Orange Swirl (Sugar Bites #3)- Laurel Chase Page 0,1

extended well past his upper lip.

“What the actual fuck is going on here?” I demanded, my eyes narrowed on the pair of them.

Sol shook his head in a very animalistic way, drawing his shifted mane and claws back inside. He looked positively murderous.

“The boss didn’t take well to my advice,” he hissed, and I blinked at him. I knew Sol wasn’t always like a kitten in the sun, of course. But I’d never seen him turn that kind of ferocity on any of the team, especially Jai.

“What the hell kind of advice?” I stammered.

“Where Carlyle goes, I go,” Jai said, and I got the sense he’d repeated that a few times already.

“The pride lands are no place for a goddamn vampire right now,” Sol yelled, throwing his hands up like he’d also made that point before this. He stalked from the room, brushing past me with a growled apology that sounded suspiciously like it doubled as an insult to Jai.

I sighed and turned on my vampire. “Are you being an overprotective dick again?”

Jai slitted his eyes at me, and I knew I’d called it. My vampire had a serious hero complex, and no amount of me demonstrating my magic’s strength or creativity would ever change that.

“I don’t want you going to the pride lands without my protection,” he insisted.

Dair slid me a worried look. “Boss, perhaps a bit of diplomacy might-”

“Fuck diplomacy!” Jai roared, sounding like a teenager ranting against the government.

Obviously, this disagreement called for a different kind of diplomatic persuasion. I walked to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, gazing up into his dark eyes. “Hey, let’s just talk about it, yeah? Why is Sol so worried?”

I wanted to go after my lion too, but I figured Jai would just stalk right behind me, making things worse. Instead, I sent Dair a quick thought to check on Sol, and my mage nodded, tossing me a look that said good luck chatting with the boss.

Jai tensed and glared after him, only looking back down at me when the library door clicked shut. I was running my nails gently up and down his spine, and he gradually relaxed a little into my touch.

“The shifters here in the castle have been hearing reports of vampire attacks in areas much too far from Saori Sang - horrific slaughters and blood drainings,” he admitted in a guilt-stricken voice, and I sucked in a breath.

“Shit,” I whispered, resting my forehead on his chest. “Remember, Jai. Their actions aren’t yours.”

We knew his aunt Merden had been up to some nasty things in Saori Sang since she’d claimed the throne, but we’d been too preoccupied to deal with them. We still were, to be honest.

Fear flooded my belly as I imagined Jai rushing off to battle for his family throne, and I understood it was probably the same instinct that led him to pick a fight with Sol.

The realization really didn’t help our current situation, though.

“Don’t worry, aima. My priority is with you, and you alone. Besides, if Merden is to be replaced according to our customs, it is Kana’s birthright to do so - otherwise Saori Sang may descend even deeper into chaos.”

I leaned back to consider his expression. I could tell the words cost him, even though I hadn’t pried enough to understand their meaning. “Have you heard anything from her?” I asked instead. Damn, I missed that girl.

Jai sighed. “I’ve sent messages to Grand-mere each time one of our staff goes in that direction, but the only replies are Grand-mere’s standard coded holding signals. She’ll know when the timing is right for us to be successful with Merden.”

I huffed out a sigh. I didn’t like the idea of waiting on timing to correct such evil - in a kingdom I was supposed to be protecting, no less. For all I knew, the attacks on the darkbloods were one hundred percent this bitch vampire’s doing.

But I trusted Jai, and I trusted his Grand-mere. As much as I’d learned about Haret, I was still clueless on so much.

“So, what’s really worrying you, then? About me going to the pride lands?” There had to be something else. Vampire attacks or not, of all the places I could travel, Sol’s sunny home was one of the least threatening.

Jai narrowed his eyes and shook his head. I sensed his mind shuttering up, but not before a single thought slipped out. I hugged him tight, barely able to believe the unspoken fear. I shared it, but I