Chapter Fourteen #3
“You saw nothing. Go back to your cookies.”
“Keep being sassy and I’m gonna make you eat one.” More dough. Another ball added to the cooking sheet. Rinse and repeat. I focused on each step, trying not to let my mind wander.
Try being the key word there. Easier said than done.
After the incident with Lord Onyx yesterday, I’d gone to watch my knights train before snuggling with Lake in the garden as he enjoyed some sunshine.
Rowan had found us sometime after noon, and we’d gone to visit Briar at the clinic.
A whole day of me trying to process what happened beneath that willow tree.
I still wasn’t any closer to figuring it out.
Why had Onyx gotten so upset? Why had he gone from hot to cold in a single breath?
Plagued by these questions, I had tossed and turned all night before giving up on sleep and rolling out of bed.
Lake had, fortunately, woken when I’d gotten up and stepped out into the hall after me, guiding me to the kitchen.
He’d stayed with me as I paced and gathered what I needed for snickerdoodle cookies.
And oatmeal raisin.
Also, a batch of cranberry scones because you could never have too many choices when it came to sweets. The more, the merrier. The scones had been baked to perfection and currently sat on the counter cooling.
“Does this have anything to do with that kiss you told us about last night?” Rowan had gone over to sit beside Lake at the table, watching him whittle.
The spoonful of cookie dough plopped into the floor. “What? No, of course not. Not at all.”
“Lying doesn’t suit you, little treasure. You’re too bad at it.”
Lake nodded his agreement, again without looking up. His tail slowly wagged, brushing the back of his chair. “Must have been some kiss.”
“That’s one way of putting it,” I mumbled. “A kiss I doubt will ever happen again.”
Honest communication was the most important thing in making relationships like ours work, so I’d wasted no time in telling them about the kiss once we were all together yesterday. Much to my relief, none of them had been bothered by it.
“Give him time,” Rowan said. “Gods know I didn’t make it easy for you either. Before meeting you, I was well-versed in fucking but had never kissed anyone. Saw no point in it. Then you came along and sent my mind reeling. You made me want things I never had before. Romance. Commitment.”
“Bread.”
He laughed, showing a peek of his fang-like tooth. “What can I say? No other bread tastes like yours.”
Once the batch of snickerdoodle cookies was in the oven, I cleaned up the dough I’d dropped on the floor before going over to the sink and washing my hands. Through the window, I only saw darkness. Hopefully, the sun would rise soon.
Was Lord Onyx awake yet? Would he come down to the kitchen for his morning cup of tea? Or would he try to avoid me?
Lake set aside his whittling tool and half-finished piece before coming over and wrapping his arms around me.
“I’m okay,” I said, comforted by his scent. Peaches and spring water. “Just in my head.”
“You need more coffee.” He kissed my hair before grabbing the container of beans I’d ground earlier. It had been the fuel I needed to prepare and bake the scones before starting on the cookies. “It will make you smile.”
My heart warmed. “Not as much as you do.”
A blush darkened his pale cheeks.
“Coffee.” Lake nuzzled my forehead. “Now.”
“You bossing me around, Mr. Wolf?” I asked. He was too damn cute, especially with how his fluffy tail kept wagging.
“Only trying to keep you happy,” he responded. “Otherwise, Rowan will call you a sad toad.”
I choked on a laugh. A similar sound came from the feisty redhead sitting at the table. One leg was curled in his chair, and he’d kicked the other up on the wall beside him. I swear, the boy couldn’t sit normally to save his life.
Once the coffee was brewed, I refilled my mug and poured another for Rowan. Lake was sipping tea.
Steps neared the kitchen before Briar appeared in the doorway. He looked hot as fuck in a cream-colored tunic that had a wide neck, exposing the sexy collar bone I loved to nibble. He also had a major case of bed head.
“Hey, you.” I padded over and greeted him. “Why are you up so early?”
“Because I woke to find you gone.” Briar glided his knuckles along my jaw. “Did you sleep at all last night?”
“A little,” I said. Light dozing counted, right?
He sighed. “Not enough judging by the circles under your eyes. I’ll brew you a tonic to help you sleep tonight.”
“My hero.” I rose up and pecked a kiss to his jaw. Light stubble covered it, and my kiss turned into a nibble. “I kind of like this. Makes you even sexier.”
His nose crinkled with a smile.
Rowan stood from his chair and sauntered toward the counter, eyeing the mug I’d poured for him.
“Don’t ruin it with rum,” I told him.
“Rum enhances the flavor.” He flashed a half-cocked smile at my glare. Then he sniffed. “Is something burning?”
Crap.
“The cookies!” I rushed to the oven and yanked out the baking sheets. The tops of the cookies weren’t too dark, but as I carefully removed one, the charred bottom sealed their fate. “Oh no.”
Lake approached and peeked over Rowan’s head to look at them. His slight cringe spoke wonders.
“I burnt them.” I slumped against the counter and tucked my head in the crease of my arm. “Take them away. I can’t look.”
“They’re only slightly dark.” Briar neared my side and rubbed my back. “I’m sure they’re still delicious.”
“Slightly dark?” Rowan asked. “You need new glasses, Specs. They’re scorched—ow!”
Lake had whacked him with his tail.
“That’s enough abuse from you, pup,” Rowan grumbled at him. “Kicking me. Hitting me with your poofy tail.”
“Kicking you in my sleep was an accident.”
“Yeah, well, you can sleep on the rug tonight.”
Lake’s ears drooped.
The muscle in Rowan’s cheek jumped. “Gods, fine. I take it back. You can sleep in the bed.”
Our wolf smiled, then came over to nuzzle me. “Are you all right?”
“I think so. You know what they say. No use crying over spilled milk. Or burnt cookies.” I placed the batch of oatmeal raisin in the oven. “Just have to fix what you can, learn from your mistakes, and keep going. This concludes our segment of Life Lessons with the Muffin Lord.”
Lake released a rough laugh.
“And what lesson have you learned from this?” Rowan eyed the charred snickerdoodles.
“Don’t get distracted by a glasses-wearing hottie and his sexy collar bone when you should be paying attention to baking times.” I grinned at Briar.
His eyes widened a fraction. “You’re referring to me?”
“Do you see another hottie with glasses in this kitchen?”
When his nose crinkled again with a smile, an endearing blush in his cheeks accompanied it.
I hadn’t burned anything in the kitchen in forever. I blamed it on my scattered brain and the confusion over Lord Onyx. The man had me forgetting my own name. Pair that with my anxiety over our kiss, and I was a mess.
Hmm. If I was a saint with supposed purification powers, how hard could it be to save these cookies?
I went over and squatted at eye level with the lumps of char and sadness on the platter. “Listen here, snickerdoodles. You will become edible. Do you hear me?”
They didn’t hear me. The char remained.
Oh well. Maybe someday.
Briar fought a smile. “Nice try, love.”
While the oatmeal raisin cookies baked, I whipped up a batch of blueberry muffins, then grabbed eggs, bell peppers, onion, and cheese for omelets. Lake wagged his tail in excitement; it was his favorite meal.
Gradually, the sky lightened, signaling the dawn of a new day.
The clomp of boots against tile had me flipping around to the archway leading into the hall.
One by one, my band of favorite knights appeared.
Baden first, then Duke. Quincy and Callum entered the kitchen next, and my stomach fluttered as chocolate-brown eyes met mine.
“Ev.” Callum strode over and drew me close, pressing his face into my hair. His sweet scent wrapped around me, just like his arms.
“Miss me that much?”
I felt him smile. “Waking without you beside me always makes me anxious, milord. I have half a mind to tickle you for such an offense.”
“Oh no. Let’s not do that.”
His smile widened.
“Have mercy, dear knight. Please accept this offering in place of such a cruel punishment.” I nodded to the muffins. “I made your favorite.”
“Blueberry.” The indention in his cheek as he grinned gave him a boyishness that never failed to make my heart wobble. “Offering accepted.”
“Banana is better,” came a deeper voice from behind Callum. Maddox strode over and greeted me with a kiss to my brow. “Though, I suppose I’ll forgive you just this once.”
A hard crunch drew my attention to Quincy. He held one of the burnt snickerdoodles.
“Unhand that cookie!” I rushed over and tried to take it from him. “It’s not fit for human consumption.”
“Why not?” He held it above his head, the scar on his face wrinkling as he grinned down at me like a doofus. “I quite like it. Give me a glass of cold milk, and it’ll be perfect.”
“What’s with all the ruckus in here?” Fane entered the kitchen, his expression hovering between sour and wary. “You aren’t the only ones in this castle. Show some respect and consideration for the rest of us.”
“Apologies.” Quincy bowed his head.
I snatched the cookie from his hand and tossed it back on the platter with the others, then stood in front of it. I would guard it with my life if I had to. No one would eat something so horrible on my watch. Nope.
My attempt at an intimidating expression fell at seeing the knight’s pout though.
“He stole my cookie,” Quincy said, staring at his now empty hand.
Maddox laughed. The sound was lighter than usual.
One look at him had my heart skipping a beat.
His blue eyes lowered to me, and he stepped over, pulling me into his arms. The kiss he pressed to my lips said more than words ever could.
It was tender and brimming with the type of joy he hadn’t shown since the night we’d been chased from our home.
“You seem happy,” I said softly, as though a louder tone would pop the bubble.
“I suppose I am.” He glided the tip of his nose along my cheek. “I have you in my arms and my family by my side. All of us have our health. We even have a new furball running around.”
I smiled at that. “I knew Oreo would grow on you.”
Maddox huffed. But his eyes kept that happy crinkle.
“If I can’t eat the cookies, can I have some of those?” Quincy asked, waving his hand at the cranberry scones—which were not burnt, thus acceptable to be eaten. “I’m starving.”
But he already had crumbs dusting the edge of his mouth.
“Tell that to the pastry in your hand,” Duke told him. “You’ve eaten two in a matter of seconds. Inhaled them like air.”
Quincy grinned. “As I said. Starving.”
“Then eat up.” I kissed Maddox’s jaw before pulling from his arms and facing the knights. “You’ll need the energy for your training today.”
“And you’ll need more of this.” Lake brought over my cup of coffee. “Also a nap. We can take one together in the garden after breakfast.”
I smiled. “That sounds perfect.”