I wipe the remnants of the ice from my cheek, my skin stinging from the assault. “Wildfire? Kindly step to the side. I’d hate for you to get blood on your new armor.”

Dagny rolls her eyes, though it doesn’t detract from the small grin pulling at her lips. “It was a snowball, Malice. You’ll survive.”

“My pride will not.”

She laughs, the full-bodied and melodic sound filling the air with an enchanting song that rolls over my skin and imbues my chest with a humming warmth. And suddenly, I am not so angry anymore.

“Come here, you melodramatic killing machine,” she says, holding her arms out wide, inviting me into her embrace. I lunge forward, crushing my face into her chest as my arms slide around her waist, holding her flush against my body.

A rumbling purr builds in the base of my throat as she feeds her hands into my hair, teasing the long red strands and scraping her fingernails against my scalp in loving, gentle strokes. She tugs my head back softly, and I tilt my chin up to meet her beautiful silver-ringed gaze.

Dagny cups her hand around my jaw and leans in, pressing her lips to the spot that was struck with the snowball. Heated sparks of electricity flare to life, spreading through my veins like wildfire and breathing life into every one of my nerve endings.

“Better?” she whispers, gazing up at me through dark, fluttering lashes.

“Perfect. Everything is, now that I have you.” I lean down, crushing my mouth against hers in a passionate embrace, loving the way her skin shudders and gives way beneath my touch. Loving the way she burns for me.

I pull back, mesmerized by the sight of her swollen pink lips. Wanting more. Needing more—all of her. “Dagny…”

Smack!

My grip on Dagny slips as I stumble back, forehead stinging and vision hazy due to the impact of the second snowball—and all my forgotten rage rushes back tenfold. “Cyprien!”

Cyprien’s laughter peals through the air, adding fuel to the fire raging in the pit of my stomach, spreading throughout my veins. “Oh my gods… your… your face.” The yellow-eyed demon clutches his stomach, his face twisted in glee. “So funny. I think… I think I almost pissed myself.”

“What a revolting thing to admit,” Lir murmurs, his nose crinkling in disgust.

“I said almost.”

“That hardly makes it better.”

Dagny laughs again, the sound causing all of us to halt our bickering and turn our attention fully to our mate. We stand there for several moments, not breathing or blinking, just reveling in the look of pure joy beaming from her smile.

“Gods, I love that sound,” Roark murmurs, his throat bobbing gently as he watches his mate from where he’s perched on the outcropping ledge. “So fucking beautiful.”