Have I not provided for my female? Has she been left wanting?
I stand in one swift motion.
‘Come here, my little human,’ I growl, and I watch her eyes heat. ‘Explain.’
She walks across the room slowly and peers up at me. ‘You haven’t come to me, or invited me to your bed since we returned to Halsford,’ she says and it sounds accusing to my ears. ‘None of you have.’
She purses her lips. ‘I despise sleeping alone.’
I draw her close to me, embracing her. ‘I’m sorry. We thought we were doing the right thing. We thought you might be upset, going back to the Dark Realms again, thinking you were stuck there, that you were Fiana’s. We wanted to give you time…’
‘I don’t need time. I need my mates.’
I let out a groan. ‘I promised the others we’d all be together when the time was right.’
Bryn steps back, and begins to unlace the bodice of her dress. ‘The right time is now. It’s their own faults if they aren’t here,’ she states and I can’t help my chuckle.
They’ll likely both be here soon anyway, but I have a plan this time. I’ve been thinking of it for weeks, practically coming in my breeches every time I think about it.
I take her hands to stop her from unlacing any further.
‘Wait.’
Her luminous eyes look up at me in question. ‘You don’t want…?’
‘I do,’ I promise. ‘Gods, I do, but,’ I squeeze her fingers gently. ‘First, there’s something I want to give you.’
I step away and go to the table, uncovering the knives and picking them up, hiding them from her view.
‘I had these made for you.’
I show her the two matching knives.
‘They’ll fit nicely at your thigh,’ I murmur, allowing myself to feel excitement as she gazes upon my gift to her and looks pleased. ‘Locke worked some intricate conjures over them. They’re impossibly sharp but will never cut you, nor anyone you care for. You’ll never be able to lose them, either. They’ll always make their way back to you.’ I shrug. ‘Locke explained how, but I stopped listening after the first few minutes. But I wanted you to have some that were yours and yours alone.’
‘They’re beautiful, Morgan,’ Bryn breathes. ‘I love them.’
She loves them.
She curls her arms around me, squeezing tightly and the euphoria I feel has rarely been matched in my life before.
‘Do you trust me?’ I whisper and I feel her nod. ‘Good. Put the knives on the table.’
She hesitates, looking as if she doesn’t want to part with them even for a moment and I grin. Turning away, I go to the middle of the room where the thick beam of the ceiling goes across, and I feel for the rope I tied there days ago, letting it fall down.
When I turn back to her, she’s giving me a questioning look.
I beckon her and she comes to stand in front of me. ‘What are you?—’
I hush her. ‘Trust, remember?’
She nods and I take her wrists, binding them together loosely with the rope. Her lips part. Her breaths quicken.
‘If we begin and you don’t like anything, you must only say and I’ll stop. I can cut the rope in but a moment,’ I assure her.
She nods a little hesitantly, but lets me draw her arms over her head. I tighten the rope over the beam until her boots are only just on the floor.
Perfect.
