“Lillian,” I began, but when I saw the flash of blue beneath her lashes, I forgot my question. “Thank ye.”
I meant it; I was well aware that I owed her my life several times over, but I knew ‘twas right to trust my Mate.
Lillian, on the other hand, responded not with sweet words, but by shoving herself to her feet and hurrying across the cottage.
“You must be uncomfortable now that the fever has broken. If you can sit up, I will change the sheets and bathe you.”
My brow rose. Had my wee human learned such things as the lady of Tarbert Keep? I had to admit Ididfeel sticky with sweat, and ‘twould be good to finally feel clean, although it looked as if someone had already cleaned the filth of the dungeon from me.
Lillian?
I managed to lift myself into a chair, although the move exhausted me. I watched her bustle around my—ourhome, switching the bedding, fingering my hair—and wondering about the neatly folded set of blankets by the hearth. Surely she’d been sleeping withmethese last nights?
Ye were sweating with fever and out of yer mind with pain. Wouldyehave wanted to sleep with ye?
Likely not.
The bath—a wet, soapy cloth dipped in warm water—should have been erotic. After all, I was naked as the day I was born, saving all the bandages wrapped around me. But mayhap ‘twas because of those bandages that Lillian kept her movements efficient, her gaze locked on her hand and not my skin.
Itdidfeel good, the water sluicing across my shoulders…but when she reached my crotch, I took the rag from her and washed myself. After all, I could see the way her hand shook as she neared my semi-erect cock, and didn’t want to frighten her.
My wee human was frightened of enough things.
Did she not remember the way I’d brought her pleasure? It had been only the once, aye, but surely she knew I would bring her to climax plenty more times, once I was strong enough? Surely she knew what ecstasy awaited her in our future together as Mates?
I would bring her much pleasure, but not yet. Not until I had my strength, and not until I could claim her properly. As the Mate of the chief, our joining would be witnessedby our clan to symbolize that our future was tied to theirs. But there wasmuchI could manage to remind her of her worth before that ceremony.
Forgetsemi-erect. My damned cock was throbbing by now.
Aye, the clan would witness me claiming her when ‘twas time…but for now, I could use my tongue and my fingers?—
Dinnae lie to yerself. Ye can barely keep yer eyes open.
I snorted, realizing how weak I was as I could barely finish cleaning myself.
By the time I climbed back into the bed and a blushing Lillian pulled the blankets up to my waist, I could feel the exhaustion setting in. I was warm and well-fed, and sleep tugged at me. I could feel my eyelids getting heavy…
But a familiar presence, a familiarscent, jerked me awake once more.
Vartok.
My twin brother was here. I’d twisted my head toward the door when I heard his bellow.
“Kragorn!”
And then he was there, pushing his way into my home as he’d done so many times before, and the familiarity of it made me chuckle.
“’Tis good to see ye, brother.”
And ‘twasgood to see him. As he crossed the floor, I realizedhewas the missing piece, the part of my heart I hadn’t felt before. Vaguely, I remembered Nan telling me Vartokhad been out on a mission for the clan, but I’d been out of my mind with fever at the time and hadn’t understood.
As my brother sank down on the mattress beside me, his gaze swept over my injuries, and I saw his expression change.That bad, eh? I knew I was in miserable shape, but my brother’s response confirmed it.
When I offered him my hand, he clasped it with all the relief I was feeling.
“Who did this to ye?” he whispered. “The Stormseeker said ye’ve been in the Tarbert dungeon.”
He knew the Battleborn chief? The bastard who’d intended to ally with Tarbert?
