Chapter 217: I stole you

Chapter 217: Chapter 217: I stole you

"It knows them."

Druun’s whisper filled the stone room.

Nobody moved.

Eira still had one tiny palm pressed against the floor.

Beside her, Sira sat perfectly still.

That smile remained on her little face.

Not her usual bright, troublemaking smile.

Not the smile she wore before stealing Miko’s food.

Something quieter.

Something that made every hair along Swanly’s arms rise.

Soren moved first.

His white tail struck the floor once.

Then he crossed the distance in two steps and scooped both daughters up.

Eira gave a small protesting sound.

Sira twisted around immediately.

"Down."

"No."

Soren’s voice was cold.

Final.

Sira pointed at the floor.

"Down."

"No."

Eira stared at him.

Soren stared back.

For once, neither girl challenged their father.

Swanly’s heart was still pounding.

She crouched and pressed both hands against the same stone Eira had touched.

Nothing.

Cold rock.

That was all.

No vibration.

No pulse.

No heartbeat.

Nothing.

"Soren?"

"I felt it."

"So did everyone."

Thalara had already lowered herself beside the exact spot.

Her blackened fingers spread over the stone.

Her strange purple forehead eye brightened.

The branch-like horns framing her face trembled faintly.

Silence.

Then more silence.

Swanly hated silence now.

"What?"

Thalara’s eye dimmed slightly.

"Nothing."

Swanly stared.

"That giant thing beneath my settlement just went THOOM because my daughter touched the floor."

Thalara looked up.

"I know."

"And you found nothing?"

"The stone has not changed."

"That is impossible."

"Yes."

Swanly blinked.

Thalara quietly added:

"That is why I am concerned."

Wonderful.

Druun remained outside the chamber entrance.

He had not moved since speaking.

His enormous gray hand was clenched.

Swanly looked at him.

"You said it knows them."

Druun’s gaze lowered toward Eira and Sira.

"Know."

"How?"

His brow tightened.

He searched for words.

"Old."

He touched his chest.

Then pointed down.

"Old know."

Swanly’s face went blank.

That did not help.

At all.

Soren’s jaw tightened.

"We’re finished here."

Thalara looked at him.

"Soren."

"No."

He shifted both girls higher against his chest.

"We do not continue poking at something that just reacted to my daughters."

Swanly opened her mouth.

He looked at her.

She closed it again.

Fair.

For now.

Swanly took Sira from him.

Soren reluctantly surrendered her.

Eira stayed against his chest, one little hand tangled in his white hair.

Swanly turned toward the exit.

She could feel Soren looking at her.

She walked faster.

Still staring.

Her fox tail swayed.

Still staring.

Swanly’s ears heated.

Without turning around, she said:

"Stop staring at me before I trip."

Silence.

Then his voice came smoothly behind her.

"I’m not staring."

"You are."

"I am observing."

"That is staring with arrogance."

Soren said nothing.

Which meant she was right.

Swanly’s tail puffed.

Behind her, Soren’s mouth curved.

She knew it.

She could feel it.

"Snake."

"Fox."

"Stop."

"I said nothing."

"You thought something."

"Can you hear thoughts now?"

"No."

"Then walk."

Swanly nearly turned around and bit him.

Then Sira patted Swanly’s cheek.

"Mama."

Swanly sighed.

"Yes, baby."

Sira pointed backward.

"Pa."

"I know. Your father is annoying."

Soren’s voice came immediately:

"She understands insults now."

"Good."

Sira nodded solemnly.

"Annoy."

Swanly stopped.

Soren stopped.

Eira blinked.

Swanly slowly looked down.

"Did you just learn that?"

Sira smiled.

"Annoy."

Soren’s expression flattened.

Swanly burst out laughing.

The terror loosened for exactly three seconds.

Then Swanly remembered the thing under their feet.

Her laughter died.

Not forgotten.

Not even close.

...

That night, Swanly intended to stay awake.

She really did.

She wanted to call the System.

She wanted to think.

She wanted to make sense of Druun’s words.

Instead she blinked once.

And woke sometime later lying on something smooth, warm beneath her body, but cooler than Kael’s skin.

Swanly frowned.

She shifted.

The thing under her shifted too.

Her eyes snapped open.

White scales.

A thick white snake tail had curled beneath her like a living cushion.

Swanly slowly raised her head.

Soren was sitting against the wall behind her.

Awake.

Of course.

His long white hair fell loosely over one shoulder.

His silver eyes were watching her.

Swanly looked down at the tail.

Then at him.

Then at the tail again.

"Why am I on your tail?"

Soren answered without blinking.

"I stole you."

Swanly stared.

"What?"

"You were sleeping over there."

He nodded toward her original sleeping place.

"So I stole you."

So shameless.

Swanly should have been surprised.

She wasn’t.

This was Soren.

Of course the snake would kidnap his own mate three body lengths across a shelter and announce it casually.

"Put me back."

"No."

"Soren."

"You’re comfortable."

"That is not the point."

"You were cold."

"I had a hide."

"My tail is warmer."

"It is literally colder than me."

"Yet you stayed."

"I WAS ASLEEP."

One corner of his mouth moved.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

"You’re enjoying this."

"A little."

"Let go."

She pushed against the tail.

It tightened.

Not trapping.

Just curling around her waist more firmly.

Swanly gasped.

"Soren!"

He looked down.

"What?"

"Your tail."

"Yes."

"It is around me."

"Yes."

"Move it."

"No."

Her mouth fell open.

Then she noticed something else.

Her feet were sore.

Again.

Apparently spending half the day running around Ironwood, carrying babies, climbing platforms, and pretending postpartum recovery no longer existed had consequences.

She flexed one foot.

Soren noticed instantly.

His gaze dropped.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Your foot hurts."

"No."

He reached.

Swanly pulled both feet away.

"I said nothing."

"You lie badly."

"I do not."

"You wrinkle your nose."

"I do not wrinkle my nose."

"You just did."

She immediately flattened her expression.

Soren caught one ankle.

Swanly’s breath caught.

His hand was large.

Cool.

Careful.

He pulled her foot into his lap.

"Soren."

"Quiet."

"Excuse me?"

His thumb pressed into the center of her sole.

Swanly’s entire body relaxed before her pride could stop it.

"Oh."

Soren’s eyes lifted.

She immediately frowned.

"Don’t look smug."

"I’m not."

"You are."

His thumb moved again.

Slow circles.

Firm enough to ease the ache.

Swanly’s ears lowered.

That felt...

Dangerously good.

He worked down toward her heel.

Then up toward the ball of her foot.

Swanly stopped fighting.

For almost a full minute.

Soren said nothing.

That somehow made it more intimate.

No jokes.

No claiming.

No tension about their mating mark.

Just his hands carefully easing soreness she had not admitted existed.

Swanly watched him.

His soft lashes lowered as he concentrated.

"You do this often?"

"No."

"Then why are you good at it?"

"I have hands."

"That does not answer anything."

"It answers enough."

Swanly rolled her eyes.

Then his fingers brushed lightly along the inside of her arch.

Her leg jerked.

Soren stopped.

His gaze lifted.

Swanly froze.

He touched the same place again.

Her foot snapped away.

A laugh burst out.

Soren’s eyes changed.

Oh no.

"No."

He touched it again.

Swanly kicked weakly.

"Stop!"