This wasn’t my first fey ride, but it was by far the longest. My hands got cold before Tor cleared the wall, and I tucked them into his jacket along with my face.
“We are almost there, June. You will be warm soon,” Tor said.
“It’s okay,” I mumbled into his chest. The guy was a complete furnace. Tucked in like this, most of me was fine. The exception was my butt and the backs of my thighs.
My stomach dipped a few minutes later when he cleared another wall and landed with a soft bounce. He slowed to a walk but didn’t put me down. I lifted my head to see why.
A street lined with houses lay before us, and a few fey walked along the sidewalks. Somewhere nearby, kids squealed and laughed. There was distant mooing, too.
The immediate difference between Tolerance and Tenacity was evident in seconds. This place was peaceful and relaxed. So I wasn’t quite sure why Tor was still carrying me.
I glanced up at him. His gaze shifted around the area, scanning just like he would have been doing if we were outside the wall.
“Is it safe in here?”
He glanced down at me, putting our faces uncomfortably close together.
“Yes.”
“You can put me down then.”
He frowned slightly, and I could see it in his eyes that he was going to refuse.
“Please.”
He grunted, and I found myself on my feet. Smiling, I tried to rub some feeling back into my butt. It didn’t work.
“Which house is yours?” I asked.
He led the way, setting a moderate pace that I could comfortably keep up with. A few fey stopped to stare at me as we passed. I said a friendly hello to each one, which Tor immediately followed up with, “She belongs to the human, Adam.”
“They aren’t hitting on me, Tor. I’m a new face, and they’re just curious.”
He glanced at me, surprise lighting his features.
“None of my brothers would ever hit you.”
“To hit on someone doesn’t mean actually hitting. It’s a phrase that means a person is flirting with another person in an attempt to establish a romantic relationship.”
Tor grunted.
“Then they might hit on you. You are too beautiful, June. And the jacket does not hide the bumps of your breasts. You need a better jacket.”
I laughed so hard I had to stop walking.
Tor patiently waited for my fit to subside before leading me the rest of the way to his house where a promising curl of smoke drifted from the chimney. He opened the door for me, giving me the first view of the inside of our new home. There were so many windows at the back, and the curtains were all wide open to let in the light. And the heat hit me in the face with all the welcome of a grandma’s embrace.
“Your home is wonderful, Tor,” I said, removing my jacket as I took in the comfortably furnished living room and neat kitchen and dining room. The couch, positioned to face the fireplace, called to me. It looked so comfy.
Tor hung my jacket and pointed to a hall under a set of stairs to the left.
“Adam is down there.”
I nodded and followed the hall to a small bedroom with a twin-sized bed. Adam lay on it, eyes closed, as Cassie gently felt along his leg. She looked up as I entered.
“The swelling has gone down nicely. Keep using the ice packs and the meds.”
“Do you know what’s wrong and how long it will take to heal?”