“Looks like you’re building your own little harem,”Xarothar teased me.
I nearly choked on air, whipping my head to glare at him. “How do you even know what a harem is?”
“I can read, you know, and can I say you read some very explicit material,”he chuckled in my mind.
I huffed in response. “Stop reading my damned books over my shoulder. I already have a thief who keeps going through my stuff.” I loved my why-choose books, stories where a woman could have more than one man who loved her in return. I always wondered what it would feel like.
“You might find out one day.”
Chapter 7
RONAN
If Darian knew what I was doing, I’d be as good as dead.
Hiding an unregistered witch was bad enough; it was against the law for witches to live here, no matter if you have powers or not, to not be registered. If the council got wind of it, she would be dragged before them in chains, interrogated, hurt and then forced into one of the factions. A witch with a dragon, though, that was a whole different level of danger. Dragons were extinct, wiped out a long time ago.
Having a dragon as a familiar was against the law back when they were alive, a rule Vespera made because bonding to a dragon could make a witch more powerful, and she couldn’t have that.
Cherry would be executed without a trial.
My duty was to protect this realm, and anyone who broke the law I had to turn in. Instead, I was covering for her, lying for her and protecting her.
I had no damn idea why. I went into the woods alone the other night because I needed a break from Darian’s constant bitch fits. Ever since we were attacked the other night by that blood mage, then toyed with by some witch that we couldn’t find, he has been in a foul mood. I thought it was quite funny at first because it’s easy to rile him up when he’s in a mood, but it’s been almost a week, and I’m close to killing him now.
Darian has been my brother in every way that mattered, just as Kieran is, but lately it feels like he's slipping away.
He’s always been a control freak with a temper and a germaphobe who rarely smiles on a good day, but these days, there's something different about him, like he's carrying a dark cloud over him. Darian has always been Vesperas' favourite, which I am not complaining about; most of us hate her.
She’s sadistic and cruel, who loves power way too much and has everyone shit scared of her.
Kieran took off the other night, probably went to find some woman to screw, and there was no way in hell I was staying back at our place to listen to Darian’s nonstop ranting. I left to go for a walk, something drove me to the Whispering Woods, and that’s when I heard the roars and the screams.
Then I found her.
Cherry.
That’s what she smells like, and I don’t know her name, so it seems fitting. Watching that fucker hurt her sent something primal through me, and then I spotted the dragon not far from her; it was about to be a vampire’s meal. That should have taken all my attention, but it didn’t; she did.
The intoxicating scent, sweet cherries and warm vanilla—wrapped around me like a spell, clinging to the air even through the blood and the dirt. It made me reckless, and before I even realised what I was doing, the vamps near the dragon were already dead, their bodies hitting the ground. The ones that were about to tear into her never even got the chance. My blade was already slicing through their necks, their heads rolling like discarded fruit.
I didn’t stop to think or question.
I just moved, and they were dead in seconds. Barely a breath passed before they were dead, lifeless and forgotten. That’s when I finally saw her up close.
Even bruised and bloodied, she was fucking breathtaking.
Her hair, a cascade of white silk, tumbled over her shoulders, the ends tinted with red—whether from the blood or dye, I wasn’t sure. Strands clung to her skin, damp from the fight, wild and untamed. Full and inviting lips were slightly parted from catching her breath. Her skin, despite the smudges of dirt and bruises, was flawless, kissed by the moon's glow.
But it was her eyes that got me.
Shining silver, like molten stardust, with flecks of pale violet swirling around the pupils—haunting, otherworldly, pulling me in before she closed them, cutting me off from whatever storm raged behind them.
I should’ve stepped back, left her and reminded myself that she was just another witch, another lawbreaker. Another problem that I didn’t need, but fuck if I could. I helped her, cleaned her wounds and tended to all of her injuries. I took care of her without so much as glancing at where I shouldn’t. It would have been disrespectful, and no matter what people thought of me, I wasn’t that guy.
Yeah, I have had the odd fling, something to just satisfy a physical need, being close to somebody even if it was just for a night. I was nothing like Kieran, though, who swapped women like he was trying to complete a damn collection.
He had emotional issues, was a grumpy fuck with most people, but at least we got to see his sarcastic side; he could be funny at times.
