“Looks to be superficial,” he announces, going for my wrist.
My blood now dried around the shallow gash, my instinct is to hide it within the folds of the robe, but Gideon huffs, gently plucking it up from my lap. I cannot take my eyes off the beast of a man tending my wounds. His dark, unruly locks drape around his face, sometimes obscuring his eyes enough that he has to push them aside.
Thoroughly cleaning my first wrist, he goes to inspect the other one. I want to say I can do this part myself. This is more than a wound of the flesh. Through the simple act of giving my wrists to him, I feel like I ambaring my soul and every secret within the cavern my sleeping dragon protects.
A rumbling vibrates from within the beast towering over me as he wipes away all the blood, and I can’t help but freeze within his musings over my body.
He does not utter a word.
Softly placing my right hand on my leg, Gideon strides towards a bank of wooden cupboards I have yet to notice. They line the far wall, and he rifles through them.
Grabbing a silver tin, he makes his way back to me in a few long strides to stand behind my chair.
“Why waste whatever’s in your tin on someone due to die at suns’ break?” The notion leaves me without much thought.
A growl emanates from the back of me as the ointment is slathered on my head. He doesn’t seem to like me commenting on my impending death, but it’s the truth. I’m a walking bomb, and regardless of my beast’s gentleness and care, I’m a wanted murderer.
With my wound cleaning complete, Gideon replaces the dish he was using to clean my head with a mug. “Drink,” is his only command as I inhale the heady aroma of soothing herbs I remember as nettle and chamomile.
He stands before me in all his imposing glory, and I frown up at him at his continued kindness. “It’s not poison. I’ll reserve your death for the break of sun, when the king has eyes on you,” he states.
The coals light in my chest at his mention of the king.What I would do to the king if I could get my hands on him. The lying bastard.
With fire in my eyes, I growl back at him, “Good luck with that.”
A wide smirk overtakes his face, showcasing the fangs hidden under his lush lips. “Keep your fire, Songbird. It’s not me you need to fight.”
Without shifting my eyes from his wide figure, I grasp for the mug and consume it in large gulps.
Finished, I give the mug back to Gideon and run my hand across my mouth. “Happy?”
“Very.” His grin is almost infectious, and my mouth tugs at the corners.Damnable beastly wolf.
seventeen
Rivern
She’s here. The words ring over and over again as I stand within a tunnel that bodes no exit.
The Goddess would have her jest.
I continue up the tunnel, moving past the feelings of despair and warmth. It’s strange to feel such a wide array of emotions without understanding their connection to the environment.
The bond is ravenous in these moments, knowing she is close but also knowing I’m unable to help her.My mate.
Shaking the unwelcome thought away, I continue down the tunnel, remembering when I first broached the strange feeling inmy chest with my mother three rotations ago. Originally, she had hoped that with space and time, the bond would disappear, as the fae had not experienced a bond like this since they left Haven. But the pain grew, and the need to find my bond was persistent, often leaving me sleepwalking in the moonlight.
When I started finding myself nearly half off cliff faces in the middle of the dark, and with my impending nuptials, Mother relented in me finding and taking care of business—for Terra, of course.
Finally, I find an exit off the tunnel not far from where I sense my bonded, and head up a narrow staircase. I’m brought to a stone wall, and I move my hands around each individual stone to find the releasing latch.
It does not take long for the secret door to give way, and soon, I am squeezing out into another tunnel.
Light flickers up ahead, and I notice the air in this space is different. Every step I take towards the flickering, warm yellow and orange glow makes my skin prick with sweat.
The chanting starts back up, the bond singing for its mate.Her, her, her. Mate, mate, mate.
I feel it. I feel her. Everything grows stronger the closer I get to the light.
