Cyprien pulls Dagny into her lap as we all crowd around the furs in a circle, each of us vying to be the closest to Dagny. Once we settle, Roark moves to the corner of the room and returns with the bottle of welwig sap clutched in his palm. His gaze narrows on us as he brings it to his lips, not willing to take his eyes off us as he drinks. His throat bobs three times as he chugs the viscous blue liquid, and with each one, the crease between his brows eases until all the tension is wiped away.

Roark lowers the jug with an explosive sigh, his eyes watering as he passes the bottle to Kaebl. “Drink.”

I don’t think that’s such a good ide⁠—

“Drink,” he reiterates, thrusting it into his chest. “Don’t make me get angry.”

“I thought he was angry,” Cyprien murmurs, causing Dagny to let out a hushed chuckle.

“Silence, thumper,” Roark snaps, pointing an accusatory finger at Cyprien as he takes a seat in the open space. “You can speak after you drink. Not before.”

Cyprien shrugs, waiting for the bottle to be passed around the circle. As soon as each of us has taken a hearty drink, Roark lets out a breath of relief, his lips curling around the bottle for one last swig. “Doesn’t everyone feel better now?”

“I suppose,” Lir mutters, his scowl already softening. “But I’m a bit concerned that your solution is always to get drunk.”

“It’s yet to fail me,” Roark replies, his lips stretching into a wide smile as he passes the jug to Lir. “Go on. You know you want to.”

“Never said I didn’t.” He takes a large sip and hands it to Dagny, a pleasurable warmth thrumming down the bond as his fingertips brush hers. “How do you feel, pet?”

Before she can answer, a high-pitched mewl draws all our attention to the tunnel we just came through, and my eyes widen at the sight of Malice’s familiar emerging through the shadowed passageway. Nya’s red eyes glow like beacons through the dark, poised on Dagny’s face with a loving warmth I’ve never seen from the cruel feline.

“Ah. Look who found their way back.” Malice turns, running his palm over Nya’s arched back, his mouth tipped in a rare, genuine smile. “What have you done with the others?”