“Do you feel in control?” she asked.
“Mostly.”
Willow bowed her head and leaned toward him. She slid her arms up and underneath his as she held him. When his arms enveloped her, she relaxed against him.
“It will fade,” he assured her as he ran his hands over her hair.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered.
“Never,” he vowed.
“I cleaned you up the best I could, but I didn’t take off your shirt. I know there’s something you don’t want me to see.”
Declan’s arms tightened around her before he released her and sat back. Clasping her cheeks again, he lifted her face until those gorgeous, violet eyes met his. Anxiety and something more radiated from her as she ran her fingers over his face before lowering them to his lips.
“I missed you,” she whispered. “I was so scared they would find us while you were still unconscious and terrified you’d never wake up again.”
“Nothing is ever going to take me away from you, Willow.”
She closed her eyes as she breathed in his fantastic aroma. She wished she could believe that, but after the events of this week, and with the color still staining his skin, she knew there were too many things seeking to tear them apart. However, she would fight for him, andthem, until the day she died, and she would cherish every day they got to spend together.
“We have water?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’d like to finish cleaning myself.”
“I’ll get it for you,” she offered.
“No, I’ll get it. Show me the way.”
Willow pointed to the faucet. “I’ve been using one of the water buckets to hold the water and some rags from the truck to clean us.”
Declan kissed her forehead again before rising. His legs were a little shaky after not using them for three days, but by the time he reached the faucet, they were steady again. He lifted one of the empty buckets and slid it under the tap before turning it on.
While the bucket filled, he took in his surroundings. Waking in this place seemed surreal to him; he couldn’t believe he’d been out for three days while Willow kept them alive. He glanced over to where she sat in the straw with her legs pulled up against her chest and her chin on her knees. He loved her more than he’d ever believed it was possible to love another.
She was such a warrior that he sometimes forgot how young she was; he couldn’t forget it now as she looked so vulnerable. With everything she’d seen and endured, she was still innocent in many ways, and he was about to take some of that from her. He shut the water off and took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what was to come.
Untying his boots, he kicked them off and tugged off his socks before removing his jeans. The red and black color continued throughout his body. He didn’t know how long it would last. He felt mostly in control, but the demon part of him slithered beneath his surface, still primed for the kill and ready to destroy anyone who came near her.
What would have happened if someone attacked them while he was unconscious? He suspected he would have woken from his rejuvenating slumber to destroy any who dared to come after her. That was probably why the color remained while he slept, but why was it still apparent?
When he started unbuttoning his bloody, torn shirt, Willow closed her eyes, rested her cheek on her knees, and turned her head away from him. He stood for a minute before pulling the shirt off and letting it fall to the floor.
He recalled the last time he willingly took his shirt off in front of another. He was forty years old, and he hadn’t removed it; it was shredded from his body. He ran the cloth over his face, down his arms, and across his chest before lifting his gaze to Willow. She remained unmoving in the straw with her head turned away.
He sensed her curiosity, but she hadn’t taken the opportunity to learn the answers she sought while he was unconscious. And that only made him love her more. Though she couldn’t see it, Declan held the rag out toward her.
“Can you wash my back?” he asked.
Willow’s mouth went dry, and her eyes opened as she turned her head toward him. Despite the casual tone of his voice, she sensed something raw and desperate in him. And then she realized she was sensing itthroughtheirbond!A bond he’d shut down during their fight with the Savages.
Declan didn’t move as she unfolded her legs and rose with elegant grace from the straw. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he was hideous, yet she belonged to him, and he would cherish her for the rest of their days.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“I can’t do it myself.”
