“I’m fine. Are you?”In response, he sent a wave of calmness through the bond, a warmth that settled deep in my bones.
“I’m okay now. Whatever you did last night drained us both.”
Guilt washed through me.
“I didn’t mean to tap into our bond. I was just so angry.”
He chuffed.“I could feel that, but whilst I’m not fully grown, it will drain us, most likely kill us.”
Well shit.
“And your body can’t take any more now. Don’t be stupid. The moment we unlock your full magic, every last soul who's ever dared threaten you—Every. Single. One will pay. The king, your enemies. They won't live to regret it.”
The man in front of me sat closer; he reached for my hand, and his skin was soft and warm. The way he looked at me stopped me from pulling away.
“When will you be back?”
“It’s hard to say, but if you need me, I will be there.”
Now it was quiet, and I really missed him. I just hope he’s okay. It’s probably best he wasn’t here; he needed to be safe, and staying in Velmore wasn’t for him.
“I want to say thank you. For what you did for my sister last night. You didn’t have to help her, but you did. That makes you one of the best people in my eyes.”
I blinked at him, caught off guard. Compliments weren’t something I was used to. My first instinct was to deflect, but something in his expression stopped me.
I exhaled, running my fingers through the ends of my messy hair. “She didn’t deserve what they were going to do to her,” I said quietly. “Nobody deserves that kind of treatment.”
His lips quirked up into a small smile. “Still, it means a lot.” I shrugged, trying to ignore the unfamiliar warmth curling in my chest.
“Don’t get used to it.”
He chuckled, the teasing glint back in his eyes. “Too late.” He stood up, stretching his arms up before holding a hand out toward me, wiggling his fingers impatiently.
“Come on, Ronan has breakfast cooking. You don’t want to miss it cause that man can fucking cook.”
I know.
After a moment, I sighed and slowly placed my hand in his. His grip was firm but careful as he pulled me to my feet. My legs were still weak from yesterday; they wobbled beneath me. I stumbled slightly into him, but before I could fall, he caught me with ease, his hands steadying me. As I looked up, his face was much closer than I expected, and he was smirking.
Luckily for me, I didn’t get the same feeling when I was around the four men who had stumbled into my life.
“Falling for me already, little red?”
Nicknames. Again.
I pulled away from his hold, though my legs still protested the movement. “You wish.”
He laughed lightly, slipping his hands into his pockets with a lazy grin. “Give it time, little red.”
I scoffed. “Don’t hold your breath. Or better yet, do.”
He jerked his chin toward the door, “Come on, before Ronan eats everything, or you collapse again. I’m not carrying you; you’d probably stab me for the effort.”
“Smart man.” I followed him out of the room, down a very plain hallway. I could hear low voices growing louder with each step. The scent of something warm and savoury filled the air, and a surprising comfort settled in my chest despite the unfamiliarity of it all. As we walked through the living area and stepped into the kitchen, my eyes immediately landed on Ronan, who was at the stove, effortlessly plating food like he belonged in the kitchen.
At the table, the brown-haired girl that I saved last night was sitting at the table with a glass of orange juice, her hands moving smoothly as she signed something to Ronan.
You’re fussing too much. She’s not broken.
