I hadn’t realized I said that last part out loud.
Drawing my bottom lip through my teeth, I met his gaze. “I care about you, too.”
“Good.” He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Can you stand?”
I nodded, and he placed me on my feet. My legs wobbled, but soon I found my bearings. Daegal held onto my arm as I turned in a slow circle, taking in our surroundings. We were in a large cavern; the roof stretched high above our heads, providing shelter from the snow that was falling once again. The cave didn’t really end, it just… narrowed at one end, turning into a tunnel.
Aileana and Xander stood near the entrance, looking between the map and the compass intently beneath the light of the full moon. They weren’t speaking out loud, but I could tell by the way they glanced at each other that they were communicating mind to mind.
On the stone floor, a small fire that was barely more than kindling burned. It gave off the barest amount of heat, but at least it was warmer than being in the elements.
Pulling off my gloves, I flexed my fingers as I finished my perusal of the space.
“Where is your sister?” I asked Daegal.
Both Kysha and Maiela were missing, and I didn’t hear either of them.
He turned as red as a rain berry as he averted his eyes and coughed, running his hand through his hair.
“They went to get some firewood a half hour ago,” he said. “They wanted some… time by themselves.”
I had never seen the elf so embarrassed before, and somehow, it endeared him to me further. Biting back a smile, I closed the distance between Daegal and I. Cupping his cheek; I enjoyed the feeling of his rough stubble beneath my fingers, and I brushed my mouth over his.
“I can see the benefit of finding some time alone,” I said. The huskiness of my voice surprised me, and Daegal’s eyes darkened as he claimed my lips, his hand landing on my hip as he held me flush against him.
He chuckled, nipping at my mouth. “Is that so?”
Visions of how the rough stubble would feel against other, softer places ran through me. My core warmed, and I pressed my thighs together. “Mhmm,” I said. “There is a certain… value in being alone that seems desirable right about now.”
Privacy wasn’t the only thing I desired.
“When you put it that way, Princess, I can see the benefit.”
Daegal pulled me towards him, our mouths meeting in a kiss that somehow managed to be both gentle and possessive. He made me feel warm and safe and wanted. His hand shifted to the small of my back as he drew me tighter against him. His tongue ran over the seam of my lips just as a cough came from nearby. We broke apart, and blood rushed to my cheeks.
Xander and Aileana watched us with matching amused expressions on their faces. The dragon shifter tilted his head, opening his mouth as though to speak. Before he could, feminine laughter rose through the air.
Hand in hand, Kysha and Maiela walked into the cave. They stopped abruptly near the entrance, their brows raising in unison. The wives exchanged a look before glancing around.
“What did we miss?” Kysha asked, subtly adjusting the fit of her cloak as she unsuccessfully tried to hide the disarray of her clothing. Her tunic was hastily thrown over her leggings, the belt barely done up beneath her breasts. Even if her garments had been in pristine condition, the wild state of her hair would have given them away.
“Oh, not much,” Aileana said. “Daegal and Ryllae were just… talking.”
Xander coughed. “There wasn’t much talking going on that I could see.”
Aileana elbowed her mate in the side, and he bent, dramatically gasping for air. The Earth Elf smothered a laugh as she addressed the couple. “Where’s the firewood?”
Maiela’s eyes widened, and she stared at her empty hands. Her hair was mussed and her cheeks had a red tint to them that had nothing to do with the cold. “Damn it,” she said after a long moment. “Would you believe that we couldn’t find any?”
Xander looked over Maiela’s shoulder, where dozens of trees stood cast in snow and moonlight.
“No,” the dragon shifter said dryly. “There isn’t a single one of us here who is going to believe that.”
A moment passed before Kysha shrugged. “We got… sidetracked.”
“Sidetracked?” Aileana chuckled.
The halfling nodded enthusiastically. “There’s another, smaller cave nearby, and we had to… make sure it was safe.”