“The day it doesn’t,” I continued, “I will declare a national holiday.”

That gave him pause. “You know, maybe I should go in looking sloppy. Just in case Tibra is there.” He scowled. “That little menace cannot keep her hands to herself.”

“Try not to kill them,” I said. “It would really put a damper on the whole diplomacy thing.”

Soren cracked a smile. “It’d be so much easier not to kill them if you were with me.”

“You know I have training,” I said. “If I ever want to fully learn how to use the stag’s power, then I need to train my abilities. I’ve not even reached a quarter of their capabilities. Besides, Satu will definitely keep you from killing anyone.”

“I know, I know,” Soren said. “Go train, little stag. I’ll hold down the fort and try not to kill anyone. But first.” He swept me up into a kiss. What was probably only meant to last a second lasted even longer as I twined my fingers in his hair, pulling him against my body. His heat, his smell, his body, it surrounded every inch of me, and I ached to fall into it and lose myself in the expanse of blue-white skin. Soren growled under his breath, a hungry, near-primal growl, as he deepened the kiss, sucking hard on my bottom lip.

Each of us was so wrapped up in the other that we didn’t hear the door open and the small “oh” that came from the intruder.

“Um,” said an awkward voice. “My mom’s looking for you, Soren. Better get on that.”

Soren opened one eye and peered over my shoulder at Seppo before growling again and returning to the kiss. It was softer now, sweeter, and our lips lingered together for one more moment before we broke away. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Seppo’s eyebrows raised, but he said nothing as Soren grabbed the sheaths for his swords, threw on his cloak, and headed out the door. When he finally left, a smirk played on the halfling’s lips. “That was quite the display of dominance.”

I rolled my eyes as we turned down the hallway to the courtyard where I usually trained. “How’s your mother?” I asked.

“Pregnant. Again,” Seppo said in the same tone of voice someone would announce the weather.

We picked up our pace as we traveled through the mazelike hallways of the palace, by now knowing which places had dead ends or random drops and which places would take us to our destination the fastest.

“Again?” I asked. “Really?” Satu, Seppo’s mother, was known to couple with human men instead of other goblins and carry halfling offspring. There were very few halflings in the Permafrost—Satu most likely was mother to a high percentage of them.

Seppo shrugged. “I’m getting a new little brother. Or sister. One more for our merry home.”