He chuckled, warm and affectionate. “I cannot leave the ropes on you for long,volchok. It is not safe.”
I pouted—full lips and everything, the expression exaggerated and childish.
It seemed to catch him off guard because he smiled and leaned down to kiss my nose. “Patience is not your virtue, is it?”
“I thought that was obvious.” I blew off hair that had fallen on my face, unable to adjust with my hands tied. “What does that word even mean?Volchok?”
He stood and began untying me with the same care he’d used to bind me, ensuring he massaged each spot the rope had touched. “I could tell you, or I could let you learn on your own.”
“I’m sure it’s derogatory, whatever it is.”
“It means ‘little wolf.’”
“Oh.” I felt foolish. “So, it’s an affectionate pet name?”
He hummed to himself but didn’t answer, the sound smug and amused, as if confirming my guess. The last of the rope fell away, and I sat up, feeling sore in all the right ways. Muscles I’d forgotten existed made themselves known, a pleasant ache that spoke of being thoroughly used.
Rowan sat on the edge of the bed, his hands carefully assessing my wrists, my arms, checking for any rope burn or circulation issues. “Can I carry you to the shower,princess?”
The word sat differently this time—not mocking or dismissive, but affectionate. Earned.
I threw my hand out dramatically, tilting my head up with exaggerated haughtiness. “You may.”
He grinned, genuine delight crossing his features. “Why, thank you.”
He gathered me into his arms, carried me into the shower, and set me down gently on the built-in bench. He turned on the water, testing the temperature with his hand before adjusting it warmer. Steam filled the space, carrying the scent of his soap, which I was learning to love on him.
He helped me shower with the same methodical care he’d shown while tying me, washing every inch of me with gentle hands. Shampooing my hair that had me moaning all over again. Soaping my skin. Rinsing me clean.
I yawned, exhaustion finally catching up with me, but I felt well-sated. Boneless.Happy.
Standing wrapped in a big fluffy towel afterward, having him rub me down and tend to me like I was precious—it was everything I’d wanted without knowing I’d wanted it.
And it was dangerous. Because I was not worth the pain I would bring him. My path would lead him down a blood soaked road that he did not deserve by loving someone like me.
A girl could get used to this. . . but I can’t,I thought solemnly. This can’t happen again.
Chapter 24
Rowan
“When were you going to tell me?” I hissed the words, careful not to wake Violet in the bedroom. She had gone back to sleep in preparation for tonight’s shift after I had sworn I would wake her up in time to get ready.
My call to Charlie was the first in many days, and I had promised him an update on Violet’s situation. But right now, fury burned through my veins like acid, and the careful diplomacy I usually maintained with my adoptive father evaporated like morning dew under desert sun.
I felt blindsided. Betrayed. And in the wake of Violet’s confession—her truths laid bare between tear-stained sheets—I felt vile for not having my own honesty to offer in return.
How could I tell her about my rebirth when I didn’t even know she carried the same impossible weight?
Charlie’s voice carried a note of apology that did nothing to cool my rage. “Levi made me swear not to say anything, Rowan. I gave him my word.”
“I do not care about your word to Levi.” The words came out sharp enough to cut. For once, our relationship shifted from father and son into something else—two men on opposing sides of a decision that had left Violet vulnerable and alone with knowledge that could have killed her sanity. “She confessed to me that she was reborn. That she holds memories of a life where she was abducted as a child, then murdered at thirty-three. Are you telling me that information was not important enough to share?”
Charlie took in a breath, the sound ragged and pained. Then another, like a drowning man surfacing. “She refused to tell Levi and me what type of life she lived before. We assumed certain things, hoped we were wrong, but she shut us out completely.” I heard the strangled quality in his voice as he battled with his own agony, his own helplessness in the face of Violet’s suffering. “Rowan, we did notknow. She never told us the extent of what happened.”
“Neither did I until she broke down in my arms.” The memory of her sobs, her fists beating against my chest, her body wracked with grief so profound it had its own gravity—it threatened to drag me under even now. “Are you telling me I am supposed to be comfortable leaving her here at this school?”
Silence stretched across the line, heavy and damning.
