“Will you be okay?” Salem nodded towards the door. “She looks good.”
“She looks phenomenal.”
“So not okay then?” Salem slapped his hand on his friend’s back in commiseration. “You will research the books to find out what in the Ancients name is happening to my daughter?”
“Yes, try not to let this distract you.” Marcus laughed as Salem looked at him incredulously, “I know it’s hard, but you need to prepare for Cornelius’s arrival.”
“He’s going to be more than difficult.” Salem cursed savagely, “He can’t take her.”
“He won’t, Salem. She is stationed here by the Great Council,” Marcus reminded him.
“He can fight it,” Salem countered. “Especially if she ismatedto his Heir.”
“We’ll deal with it if it happens. For now, let’s take one day at a time,” Marcus tossed his shaggy hair out of his eyes. “Arflyn knows we need to.”
Nodding in agreement, the two men left the training room, hurrying to each deal with recent developments.
* * *
In the dining hall,Tegan sat glaring at Cord who was pointedly ignoring her but irritating her nonetheless as he would turn and glare at her for no reason every now and then. Michael, Tove and Sloane watched them both warily.
“You need to eat more.”
“I have had my normal breakfast,” Tegan snapped.
“And I said you needmore,” Cord growled.
“And I said, I have had enough.”
Before Cord could retort, Tove cut him off. “She is not malnourished, she eats healthily.”
“She feels scrawny,” Cord turned away again, dismissing the Lycan.
“When did youfeelher?” Michael demanded.
“Scrawny!” Teagan questioned indignantly at the same time.
“No, stop, we don’t need to do this again,” Sloane groaned as he dropped his head into his hands.
“You’re right, brother, I need away from this screeching harpy,” Cord stood suddenly, walking swiftly from the dining hall. He paused briefly when he felt the impact at his back, half turning he looked down at the bread roll on the floor, before slowly raising his head to level a glare at Tegan. Holding his stare, Tegan took a bite of another roll. Cord’s fists clenched and her glass of milk upended over her. Jumping back, she raised a furious glare to Cord but he was already gone, his laughter echoing in the hall.
“I hate him,” she bit out.
“Hmm, do you though?”
Tegan turned an unbelieving glare to Tove. “Yes!” she answered.
“We’ll see, little one,” Tove leaned back in her seat. “I can’t believe I am here again.”
“Again?” Michael asked curiously.
“It’s been a while, but this was once my home,” Tove smiled sadly as she looked around the hall. “Nothing has changed, not even the colour of the walls.” Shaking her head Tove stood. “Come, Tegan, you need to get out of those wet clothes, Martha will be here soon.”
As the two females walked away, Michael turned to Sloane. “How did you know?”
“About your sister and my brother?” Sloane asked. “Easy, they were at each other throats, ready to rip each other into pieces, they reminded me of my parents,” he shrugged. “You don’t achieve that level of contempt without years of marriage or being mates.”
“That’s a horrible thought.”