Chapter 34 #2
Malrik cuts her off, fingers slipping into her hair again, giving it a light tug that makes her breath hitch.
He’s grinning like a devil, all mischief and barely contained chaos.
“Stop overthinking, little witch,” he drawls, his voice teasing.
“Unfortunately for me, the others want to see you downstairs, which means I don’t get to fuck all your holes just yet. But I do have presents.”
I shiver despite myself, not just because I’m picturing the sex, though, let's be honest, fuck—but because I've seen his version of a gift.
“I wouldn’t call body parts a present,” I mutter under my breath, gently tugging her with me.
She laughs lightly, like none of this surprises her.
“Don’t worry, Roro,” Malrik coos. “I can get you a gift too. Something you'll really fucking appreciate… like our woman spread out between us, dripping and begging, while we worship that gorgeous body of hers. Now that's the kind of present worth unwrapping.”
I groan—partly because of that damn nickname he’s been calling me lately, and partly because… well, if we're being honest… that sounds like the best gift ever.
“You can’t just offer me up as a present,” She retorts, sharp as ever—but there’s no bite to it. She’s amused. She always is with him. With us.
“Oh, but I can, little witch,” his eyes gleam with mischief. “Your pussy is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
Fucking hell, I need a cold shower.
She smacks his chest lightly, rolling her eyes, just as Drew barrels to the bottom of the old, creaky stairs like a caffeinated golden retriever and tears her out of our grip.
Malrik actually hisses at him—like a fucking feral cat.
“Little red!” He yells in a pitch that should revoke his manhood entirely, then spins her around. She laughs, clinging to him while telling him to put her down.
Her hands clutch at his shoulders, knuckles white, eyes squeezed shut as her hair flies in every direction. Drews is laughing like a maniac, completely unfazed. She looks two seconds away from hurling when he finally slows and sets her down.
“It's bloody good to see you awake,” Drew grins, pulling her into another bear hug. “So, you gonna help me train now? Malrik's psychotic, nearly killed me earlier just because I got distracted by your moans. Not gonna lie, they were pretty damn distracting.”
Malrik was probably pissed that he wasn’t the one inside our woman.
She shoves him back lightly. “You’re such a pig.”
He just grins, unfazed. “Says the one who had porn-level sex loud enough for half the realm to hear. Don’t blame me if I got—ugh!”
Daleyzas's elbow snaps into Drew's ribs, cutting him off mid-sentence, which was probably wise with Malrik. He crumples forward, groaning with way too much flair as he staggers sideways.
“I might like the little mute more now,” Malrik says, amusement in his tone as he steps closer to me.
I glance at him from the corner of my eye—taller than me, lean, probably just as cut beneath all that leather. Same dark hair, only his is longer, wilder, like he doesn't own a damn comb. The real difference? I don't spend my free time fantasising about murder… at least not out loud.
“Shut it,” I mutter, but I can’t help but smirk.
I peer back over just in time to catch Daleyza pulling Cherry into a hug. She melts into it, her shoulders dropping like she's finally able to breathe now that she knows everyone’s okay.
Then Kieran walks in from outside.
He’s shirtless, wearing only black joggers clinging low to his hips, smeared with oil and streaked with grime from whatever he does to his bike to take his mind off things.
His chest is broad and scarred, and a large wolf tattoo covers all his skin.
He isn’t ripped like Darian, but his arms are big enough to snap your neck like a twig.
I’m not the only one who notices him. Ravena's eyes find him over Daleyzas' shoulder—locked on him like gravity just shifted in his direction. And Kieran… he doesn’t look away. Doesn’t flinch, just stands there still with his hands at his sides.
Ravena gently pulls back and steps forward with that quiet steadiness that’s so uniquely her. The room stills. She stops in front of him—barely a breath between them—and lifts her arms, wrapping them around his waist without a single word. Her head rests against his chest.
He goes completely still—every muscle locked as she hugs him. The only thing that moves is a twitch in his fingers, subtle but telling. His eyes stay fixed on her, unblinking, and for a moment, I brace myself.
This is usually the part where he shuts down. Where the walls go up, and he says something cold just to get distance. Kieran doesn’t do soft, doesn’t do closeness. That’s why he buries himself in women he doesn’t care about and tosses them out before morning.
But then—surprising the hell out of me—those big arms wrap around her. His eyes flutter shut for half a second, like he’s trying to hold onto something fragile inside himself. Possibly the fact that he thought she died when Malrik forced the spell breaker into her body.
Even Malrik falls quiet, the usual smirk slipping from his face. For once, he doesn’t have a comment.
But there’s still a hollowness curling in my chest, settling deep like a weight I can’t shake—because not all of us are here.
Darian isn’t here with us.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she says softly, stepping back from Kieran, brushing away a stray tear with the back of her hand.
Kieran just nods. “Yeah, same goes for you.”
It's one of those rare silences, the kind that nobody dares to break.
Not until Malrik.
“Alright, cockblocker. You wanted your little family meeting or whatever, so let’s get it over with—because it's been far too long since I’ve been buried in my little witch.”
I let out a sigh and give Malrik a shove as I walk past, not even trying to hide the eye roll. “Real classy, asshole,” I mutter under my breath.
Ravena just shakes her head, that familiar glint of amusement tugging at her mouth—like she’s not sure whether to hit him or laugh.
I reach for her hand and guide her down with me into one of the battered old armchairs. She settles against me, her body moulding into mine without hesitation.
“One more word out of you and it’ll be your body parts in those jars,” Kieran snaps.
He drops into another seat, broad shoulders tense, eyebrows bunched.
Drew lets out a laugh at Kieran's comment as he sits with his sister. I notice the way she’s watching Ravena, and that makes something twist in my gut. It’s not fear exactly, just… unease. Like she knows something the rest of us don’t.
“So, you do joke,” Malrik muses, tone light, smug, and thoroughly unbothered. He slides onto the arm of the chair I’ve got Ravena curled up in. He finds her hair on instinct, twirling the strands lazily.
Kieran doesn’t blink. “It wasn’t a joke.”
“As long as you keep my dick intact, I’m all in to see which body part you go for,” He carries on.
Ravena shoots him a warning glance. “Malrik…”
“Yes, little witch?”
“Shut up.”
He presses a hand to his chest like she just broke his heart. “You wound me. For that, no gifts for you.”
“Wouldn’t be a loss,” I mumble.
I don't even get the words out before his palm cracks against the back of my head. “Ow—what the hell?”
“Guys…” Drew pipes in, amusement in his voice. “You might want to cut the shit before Keiran’s head explodes.”
I cut a glance at Kieran, and Drew's not wrong. He's got that look, the king that says he could snap a neck clean in two and sleep like a baby after.
Daleyza lifts her hands and signs something quickly to Ravena. Her expression shifts, and I watch the colour drain from her face when she finishes.
We have three days before Vespera finds us.
Well shit.
That wasn’t what I was expecting at all, and by the looks on all our faces, I would say it’s mutual.