Chapter 209
Felix
"Wow, it's so weird about Poppy and the panther heiress," Lira says, her tone casual but her grip on my arm anything but.
She's curled up beside me on the bed, fingers tracing lazy circles on my bicep like she owns it. Which, to be fair, she probably thinks she does. Her fluffy white tail flicks lightly against the blanket, the picture of playful comfort.
I stretch with a yawn—not because I'm tired, but because I know it'll make her cling tighter. Predictably, she does.
Lani, her younger twin, shifts at my other side. Not to be outdone, she scoots closer until her thigh presses against mine, her arm sliding possessively over my chest. Her ears—so similar to Lira's, only shorter—twitch as if sensing the silent game being played.
They do this often. These quiet competitions. Pretend sweetness layered over years of unresolved rivalry. And me? I'm the prize they tug back and forth.
Can't say I mind.
