My body would never be my own. Not around him. And certainly not around his sister.
“Are you Elssarum?” I asked, wretched hope rising in my chest that he might be able to help me.
He shook his head, and I deflated. “That’s just how he is. Everything must be perfectly in order and under his control. This isn’t the first time he’s stopped in here with someone who needed healing. Count yourself lucky that’s all you needed. You’re too young for a pyre.”
I swallowed. Hard. The Issaraeth’s actions weren’t a secret. It was why everyone feared him. But the casual way this male spoke of it settled unease in my gut.
“Are you hungry?” he asked me.
Perhaps a few minutes ago, I would have been, but now, the thought of food made me want to retch. “Maybe later.”
“Aye, after the pain potion kicks in. You’ll feel much better.” He turned his back to me for a moment, messing with something on the table that was out of sight.
I stared up at the ceiling, praying the Issaraeth would forget about me and never return.
I wasn’t that lucky.
The bond twisted tighter in my chest in warning—no, a threat—that my mate closed in. My breath stuttered as mypulse spiked. The even cadence of his footsteps smacked against the wood floor a moment later.
I dropped my chin to my chest, digging inside me for a spark of something powerful to cling to, so that when I faced him, he did not force me to surrender.
His velvety voice enveloped me when he entered the room, rolling a shiver down my spine. “Thank you, healer. I’ll manage from here.”
The smell of something savory reached my nose. Had he brought me food? I peeked at him from under my lashes, noting the hot, steaming meal atop a tray.
My stomach betrayed me with a loud rumble.
“Of course Herr Räviel,” the male replied, sweeping into a low bow.
Diningware clinked as the Issaraeth set the tray to the side, then approached me. Our eyes locked, and my world lurched.
Duty. Defiance. Desire.
All braided together until the individual strands were undistinguishable.
Until he tore his gaze away and to the bind securing me to the bed. Without speaking, he ran his fingers along it, a hair’s breadth from my skin, until he found something to release it. The fabric fell away, and yet, I didn’t dare move. Not with him this close to me.
He stepped away and retrieved the tray. “Sit up if you want to eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” I told him, fingers tightening in the blankets.
“Liar.” That one word, loaded with truth and loathing, accompanied a knowing look.
Our bond was the real traitor.
So I shoved myself upright, scooting slowly so as not to jostle my knee. My side ached, but not nearly as it had when theIssaraeth carried me back to the trunk of the tree. My mate settled the food across my lap, then reached behind me and adjusted the pillows.
I couldn’t stand his tenderness. Not after everything he’d done.
A hearty meal greeted me. River fish in some sort of sauce, along with wilted greens. Rich, buttery potatoes. A roll that smelled of cheese and herbs. Better food than I’d had inweeks.
I looked at him, then back at what he’d brought me. “How long was I out? Where are we?”
He ran a hand over his jaw, more visible now that he’d shaved off the grown-out beard he’d accumulated during his hunt. “A few days.”
Irritation nipped at me as he only answered one of my questions. “And where are we?”
“Eat,” he ordered, sinking into the chair the healer had occupied.
