She would have to ask Tenebrys tomorrow, when he was back to his usual self. She burrowed closer until his chest was pressed against her back, and moments later, she was asleep.
18
Tenebrys's head was clouded with the remnants of the moon madness. He struggled to remember the night before, and when he opened his eyes, he found Delphi in his bed beside him. His tail was wrapped firmly around one of her legs, and she was pulled up against him.
Flashes came back to him, like a twisted kind of dream. Fae had been trying to take her, running, moonlight, rage, blood. He could smell sex on his fur. Wounds that weren't his own.
Dear gods, had he hurt her? Tenebrys sat up and checked her over. There was blood on her skirts. Bruises on her arms. Fear clawed through him. He had hurt his mate.
Delphi opened her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile. "Morning."
"Did I hurt you?" he demanded, untangling himself from her and getting off the bed.
"What? No, of course you didn't," Delphi replied, sitting up. Her hair was a riot with leaves and twigs stuck in it. "Don't you remember?"
"Parts. Show me your wounds. I can smell you're hurt," he said, tail flicking in worry and irritation.
"Are you going to lick them again?" Delphi asked, a wicked gleam in her eye.
Tenebrys froze, and the memory of the taste of her skin and pussy came rushing back. That's why he could smell sex.
"I... No. Just let me see," Tenebrys insisted. He was glad his black fur hid any blushing.
With an amused smile, Delphi lifted her tattered, bloody skirts and showed him her slashed-up legs.
"Fuck, Delphi."
"They look worse than they feel."
Tenebrys ran his hands over his face. "Stay there."
He stalked into his bath room and washed off the blood that was still splattered on his chest and the scent of her sex off his face. Gods, he really was an animal.
He turned the taps on the oversized bath and let it fill with hot water. He turned back to the marble counter, and there was a basket of freshly cut herbs and flowers that hadn't been there a moment before.
A shiver went over him, setting his fur on end. He lifted a bound bundle and sniffed it. They were from his mother's garden. Like her library, she had her own private garden of magical plants from Faerie and other realms. When she died, it had disappeared.
Tenebrys had grown up with such herb bundles being put in his bath whenever he hurt himself.
"Thank you," he whispered to whatever spirits or magic in the château had left them there.
Tenebrys put it in the bath, and instantly the room filled with a calming scent. Delphi was climbing out of bed when he came back into the room.
"Where do you think you are going?" he demanded.
Delphi's brows rose. "Back to my rooms?"
"Not yet, you aren't," Tenebrys said and offered his hand.
Delphi cautiously took it. "What's gotten into you?"
"You took care of me when I was injured. I'm going to do the same," he insisted.
He led her back into the bathroom before crouching down to slip off her boots. Delphi was still giving him a puzzled look but didn't object when he helped her out of her ruined clothes. She had bruises blooming on her hips and arms.
"Did I cause any of those?" he asked, the sick feeling back in his stomach.
"No, these were from crashing into things in the woods and the fae grabbing me," she replied. She seemed completely at ease being naked in front of him.
