Chapter 166

Rosalie still wasn’t accustomed to waking up in another woman’s arms. She drifted to consciousness, face buried into Zoey’s shoulder, a sweet, familiar scent filling her. Instinctively, she snuggled closer, basking in the moment.

This hadn’t been a comfort she had ever expected to indulge in. A not-small part of her felt guilty for doing so. Her life wasn’t supposed to be filled with soft touches, lazy mornings, and waking up cradled in another woman’s arms. She had been raised as a weapon. A heiress to an empire. The pinnacle of a generation.

Rosalie sighed into Zoey’s shoulder, enjoying the closeness of the other woman. For a while, she luxuriated in the warmth of her skin.

The rays of light filtering through the window announced it was well past time to wake, though, and while Rosalie might have given up on resisting Zoey, she would at least not completely forsake her responsibilities. With reluctance, she peeled her eyes open.

Rosalie paused at what she saw.

Of course.

The blanket around Zoey’s waist was sticking up like a tent. Rosalie rolled her eyes, half in disapproval, half in amusement. Insatiable didn’t begin to describe this woman. How many times yesterday had she been satisfied, and still she had the nerve to want more?

Rosalie’s heart fluttered, seeing Zoey’s impressive weapon, even obscured by the blankets. Despite how many times she had seen the monster, there was still a part of her that hadn’t come to terms with it. How could anyone, considering the thing?

Well, regardless.

How should Rosalie take care of this problem?

The thought came to her, embarrassing in how automatic it was. She didn’t need to pleasure Zoey every time she saw her erection. Still, Rosalie reasoned with herself, it was what a diligent girlfriend would do.

There was a problem, though. An inconvenient roadblock. She and Zoey weren’t alone. Another woman was sleeping in their bed.

Delta, her long orange hair draped around her in a wild mess, was also snuggled into Zoey, on the other side of her. Rosalie had mixed feelings about that. On a third woman being added to their bed. First, the practical: the Guild accommodations simply weren’t that expansive, and three women—or more, if that was what the future held, and Rosalie suspected it did—meant the space would quickly grow crowded. That wouldn’t be a problem for long. Her bed back at the palace would be more than up to the task.

Her stomach wrung at the idea. The prospect of returning home. The event wasn’t even far away. She needed to talk to Zoey about it. Clear the air. Why hadn’t she, already? It would be much worse if Zoey found out on her own. She would think that Rosalie didn’t trust her. And that wasn’t remotely why Rosalie shied away from the conversation.

Rather, it was ... what? That she was scared things would change? That Zoey would see her differently? Did she believe that? The logical part of her didn’t. Zoey didn’t even have the full context to appreciate what being a d’Celestin meant. If anything, it was Delta who would receive the news like a punch to the gut. Zoey hadn’t grown up in this world, and knowing her, she would just shrug her shoulders at the reveal. Be surprised, maybe, but it wouldn’t change anything. Her introduction to this world had been via sponsorship of a deity—being torn through dimensions and her memories suppressed. What was dating hidden royalty, compared to that? Yet, Rosalie was still afraid to tell her. Irrational or not.

Rosalie had a few days left, or perhaps even longer, since the trip to Mantle wouldn’t be quick. She could afford to push the event off for a while longer.

But Delta sharing a bed with the two of them didn’t just annoy Rosalie because it was growing crowded. Rosalie had mixed feelings on the girl herself, much less being her—her what? What did she call her girlfriend’s girlfriend? Certainly, she wasn’t Rosalie’s girlfriend. A teammate, yes, and a partner in some sense. Not a girlfriend, though.

She shook those thoughts away; they were too confusing.

Regardless, that Zoey had formed an attachment to the aggravating woman was something that produced various emotions inside Rosalie. Not jealousy; Rosalie couldn’t care less who Zoey slept around with. More like ... it made Rosalie question Zoey’s judgment. Because really, why in the world was she pursuing a romance with the orange-haired irritant? Rosalie would reluctantly admit that she was gorgeous, and, frustratingly, quite good in bed, but still. Rosalie couldn’t see the appeal.

Never mind that Rosalie’s own stomach was starting to flutter whenever those playful violet eyes turned her way. She was annoying; that was the summation of Rosalie’s feelings toward the woman. Any other feelings Rosalie stalwartly stamped down on with even more alacrity than normal, and she was already quite versed in denial.

But, to the original point: her dilemma. Zoey’s morning wood. And Delta, cuddled in with them, serving as an enormous roadblock. While Rosalie might have been willing to take care of Zoey’s needs if it had just been the two of them, Rosalie couldn’t pleasure her girlfriend and have Delta wake up to see the show. The foxgirl would make far too many assumptions about Rosalie’s character. That she was the deviant, desperately throwing herself at Zoey whenever she could, rather than simply being an attentive girlfriend. The heavens knew Rosalie had already accidentally provided enough ammunition for the foxgirl to think her some sort of wanton pervert. She had an image to maintain.

Then again, that she was giving so much credence to what the woman thought in the first place annoyed Rosalie. Why should her presence change anything? She found herself irritated at how easily her thoughts were getting mixed up. Delta could, apparently, annoy Rosalie just by existing. Even being asleep didn’t save her.

No, she wouldn’t have the foxgirl getting into her head. Zoey was Rosalie’s girlfriend, and she had needs that had to be attended to. She wouldn’t let Delta’s presence change that. She could make whatever assumptions she wanted. Why would Rosalie care?