admiring the way his tunic accentuated his muscles when his golden eyes flitted up and met mine.
A knowing smile crept over Xander’s face, and he spoke through the bond.Were you checking me out, Sunshine?
I blushed.You wish.
He chortled, the sound warming me through and through.Come on down, my love, and bring the others. It’s safe.
Glancing at the other three behind me, I adjusted my pack before turning toward the cabin. “We can go down,” I said. “Xander says it’s safe.”
My back was turned, but I felt the weight of my companions’ stares. Raising a brow, I looked over my shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Maiela, Kysha, and Ryllae were all wide-eyed as they stared at me.
The Death Elf was the first one to recover from her shock. Her blonde brows furrowed. “What?”
“How are you—” Maiela asked at the same time that her wife said, “Neither Xander nor Daegal spoke.”
Shit.
Grimacing, I ran a hand through my hair and chewed on my bottom lip. Xander and I weren’t exactly trying to hide our new mental connection, but in all the chaos, we hadn’t yet told the others about it. It was more out of forgetfulness than anything else.
So much had taken place since Xander and I had left for the Midnight Ball, foolishly hoping we could sneak into the Queen’s Tower and steal the piece of the map without High King Edgar’s knowledge. It had been a trap, and he’d caught us, nearly killing us both. It was hard to remember what we had and hadn’t told our friends since our return.
All three elves looked at me expectantly.
“I can… we can… since I Matured, Xander and I can sort of… talk to each other.” I waved my hand in the air, as if that would help the explanation. “In our minds,” I finished lamely.
Silence stretched as they gaped at me.
Aileana, what’s taking so long?the male in question growled in my mind.
I think I accidentally told them we can do this, I replied.They might be in shock.
A pause, then amusement came through the bond.Ah. In that case, I’ll tell Daegal it may be a few minutes. Have fun untangling this one, Sunshine.
“Are you doing it now?” Ryllae asked, her hand on her hip as she stared at me.
I had little experience with other females, mostly because of my isolated upbringing, and I hoped they wouldn’t be angry with us for forgetting to tell them about this. I felt like I was making friends with these three. Or at least, making friend with Kysha and Maiela. It would take me time to get comfortable around the Death Elf, but I was trying.
“Umm… yes,” I said after a moment.