This time, I did tremble. I didn’t deserve it. Didn’t deserve her, yet here she was. Not only was Anna not running away, but she was trying tocomfort me—the man who had killed his ownfather. She felt bad forme.
“I don’t deserve you,” I whispered. “But I want you nonetheless.”
“You don’t have any idea what you deserve,” she said, sliding right up against me, breasts pressing into my chest. “But I’m going to show you, Caz. I’m going to show you that you are a strong man, who is trying his best to make the kingdom a better place. A man who is so incredibly strong.”
Her hand slid between us.
“Anna …”
“And you’re going to shut up and let me. Got it?”
Her alpha command tickled my spine pleasantly this time, a lover’s caress against my mind.
Then she pushed me onto my back so she could straddle me, her body displayed like the blazing glory of the sun for me to stare at its perfection.
“Yes, my mate,” I growled as she reached back to guide me in to her warm embrace once more.
Honesty really was the best policy after all.
Thirty
Anna
“She’s awakeand—”
I rushed past Dirk before he’d completed his sentence. Anything else didn’t matter. Ella wasfinallyawake. It had taken three days. The men said full recovery could take weeks, but spending this long unconscious was unusual. With each hour my fears had begun to mount. Caz tried to console me, but by the end of the second full day, I’d had a breakdown.
Losing Ella now wasnotan option. I needed her. Needed my friend back.
So when Dirk had come bursting out of the cabin to find us, I had immediately known it was either really good or really bad news.
“Anna!” Caz called, trying to get my attention.
I ignored him. Well, I tossed a hand up over my shoulder in a wave, but I didn’t slow down. If Ella was awake, she needed me by her side. A lot had changed, and if she was in rough shape, a familiar face would be the best thing to help her ease the coming shocks.
The door to her room was open.
“Ella!” I cried, seeing her sitting up in the bed, cover pulled to her chest and hair hanging limp around her. She was bobbing slightly, and I feared she was already breaking down.
My shout jerked her head up, crumbs falling from her mouth as she finished another bite of whatever Dirk had given her.
A smile creased her face, and a second later, I was in her arms, and she in mine as I fell onto the bed. Her hug was weak, and she didn’t move much. But the twinkling in her eyes was still there.
I knew then she would be okay, in time.
“Hi,” she finally got out, swallowing the mouthful of food when I gave her a second to sit up.
“You’re awake!” I hugged her again, rocking side to side. “I was getting so worried there.”
“How long was I out?”
“Three days.”
She looked shocked. “Seriously? I swear it feels like he just took the collar off.”
“Nope. You’ve been down and out for three days. Trust me, I’ve watched the orblight come and go from right here at the side of your bed.”
Ella smiled, leaning in for another, gentler hug. “Well, I’m here now.”
