Twenty-Five
LUCILLE
Iblinked open my eyes to a ceiling of angels with brilliant white wings standing on fluffy clouds, surrounding a star of glowing light. I tensed. This wasn’t my room. But the longer I stared at their serene faces, as if the light alleviated all their stresses and pains, the more I relaxed.
Crystals dangled in the window, scattering rainbows across the stone floor and bed. I smiled, feeling at peace in this healing room. Then I glanced to my other side and stiffened.
The general slouched in a chair, sleeping right next to me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again—he was still there. His head rested in his hand, the tattoo of the Greek wordtruthpeeking out from under the sleeve of his black sweater. The soft, sculpted planes of his face held me captive. This wasn’t the version of the general I knew.
He twitched in his sleep, and I smiled. How many people had seen General Ronen so unguarded, with soft rays of light hitting his cheeks? He wasn’t in uniform, nor did he have his swords. Not even Rune was here. It was just him, vulnerable and at ease. Something fluttered in my chest as I took in this rare, gentle sight. He looked almost young. Approachable. Unthreatening.
I held back a snort.As if. Maybe in his sleep, if I ignored the dark tattoos spiraling down his neck, expanding across his muscular torso, and forgot all our previous interactions—the cold, unimpressed looks, the doubts he voiced about me—thenmaybeI could almost believe there was a tender male beneath that lethal, unfeeling shell.
I panned down to his wrinkled slacks and large leather shoes.Hmm…I honestly thought they’d be bigger. I snorted, covering my mouth to muffle the sound, and traveled back up his sculpted body, pausing on the dark spots staining his sweater, then met piercing gold eyes.
My smile dried up.
General Ronen straightened, the softness melting from his features.Therewas the general I knew.
We stared at each other in silence. My heart picked up speed under his unrelenting gaze. He didn’t blink. He didn’t move. But his nostrils flared, and the muscle in his jaw ticked. My palms turned clammy, and I didn’t want to be the one to break the silence. Like I didn’t want to be the one who always broke eye contact. But I couldn’t handle the anxiety thrumming through my body. He was too intense.
“Is that blood?” I asked, pointing at his sweater.
“Yes,” he growled, standing to his full height.
I shifted in bed, sitting up straighter. “Mine.” I assumed.
His eyes flashed black, and he nodded, narrowing his gaze to my hand with Ni’s cuts. He glared at the healed scars like they were a personal affront.
“Do you know what this is?” I asked, analyzing the sharp angles and details etched into my palm.
He brought his heated glare back to my face, the muscle in his jaw pounding. Every line in his body pulled taut, like he was seconds away from exploding. My fingers twitched on the bedspread, wanting to shield myself from the wrath I knew was coming.
“Has something happened to your tongue, General?”
His hands splayed at his sides like he was physically restraining himself from choking me. His glare turned downright murderous.
I swallowed my nerves and looked away. “Have I done something to upset you?”
His hand shot out and gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his pitch-black eyes. I wrapped my sweaty palm around his wrist, tugging against his grip.
“Did I hurt Rune or Ni?”
I didn’t think I had. I’d tried to protect both. But why else would he look like he wanted to kill me?
He shook his head.
“They’re both alive, then?”
His chest heaved, his shadows snaking around his hand and brushing every inch of my face. The touch was silky. Affectionate. The opposite of his tight hold and unforgiving attention.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, a little more bite in my words now.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered, his voice a vicious, soft snap. “What about the fact I told you not to push your limits? What about the fact that you shielded Rune and left no energy for yourself? What about thefuckingfact I had to catch your unconscious body while it plummeted off the cliff!” His voice rose with each word. “You almostdied!” He released me and turned, pacing in front of the bed.
“Rune needed?—”
