“Maybe they’re talking with Orin first. I should check, and you could use more potion.”
Brokk and Sahira should have been back by now; Sahira had made it sound like the trip wouldn’t take long and shouldn’t be difficult.
But Cole was right; if they were back, Brokk would have come here. She chewed on her lip as her gaze went to his doorway and the portal in the room beyond. She couldn’t see the portal from here, but it was there, and Sahira and Brokk would come if they could.
Concern for her friend and aunt gnawed at her gut.
* * *
Cole understoodher need to protect him; he would have felt the same way about her, which was why he was going through the portal with her if she insisted on leaving. He knew she’d never slept with his brother, but after Orin hurt her, he wouldn’t leave them alone together again.
And there was a good chance Orin was there, as he was living in the tunnels beneath her manor. There was also what Orin said about her and the markings.
Without thinking, he brushed the hair back from her temple. It was the same one he’d seen the marking on before, but there was nothing there now.
When she glanced at him, he buried his concern and smiled at her.
“If you leave, I’m going with you. You’re not going to be anywhere near Orin on your own,” he told her.
The two little lines that appeared between her eyes when she was angry became as deep as the Grand Canyon.
“I thought we were past this!” she snapped. “I didnothave sex with your brother.”
He went to cup her cheek, but she leaned away as she glared daggers into him.
“I know that,” he assured her. “And I don’t dislike the idea of the two of you being alone because I think that. The last time we saw him, he hurt you, and I won’t let that happen again.”
She relaxed a little but twisted her hands together as she studied him. “I’m not a child. I can take care of myself around Orin, and he won’t do that again. He was being an… an idiot.”
Was he?Cole pondered as he studied her delicate features.Does Sahira know something about the markings?
He planned to have a talk with her aunt once he got the chance, which was another reason for him to return with her. Getting time alone with Sahira was probably going to prove difficult, but he would figure it out.
“We should probably clean and rebandage my wounds before we go,” he said.
Her mouth pursed, but she rose from the bed and gathered what remained of the medical supplies and fresh water. He admired the elegant grace of her svelte body as she worked.
When she’d gathered everything she required, she returned to the bed and knelt beside him. She smelled of strawberries and sex, two scents that made it extremely difficult to keep from taking her again.
“We could always stay in bed,” he murmured, and she flicked the pointed tip of his ear in response.
“Ow,” he chuckled as he covered his ear with his hand. “Vicious woman.”
“Hmm,” she grunted as she taped a bandage to his back.
He applied a bandage and some tape to what remained of the hole in his chest. Feeding on her had improved his injury, but the sooner he completely healed, the better they would be.
He kissed her forehead. “Thank you, beautiful. Now, let’s go check on them.”
Lexi reluctantly rose and stepped away. He felt her eyes on him as he strode over to his armoire and removed a black tunic from inside. The healing edges of his wounds pulled as he slid the tunic over his head, but he kept his discomfort hidden.
When he finished, he pulled on a pair of loose-fitting brown pants and boots. He lifted his father’s sword from the corner of the room, slid it into its sheath, and slung it over his back.
“It will be nice to get some of my clothes,” Lexi murmured as she finished dressing.
“I like you in the fae attire.” He stopped to admire the way the tunic fit her. “It’s sexy.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips as a blush crept up her neck.
