"Alright, my little Princess.," Asher added lightly, though something sharper glinted beneath the humor. "You ride with your Mommy."
Lara hesitated. The stables were a short walk… but still outside the immediate security perimeter. And with Ares injured and the attack earlier, she was worried.
Before Lara could respond, another voice slipped in — low, controlled, unmistakably dangerous.
"I'll go too." It was Ares.
He was already pushing back his chair, ignoring the way the movement pulled at his bandaged ribs. Pain flashed across his face and vanished just as quickly, buried under sheer will.
Lara frowned. "You shouldn't—"
"I'll be fine."
Not a reassurance. A statement in finality.
Shay clapped her hands, delighted. "Yay! Mommy and my two daddies are coming!"
The word hung in the air like a dropped glass.
Two Daddies.
Silence followed — brief, but sharp enough to cut.
Ares didn't correct her.
Didn't even blink.
