“Cousin,” Tegan greeted.
“Tegan,” Sloane growled as he walked past her into the room.
“You’re mad at me too?” Tegan sighed as she dropped her head in defeated resignation.
“Mad? At you?” Sloane scoffed. “Why would I be mad?” He turned to face her. “Would I be mad you ignored orders and went out of the gates?”
“I climbed the fence,” Tegan muttered.
“Oh, youclimbedthe fence, well then, that makes a difference,” Sloane’s dripping sarcasm made her flinch.
“Sorry,” Tegan sighed.
“You went outside the gate, you defied orders, you walked into danger with no thought of your actions for yourself or for Cord,” Sloane stood still in front of her, his anger still apparent.
“I was fine, he was fine, we are both trained Sentinels.”
“He is a Castor, he can portal at any time,youcannot.”
“I wasfine, your brother blinded me with a ball of light and when I was able to see again, he had captured the Drakhyn,” Tegan kicked the foot of her bed. “He didn’t even seem taxed.”
“Tegan, please,pleasetell me you aren’t jealous.”
“Jealous?” Tegan enquired. “Of Cord?”
“Yes.”
“No,” she laughed. “No Sloane, I am not jealous.”
“You seem jealous,” Sloane pushed it.
“What is there to be jealous of? He is arrogant, he is conceited, he is… pigheaded.” Tegan threw her hands up in the air.
“Oh good grief, you like him,” Sloane slumped onto her bed. “You actually like him, I wasn’t expecting this. Do you think it’s the mate bond?”
“I don’tlikehim,” Tegan kept her face from Sloane’s, unsure he would see through her lie. “It may be the bond,” she grudgingly admitted.
“Well Cord won’t be bound to anything against his will, he will find a way to break it,” Sloane said with conviction.
“Good,” Tegan realised her voice was shaky and cleared her throat.
“You could have been killed, Tegan,” Sloane chastised her, rising from the bed and coming over to her. “I know you’re the most badass Sentinel who ever lived,” she rolled her eyes at his humour – an easy habit she had picked up from him, “but you could have been killed.”
“I was okay, I don’t like your brother, but I doubt he would have let me get hurt,” Tegan said softly, pushing away the warm feeling that this realisation gave her. Sloane pulled her into a hug, Tegan had not yet gotten used to Sloane’s easily displays of affection, but it didn’t deter him from hugging her, or throwing his arm around her shoulder whenever he wanted.
“What’s your punishment?” Sloane asked as he stepped away from her. As Tegan told him, he did his best to put a positive spin on things, but she wasn’t fooled.
The door was knocked again, and Sloane called for them to enter. Marcus walked into the room, not at all surprised that Sloane was lying across Tegan’s bed.
“Sentinel Tegan, you are needed in the dungeon.”
Sloane shot to his feet, “No.”
“Of course, Elder,” Tegan was already putting her boots on.
“Why?” Sloane demanded.
“The Drakhyn has said nothing except one word,” Marcus said into the quiet of the room. “Tiger.”