Somewhat? Who did I think I was kidding?
After the crying-comfort incident followed by the self-defense lesson—and then seeing him in that vulnerable state and almost losing him… I was nervous the way I’d never been around a man before.
That wasn’t true. I’d been nervous around Pharis since the moment I’d met him at the ball and he’d overwhelmed me with all his royal charm and his devastating smile.
He was wearing it now as I approached with what would have to pass for supper tonight.
Sitting beside him, I offered what was left of our raff supply.
“It’s a good thing the fearless hunter is feeling better, or we’d soon be going hungry,” I said.
“You don’t need me to hunt for you anymore,” Pharis said. “Not after what I saw of your knife skills. You’ll have the human men in your new village quivering in their tiny boots and feeling completely redundant.”
“I’m not interested in any human men,” I said.
And it wasn’t because their boots were indeed small compared to Pharis’.
One of his dark brows raised along with a corner of his mouth. “Oh?”
“I shall be far too busy looking after the girls to even think of courting. Besides, after all my adventures and all I’ve seen…”
My eyes fell involuntarily to his bare chest before I realized it and snapped them back into place “...regular men would bore me.”
I hadn’t meant it as flirtation—or maybe I had? Based on Pharis’ expression, he was taking it that way.
“No, a ‘regular’ man would never do for you, Wildcat,” he said in a voice too low for the girls to hear. “You’re far too—”
“Raewyn, look at your face,” Tindra cried. “You’re all red.”
“And your skin is all covered in duck balls,” Turi said with a giggle.
Pharis turned to her wearing a quizzical look. “Duck balls?”
“Goosebumps,” Tindra corrected her little sister, and we all laughed.
“Girls, go to the tent and see if Papa needs anything,” I said.
Over the course of our stay here, we’d all reverted to a normal wake/sleep schedule. Papa was sleeping nearly round the clock though, and while I missed interacting with him, I was grateful.
The pain seemed far worse when he was awake.
When my sisters were out of earshot, I attempted to get Pharis to complete his thought.
“You were saying…”
“I can’t remember.” He looked at the sky and scratched his chin. “My mind’s a complete blank.”
Then he laughed, and reached out to lift a tendril of my hair, curling it around his finger.
“I was saying you’re far too kind and generous for the likes of regular men.”
And why did that answer disappoint me? I could have sworn that was not where Pharis had been going with his earlier statement before Tindra had interrupted.
“Truly, I can’t thank you enough, little Wyn, for what you did.”
I waved a hand in front of me.
“Of course I helped you. Despite what you say, I’m not ready to hunt my own game yet. I need you around alittlelonger.”
