Page 412 - Fourth Wing

He. Fucking. Winked. And is that a hint of a smile?

“You’re. The. Wingleader.” Every word Dain speaks comes out through
clenched teeth.

“I’m not even supposed to be here.” Xaden shrugs. “But if it makes you

feel better, for the purpose of War Games, you’d be getting your orders
from your section leader, Garrick Tavis, which he’d get from me. You’ll be

carrying out your maneuvers as a squad for the good of the wing. Just

pretend I’m another member of your squad and use me as you wish, Aetos.”
Xaden folds his arms across his chest.

I glance at Mira, who’s watching the play-by-play with raised brows.

“Why are you even here?” Dain challenges. “No offense, sir, but we
weren’t exactly expecting senior leadership on this trip.”

“You’re more than aware that Sgaeyl and Tairn are mated.”
“Three days?” Dain fires back, leaning in. “You couldn’t make it three

days?”

“It has nothing to do with him,” I interrupt, setting my dragon down with
a little more force than necessary. “That’s up to Tairn and Sgaeyl.”

“You never considered that it was you I couldn’t stay away from?”
I crook my right arm and jab it into Xaden’s biceps. He doesn’t mean

that. Not when he’s still adamant that kissing me was a mistake. And if he

does… I’m not going there.
“Now, now, you’ll give our little communication secret away if you can’t

keep from being so…violent.” He barely restrains a smile, obviously loving

that he gets the last word.
I need to figure out how the hell he’s doing it so I can mentally argue

back.

“Of course you rush to defend him.” Dain hurls a hurt glare at me.
“Though how you can forget that this guy wanted to kill you six months ago

is beyond me.”
I blink up at him. “I cannot believe you went there.”