Chapter 430

I laugh lightly at his description, and he grins, beginning to slowly stroke my back.

"Yeah, she came in about three hours ago," he says with a sigh, glancing down at her. "She shushed me, and told me not to wake you, and then just...laid down and went to sleep. I...didn't want her to roll over and get burned or anything, so..." he shrugs and nods down at his arm, still protecting the little girl.

"You are so cute," I whisper, my eyes shining.noveldrama

He frowns. "Why is that cute? It's...practical."

But I just laugh, and tuck my head down against his chest, and press a kiss there.

Seraphina gives a little mew and a yawn, stretching out and then lifting her head to frown at us. "Is it breakfast?” she asks, rubbing at her eye and speaking in a whisper like we are.

"No, Fifi, it's very early," I whisper, reaching out to drift a hand over her soft honey-brown hair. "Why are you here?"

“Because,” she murmurs, blinking the sleep away and pointing at Jacks. “I said I'd be nice to him. He is my big puppy dog and I have to take care of him."

I laugh, delighted, and snuggle closer to Jacks. He growls vaguely, clearly not as charmed by this description as I am.

"Why are we up?" Sera asks, yawning. "If it's not breakfast time?"

"I just woke up because the fire is going out," I reply, nodding towards it. "I have to get it going again."

Sera nods at me very seriously like she hears this sort of thing all the time. But then she turns her head to the side. "Well, maybe we can have a treat," she whispers, nodding wisely. "Before breakfast."

I laugh at her and nod, leaning close and whispering like it's a great secret. "Why don't you show Jackson where Aunt Ella keeps the snacks? He's tall enough to reach."

"Wait, why am I involved in this -" Jackson murmurs, going stiff with anxiety. But Seraphina and I ignore his protest and she grins at me, grabbing Jackson's hand as I slide off of him and tugging him hard towards the cab above the bar, where mom keeps all the best treats.

Jackson groans, sending me a terrified look over his shoulder, but he bends down so as not to take his hand from Sera's and follows the tiny duchess, ready to do her bidding.

I grin, shaking my head at my mate as I start to restack logs in the fire, yawning as I set them up on top of each other in the smoking embers, making a vague pyramid shape. Jacks and Seraphina come back over a few minutes later, their arms filled with treats, and they settle down next to me, Seraphina bosses Jacks, telling him which snack packages to open and how to lay them out on the blanket. Jackson does everything she says without complaint, opening way too much food. But I just smile and don't stop them, letting them have their fun. It's Midwinter, after all.

When I reach for the matches, though, Jackson reaches out a hand to stop me.

"What are you doing?" he asks, frowning. Sera, leaning against Jackson and stuffing gummy candies in her mouth, frowns too, instantly taking his side.

I narrow my eyes at my mate. "Jackson," I murmur, "Of all the things that I thought would need explanation today...the connection between matches and a live flame is not something I thought would crop up."

He smirks at me, and Sera looks up at him and then mimics his expression, smirking too. "Ariel, you're a goddess-blessed sorceress who can melt glass just by staring at it. And you don't think you can start a fire without matches?"