“I see,” the warrior said. “And how do you plan to enforce that?”
His velvet voice wrapped around the bond and snaked its way right into my stomach, flipping it so violently I swayed into his chest. Darcke’s other hand came around my back to steady me, and the pressure of it made me jump.
There was a challenge in the way he held me—as if he dared me to push him off. But not a single part of me wanted to. His eyes darkened when I leaned into his hands instead, when I didn’t shy away from his fingerssplaying across my skin.
“You were going to let me die to keep your secrets,” Darcke whispered.
I had no idea why it suddenly sounded so fucking hot.
“I was,” I replied, my breath sticking in my throat when his nose brushed mine.
“No amount of threats to your life could make you tell me, is that right?”
My core clenched when his hand slipped around my neck again, his fingers brushing the back of it and his thumb ghosting over my jaw. His eyes widened as he watched my reaction, and I wasn’t sure which of us sent more of that heat across the bond.
“That’s right,” I whispered.
“I see,” he said once more.
A whisper of a smile touched his lips, a trickle of pride running up my spine, and his thumb caressed my jawline again—so gently I could almost tell myself I’d imagined it.
I leaned into him a little bit more. Darcke remained still this time. Waiting. Watching. As if he wanted me to decide.
My teeth sank into my bottom lip, and his eyes drew down again. I would go through what we’d just done again—over and over and over—to feel that appreciation warm my chest. His grip remained firm, but he didn’t move. I tilted my head to show that I was okay with it—that I wanted it.
His lips twitched, but when a branch snapped, something hesitant pricked my scalp.
The outside world rushed in, and the adrenaline that had made me feel like I was weightless—as if I floated in one of those heated pools Darcke had showed me—vanished like snow on the first day of spring.
I need you to swear that no such connection has ever happened, and will ever happen, between you.
I blinked.
What this was? What I was feeling now, even if it was only after nearly dying?
It couldn’t happen.
I stepped back, and Darcke let me.
“Are you guys done?” Ottoh called.
“Yes,” I called back.
Darcke and I pretended not to hear how my voice shook.
“We should get going,” I said.
“We should.”
“I…” I swallowed. “I am s?—”
“I swear if you fucking apologize, Iwillkill you,” Darcke growled before overtaking me and approaching the other heir.
“We took bets on you either fucking or killing each other.” Vero came to my side, looking too disappointed for someone with an eye swollen shut, a bandaged arm, and bruises coloring every inch of skin I could see through her leathers.
“What did you bet?” I mumbled distractedly as Darcke and Ottoh argued over whether we should join forces or not. As if that were Darcke’s decision.
“Fucking.” Vero elbowed me. “But I didn’t say when, and I have a feeling I’ll win this one.”
