She raises a dark brow as I hand her the tea.
“This brew will kill any lingering infection and help with the pain. It will also aid you in sleeping.”
Her small fingers wrap around the chipped mug as she bites her lip.
“Thank you for everything, but I really should be heading back tonight.” Her golden eyes bore into mine. “That is if you agree to grant us an extension on the tithe.”
“You are in no position to return to Dew Hollow.” She opens her mouth, but I silence her with a hand. “Take my bed. I’ll sleep out here.”
I look expectantly toward the mug. Once Bloom realizes I won’t be wavering on my decree, she begins to sip the elixir. Between it and the fading tendrils of magic I possess, her ankle will be healed in no time.
She will be free to return to Dew Hollow, and I’ll never see her again.
The thought steals my breath. A primal part of me demands she stays forever, but what right do I have to wish for such an outcome? She will be glad to be rid of me come morning when her ankle is fixed.
Once she sets her empty cup down, I travel towards the cupboards and pull out a piece of white fabric.
“Sleep in this and leave your clothes outside the door. I’ll wash them before you leave in the morning.”
Her fingers brush against mine as she takes the cotton shift. It belonged to my mother. It’s the only suitable thing I have for a woman.
Bloom rises, testing the weight on her injured ankle. Her smile is glorious. She is aptly named for she is more lovely than a blooming flower in the morning sun.
“Thank you, Lord Rhydian.”
“Just Rhydian, please. Bedroom is through there.”
I point to the tucked-away room next to the kitchen. Bloom nods and walks slowly over to the door. She pauses with her hand on the knob. Looking at me over her shoulder, I bask in the warmth of her stare, knowing it will be gone soon.
“You’re not half as scary as everyone says.”
Once more, her words make little sense.
Beyond the sparse groups of farmers I’ve scared off twice in the last twenty years, Bloom is the first human from Dew Hollow I’ve ever spoken to. The last human I saw twenty-seven years ago had cut down my father, hadn’t been from there.
My father had been more available to the villagers, but they had still been wary enough to keep their distance.
How any of the villagers of Dew Hollow could have an opinion on me is beyond my understanding. Surely they were just tales being woven about the mysterious beast lurking deep inthe Woods.
Stories to keep misbehaving children in line, or else the minotaur would swallow them whole. Or whatever ridiculous tale they had chosen to weave around my reclusive existence. At least once Bloom returns, she could assure them I was every bit the hideous monster they believed me to be.
Only maybe not as terrifying.
As I watch her slip into the bedroom, I hold my breath and listen closely. There is a soft rustling of fabric before her stained dress and corset slip through the slight crack in the door. The lock turns sharply as I hear her pad towards the bed.
To know Bloom is sleeping amongst my sheets and pillows, a few feet away, makes desire pump thickly through my blood.There is stirring in my pants I’m unfamiliar with. Longing yawns open in my stomach.
It was foolish for her to come here, and yet I can’t help but be grateful for her bravery. She made the journey to save her father. I’d never want harm to come to her, but her injuries had led her straight to me.
They were the reason she was snoring softly in my bed, leaving her delicious scent all over my home.
I glance at her pile of clothes and vow to contend with them later. My fingers itch to crush them to my snout and savor her rich scent from the threads of fabric.
I turn away and fall onto the thin loveseat. The cushioning is not what it once was. The wooden frame presses into my back, and my feet hang over the side.
Sleep will not come easy tonight. I dread every moment from now until dawn, knowing that when the sun rises it will take Bloom with it.
4
