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I slip two fingers under the knot and work it loose. The cloth gives easily, and his arms drop with a curse as his shoulders protest. Before he can rub them himself, I catch both wrists.

A red line circles each one where the cloth pulled tight. I bring one to my mouth and kiss the mark, then do the same to the other before rubbing oil between my thumbs and working slow circles into both joints until the tension starts to leave his hands.

“Ash, you really don’t have to keep doing that.”

“They’re mine. I’ll see to them.” I keep working on his wrist without looking up. “So stop worrying about it and let me.”

Ash. He’s been doing that since the ceremony. Not sir. Not Asher. He hasn’t noticed he’s doing it, and I’m not about to be the one to tell him.

For once, he does.

My thumbs keep moving while his breathing slowly comes back down.

Then he speaks without looking at me. “My whole life, it’s been me making sure Onyx could stop. Nobody ever...” He trails off.

My thumbs go still. For a second, I just hold his wrists, feeling his pulse beat steadily beneath my fingers.

“When you tie my hands, when you call me that...” His eyes stay fixed on our joined hands. “It’s the only time I’m not the one holding everything up. I don’t have to watch anyone, count anything, or make sure somebody else is all right.” He swallows. “And I hate how much I need that.”

“You didn’t ask me this morning.” He looks up, his brows drawing together slightly.

“In the shower. You saw the scars and didn’t ask who did it or make me explain something I wasn’t ready to say.” My thumb traces the mark around his wrist. “You just stayed.”

“I thought you’d tell me if you wanted me to know.” His fingers shift loosely against mine.

“Yeah.” I look down at our hands, rubbing my thumb once over his pulse. “That meant more than you probably realize.”

He goes quiet, his gaze dropping back to where I’m holding him.

“And I spent most of my life thinking that taking care of somebody just gave them another way to get inside your head.” I bring his wrist back to my mouth and kiss the mark. “Turns out I don’t mind it when it’s you. Actually, I fucking like it.”

His mouth softens, one shoulder easing against me.

“So you don’t have to finish that sentence.” I kiss his other wrist, holding it against my mouth for another second. “I know what you mean.”

For a little while, we stay like that, him warm and heavy in my lap as I work the last of the tension from his hands. Then I slide one arm beneath his knees and the other around his back. “Come here.”

“Ash, I can walk.”

“Badly.” I shift him higher in my arms and carry him into the dark hall. “Light, I always wanted a pet. Never thought I’d end up with the most beautiful one in the Reach.”

“Yeah? I’m going to bite you.”

“Mm, later.” I start up the stairs. “I’ll order food while you’re in the shower. What do you want?”

“Anything.” He settles more heavily against my neck, already half asleep. “Anything that isn’t soup.”

I reach for my slate from the hall table as we pass, and my stomach drops the moment Seren’s name fills the screen.

There are three messages.

Seren: Ryven’s gone quiet. He’s not answering me, and he’s not at the house.

Seren: Your father kept us another hour after you left. There’s a condition on it he didn’t tell you about.

Seren: Call me as soon as you get this, cous.

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