When they entered their room,Elyse stripped before collapsing onto the bottom of one of the three sets of bunkbeds in it. The other two beds were empty. She curled up against the wall and listened as Saxon removed his clothes.
“Would you like some of the pain medication the doctor gave you?” he asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“No,” she murmured. Her arm throbbed, but she’d prefer not to take the pills; they might make her groggy, and she needed to be alert.
He settled behind her and cradled her against his chest. She relaxed into him; her life had been so hideous lately, but somehow Saxon still made her feel safe.
“Killean hates me,” she murmured.
When she’d finished telling them her story, she’d seen understanding on most of their faces, but Killean remained distant and unforgiving. She hadn’t expected his forgiveness, and she deserved his hatred.
Saxon’s arms tightened around her as he inhaled her sweet scent. “He’ll get over it.”
“I don’t blame him.”
“Elyse—”
“When will you go after the Savages?”
He sighed but allowed her to change the conversation. “I don’t know.”
Her eyes closed. “I know you have to go, but I don’t want you to leave.”
She had no idea how happy those words made him. “I’ll come back.”
“I hope so,” she said around a yawn and fell asleep.
Saxon held her as she lay against him. She was so small and mortal, but she was also one of the strongest people he ever encountered. Few others could have withstood what she endured.
His fangs and cock ached to sink inside her, take her, feed on her, change her, and claim her as his mate. But having her nestled securely in his arms helped pacify the demon within him. It wouldn’t last much longer; the strain of not claiming her would get to him soon, and then he could only hope she would be ready for him.
When she twitched, he stroked her hair. He’d seen her get restless in her sleep before and suspected she had nightmares, but this time, his touch didn’t comfort her. She twitched as she muttered, “Dad.”
She jerked awake and pulled from his arms as she bolted up in bed. Her gaze flew around the room as he sat up beside her. “It’s okay,” he assured her as he pulled her back onto the small mattress. “You’re safe, and I’m going to find your dad.”
Elyse shuddered as the nightmare lingered in her mind. Except it hadn’t been a nightmare; it was a memory. She’d relived the moment they cut off her father’s finger and Joseph waved it in her face.
And now Saxon was going to find her dad, but she’d received so many more pieces since then that she didn’t know if there would be anything left for Saxon to find.
Closing her eyes against the possibility, she tried to relax against him, but she couldn’t shake the nightmare or her apprehension for her father and Saxon. What if she lost them both? She didn’t know how she would survive it.
Saxon rubbed her back as he tried to calm her enough for her to sleep again. It took some time, but eventually, she relaxed against him, and exhaustion pulled her under again. He lay awake for a while, making sure she was asleep, before dozing off himself.
He woke sometime later to a throbbing erection as Elyse leisurely stroked him. Cracking his eyes open, he found her watching him as she gave his shaft a gentle squeeze before sliding her palm down him again.
“You’re exhausted,” he murmured.
The sexy smile she gave him caused his cock to jump in her grasp. “I was.”
She didn’t care how tired she was; she had to feel him inside her, moving over her, and know he washerewith her when he wouldn’t be for much longer. Releasing him, she clasped his hand and drew it between her legs. She kept hold of his hand as she guided his finger into her and gasped.
He lifted his head to nibble at her bottom lip while he moved his hand within her, and she reclaimed his dick. Her hips followed the movement of his hand as her breath came faster, and he felt her building toward climax. When he slid his hand away, she moaned and thrust her hips demandingly at him.
“Not yet, beautiful,” he murmured as he took her hand from him and lifted it to kiss her knuckles.
He longed to bury himself inside her, but he intended to memorize every detail of her first. Her eyes darkened when he released her hand to skim his fingers down her side and over her rib cage before sliding his palm over the delicate curve of her hip. Unable to resist her lush mouth, he bent his head and ran his tongue over her lips while he kissed her.
Elyse threaded her fingers through his hair to draw him closer. His unrelenting chest pressed against her as he draped his leg over hers and locked her against him. The bristly hairs on his calf tickled her flesh as his contoured muscles remained steel hard. The stark contrasts between their bodies fascinated her, yet they fit together so well.
