I pulled the blankets up to my chin, breathing Callum's scent in deeply. "Don't listen to anything he says. I'll come for him when I've recovered. He'll be in bad shape."
"So will you."
"I'll be fine, Liv."
"Jonah said it's going to be hell."
"Jonah needs to keep his mouth shut."
Liv sighed and tugged my wild, damp curls out of their bun. Half of the hair had already slipped out, so she quickly braided it upward from the base of my neck before tying the bun at the top of my head again, a little tighter. "This should last longer. If you need anything, just let me know. I've tried to talk him into going for it a dozen times now. This isn't fair to you."
"Life isn't fair." I managed a small smile. "Get out of here. Lock the doors. Make sure Jonah doesn't die in the challenge I miss."
"We both know he's going to win those things, and I'm going to lose my new friend to your sister."
I rolled my eyes.
She patted my face. "Don't melt right after you've finally thawed him. I don't want to deal with Callum alone anymore. He's happy with you."
With that, she walked away, closing the bedroom door behind her.
I shut my eyes and braced myself for the pain.
It set in slowly, but fuck, did it set in.
Within a few hours, I didn't have the capacity to be glad that Callum was safely away from me anymore.
He was all I wanted.
All I needed.
All I could think about.
My body burned for him.
I was on fire.
On.
Fire.
twenty-seven
CALLUM
For days,all I felt was my mate's pain.
Her need.
Her desperation.
Heragony.
The distance between us wasn't enough to silence her pleas in my mind, as my mate, my perfect fucking mate,beggedme to help her. To take her pain away. To cool her heat, to give her what her body needed.
Me.
When I tried to speak to her, console her, tell her to call the other royals to free me, she didn't seem to hear me at all.
