The hoarseness in his voice gave her goosebumps. Her body kept acting on its own, closing her eyes and arching her back until she brushed his chest. Hakken sucked in a breath and placed his large hands on her hips. Maeve could tell his self-control was hanging by a thread.
He took a deep breath, nuzzling his face on her neck and whispering in her ear. “Not now, beautiful. You should go back to the cabin.”
“Why?” Her own voice was unrecognizable, and her question came out as a moan.
Noticing her arousal, Hakken chuckled and gave her hips a playful squeeze. “I want to take my time with you.” He landed a soft kiss on her neck before letting her go. “And I definitely don’t want your brother interrupting us this time.”
He hastened away from her, and Maeve felt brave enough to peep. The sight of his magnificent naked body disappearing in the thick, leaving behind a trail of water, flustered her beyond reason.
After she somehow dressed and ran back to the cabin, she slipped through the entrance, hoping to reach her room unnoticed. Unfortunately—leaning leisurely by her door—a wide-grinning Finn seemed to expect her. “My dearest sister. Bring your blushing, little bottom to the kitchen, and help me with lunch.”
CHAPTER XXXIII
GIFTS AND SURPRISES
Regn
The cheerful atmosphere in the kitchen did nothing to lift his spirits. Regn didn’t want to mull over it, but his mind betrayed him once more, and he spiraled down the self-pity hole. The thought kept him up the entire night and still had him engulfed in misery.
Maeve wrapped in Hakken’s scent.
The day before, he saw her return from her bath and immediately sensed the change. Brooding about what might have transpired between the two of them had his mood swinging from seething resentment to dreary hopelessness.
But he kept reminding himself he was not angry at her. His heartache was not her doing, nor Hakken. Only he was to blame. Maeve has no idea how I feel. How will she choose between the two of us if I don’t show her what she means to me? The problem was plain as day, but the solution mortified him.
I must tell her! He decided.
His newfound determination faltered as soon as she walked into the kitchen, yawning and blinking away the remnants of sleep. She squinted at the bright room, and as soon as her blue eyes fell on him, she smiled. “Good morning, Regn.”
It was an undeniable fact that her smile had the power to uplift him and confuse him beyond help. Regn racked his brains to find an ingenious or teasing retort. Perhaps mention how cute she looked that morning. But his mouth remained as dry as his wit.
“Good morning, dear brother!” Maeve ran past him, waving her arms before hugging her brother.
Finn wrapped an arm around her shoulders while balancing a bowl of food in his other hand, placing a loud kiss on her temple. “I’m so glad you joined us, little sister. Now, be a helpful mushroom and make some tea.”
While Regn stood befuddled, Maeve bounced into the kitchen to pour boiling water over that tea they were so fond of. Ystävä came from the garden, carrying a basket brimming with fresh fruit.
“Hello, Ystävä. How delicious!” She met him halfway, taking the basket from him and kissing his cheek.
“One of the many perks of being the Warlock. You get presents from all over the Forest.” The elf turned to him. “Hakken left early this morning to hunt down something for you two to eat. I’m afraid we are not too keen on meat around here.”
Of course, Hakken went out to hunt. Most likely, he would return with enough food to feed a small village. Bitter, Regn scanned the room, and the cheerful bustle felt foreign. He shuffled into a corner, wallowing in his misery. The day had just begun, and he couldn’t manage a simple greeting for Maeve. He didn’t catch her breakfast.
Did anyone need him there?
Would she care if he left?
His appetite gone, leaving the cabin to sulk under a lonely tree sounded like the best course of action. Dejected, he went for the door when a light tap on his shoulder made him turn. Maeve stood right by his side, holding her clenched fist in front of him.
“Regn, you need to try this.” Her smile shone as gentle as ever, and her cheerful gaze softened his mood. Did she intend to feed him? Did she care about him enough to want him to be part of something she enjoyed? A little ray of hope tugged his heart.
Smiling, he leaned forward; his eyes fixed on her. Gods, she is so beautiful! The details of her face enthralled him. The freckles, the tiny scar on her jaw. The perfect wrinkles around her eyes when her smile widened, catching him off guard. She opened her hand and blew with force, sending the white powder straight to his face.
Blinking his now powdered eyelashes, he sputtered the flour on his mouth while Maeve danced away, victorious.
“Revenge is mine!” she cheered.
The room filled with laughter, both Warlock’s and his own. Maeve didn’t stop celebrating while Regn cleaned his face with a damp cloth Ystävä handed him. Only then he walked to her and wrapped her in his arms. She hugged him back, chuckling. “Silly girl,” he said.
“You are silly.”
“I know.”
The hug lasted a tad longer than necessary, but he was too happy to care. Even when the door opened once more, and Hakken arrived with his catch, giving him a spine-chilling murderous glare, he wouldn’t let go of her.
Hakken
Would things get awkward between Maeve and him if he killed Regn? The smug look on the boy’s face when he caught him clinging to Maeve was enough to make him snarl. Not wanting to upset her, Hakken feigned composure and let them be. Breakfast rewarded his patience since Maeve couldn’t stop stealing glances at him, and he relished in the sight of her blushing cheeks.
A warm tingle crawled down his spine as
