I knew nothing of human customs. Perhaps they refused offers a certain number of times before they accepted. Perhaps I should have repeated myself once or twice more.
The hard set of Leda’s jaw and the irritable gleam in her eyes returned to my memory, and I scowled. No, the stubborn human wouldn’t have accepted. No matter how many times I offered.
The sound from the couch grew louder, and I could take no more. Growling beneath my breath, I slid from beneath the fur blankets, careful not to let out the body heat trapped beneath them.
Then, I stomped over to the couch, leaned down, and, tucking the woven blanket tightly around the female to trap her arms and legs, I scooped her up from the sofa. I told myself I technically wasn’t touching her since every inch of her skin was covered. She yelped in surprise, flailing in my grip as I then stomped toward my bed.
“What are you doing?” she snapped as she struggled to free her arms from the tightly wrapped blankets.
Her entire body undulated in my grip, but instead of fighting to keep hold of her, I let her drop to the mattress.
The air whooshed from her lungs as I used one hand on her upper chest to pin her to the bed and the other to rip the fur from beneath her body and toss it over her.
A low growl rolled through the room, and I realized it wasn’t me.
“I asked what the fuck you are doing?”
The snarl on her face would make any daemon male take heed. We liked our females to hold their own. They growled and bit as often as we did. Some even demanded that their males best them in a physical contest before they would be bedded. It was considered foreplay to argue or fight with a daemoness.
I put that thought from my mind. Leda was human. She didn’t realize that her ferocity was considered an invitation bydaemon males. I doubted she would have spoken to me that way if she did.
“Your teeth were chattering so loudly that you woke me up,” I grunted. “You were also shivering so hard that the entire sofa was vibrating. You are my guest, and I would be the poorest host in the city if I allowed you to freeze to death in the night. I am a commander. My reputation is everything.”
Leda collapsed against the pillow and glared up at me as she finally freed her arms from the blanket I’d used to trap her.
“Does that mean you’re going to sleep on the couch?” she asked.
“No. Even with the furs, I am worried your human body cannot handle the cold nights here. I will sleep with my back to you, and you will remain close to me so that you may use my body heat to remain warm.”
Her mouth closed with a snap of teeth before she bared them again. “You cannot tell me what to do.”
I leaned over the bed, placing my fisted hands on either side of her head. “I will not let your foolish obstinacy kill you or make you ill. You sleep next to me willingly or I will truss you up like a goose for the oven to save you from your own foolishness.”
Even with me looming over her much smaller form, Leda didn’t back down. She glared at me with narrowed eyes and snarled again. “I swear to God I will stab you where it hurts if you lay a finger on me.”
I felt the sting of the knife at my throat, the tiniest pinprick as she pressed it to my flesh. I hadn’t even noticed the blade clutched in her hand when I’d gone to the sofa.
By the gods, this woman managed to have me behaving like a green recruit during his first phase of training. She’d pulled a weapon on me, and I hadn’t noticed.
“You may keep the knife,” I said, not even flinching as the tip of the blade nearly broke the skin. “If you stop arguing with me about this.”
A violent shiver swept through her after I spoke, and she lowered the knife from my neck at the same time. I frowned down at her. “Are you all right?”
“Not really,” she answered through clenched teeth as another massive shudder overtook her body. “I must have been colder than I thought.”
I felt my eyes widen. “Should I call for the doctor?” I asked.
She shook her head and pulled her arm beneath the fur blankets, taking the knife with it. I wasn’t sure where she was keeping the sheath I’d unearthed for her earlier, but I saw her arms moving beneath the bedding. “I just need to warm up. The chills will pass once I do.”
“Then you will sleep here tonight?” I clarified.
She sighed, but I could still see the concession on her face. “I guess it’s better than hypothermia.”
I had no idea what that was, only that my female—no, the human female—had acquiesced to my demands. I fought the urge to howl and pound my chest like the primal daemons of ancient times when their mates gave them their way. Leda wasn’t my mate. She was my guest, and despite her skill and sharp tongue, I knew she was afraid. I could see it in the way her eyes darted around the room, even though we were the only two here. The way her muscles remained tensed and ready, as though she were about to run away at any second.
I kept an eye on her as I walked around the bed, ready to follow if she decided to run. I hoped she didn’t because my instincts would give me no choice but to chase her.
Leda remained beneath the blankets, her body shivering almost violently. I slid back into the bed, resuming my usual spot before I turned my back to her.
