I groan as I close the distance. Called it. Flint and Alder were just bidin’ their time.
“You think we knew any more about what was going on with Delta when we first met her?” Rafferty asks, steppin’ between them with a frown.
The big blue demon has had an even temper up until now, but I can see it’s startin’ to wear thin.
“Do you think we had any idea what was coming for her, what we’d have to protect her from? We apologized for not clueing you into everything that occurred, but you have to stop blaming us for what happened,” he snaps at Flint, frustration curlin’ his words. “We were doing the best we could. We had no idea that Delta had sisters. We couldn’t even fathom that any of the other Guardians needed to be alerted after the battle. We thought Morax was solely after Delta.”
Echo moves in to stand beside Rafferty, and Flint’s hard glare flicks over to him. “We get that you’re pissed,” Echo declares, his shadows moving over him jerkily like they’re equally as agitated. “We were pissed too when we realized that Delta was a target. But cheap shots and harbored grudges aren’t going to change anything. We need to work together.”
Flint grinds his teeth, and Alder moves up next to him, murmurin’ quietly like he’s tryin’ to talk him down. Worry claws over my gut. I don’t want my mates to hate my sister’s mates.
“Okay, let’s take a break,” Delta announces, walkin’ over to step between the two sides. She holds her arms up as though she’s about to herd a bunch of feral cats. “Jerif, you owe me a massage, and Rafferty, if you don’t come too, Strut won’t feed me edible food, so let’s go,” Delta says, offerin’ them a smile.
“What about us?” Crux asks with a playful pout.
Desire heats Delta’s gaze as she looks over. “Well, I’ll need you and Echo to help me scrub my back in the shower,” she purrs, and her other two mates perk up with anticipation.
Delta starts herdin’ them toward the doorway before turnin’ back to me. “You’ll be sore,” she tells me, gesturin’ to the wings at my back. “We have a sauna down the hall to the left that will help loosen up your muscles. Go take advantage of it and talk with your mates about cheap shots that piss off their sister-in-law,” she teases, but there’s a flash of warnin’ in her gaze.
I nod and give her a smile that she quickly returns before focusin’ on gettin’ her mates out of here. I can see clearly in that one look that Delta is sympathetic with Flint and Alder’s anger, but she’s not gonna stand by and let them take shots at the demons she cares about. Flint just got a get out of jail free card, but there won’t be another one from her.
I sigh and look over at Flint. “Got that out of your system now?”
He just shrugs.
“Come on, you two,” I huff as I reach for their hands. “Let’s go talk about how to play nice and forgive others.”
I pull them in the direction that Delta indicated and hope I can talk some sense into them—Flint in particular. We have enough chaos goin’ on all around us, and we don’t need to add to it. I just hope I can get my mates to get on board with the whole make love not war plan I’m about to pitch.
32
This is the biggest sauna I’ve ever seen.
Okay, it’s the only sauna I’ve ever seen except for the ones on TV, but still. Even though I’m not a girl accustomed to goin’ to spas or maintainin’ a gym membership with a ritzy sauna, I can still spot fancy when I see it.
These four cedar walls smell divine. I settle back against the hot wall, lettin’ my wings slump behind me as I breathe in slowly. The softwood bench beneath my towel-clad body is just as warm as everythin’ else, immediately soothin’ the worry and aches from my body.
There’s a long shelf of river rocks that takes up the entire right side of the sauna, the smooth stones resemblin’ the ones hangin’ on the chain around my neck. Alder leans forward and picks up the stainless steel shower hose set on the wall behind it. The second he does, trickles of cold water come out of the single spout, and he douses the stones, makin’ steam plume up in the space. Even more cedar and somethin’ that smells faintly of jasmine fills the air.
“Damn, this thing sure is nice,” I muse.
Alder settles back with a hum, and I can’t help but ogle both him and Flint. They’re both naked except for the white towels wrapped around their waists, and my eyes keep bouncin’ between them. I thoroughly enjoyed watchin’ them work out, well...right up until it turned into a fight, anyway. Flint and Alder move with such grace and confidence it’s impossible not to track their every move when they’re in a room.
I thought they were sexy before as they climbed ropes and lifted weights, but now? Clad in only terry cloth with beads of steam and sweat clingin’ to their defined muscles as they relax beside me? Every part of me has taken notice. So much so that I start squirmin’ on the bench, my very own sauna steamin’ up between my thighs.
What was I gonna talk to them about again? Oh right, cheap shots and white flags.
I brush away my peaked interest and try to figure out the best way to talk to Flint and Alder about their behavior. Flint cracks an eye open and turns toward me, those storm-gray eyes cuttin’ right through the debate in my head. “You think this cedar is enough to cover it up?” he rumbles.
“Huh?”
His mouth
