Page 13 of Maleen

A small sob breaks the silence and I stand rashly, almost knocking over my chair when I hear it again and realize my Little Warrior is crying in her sleep. My chest seizes and my blood turns to ice. Do I wake her? What’s the protocol here?

Feathers rustle again and Nero tilts his head as if he’s saying “What the Fates are you doing just standing there? Are you really scared of some tears?”

My fingers squeeze and my blunt nails dig into the meaty part of my palm as I debate what to do. Maybe she would want one of her friends?

Another sob rents my heart and I’m moving before I even realize what I’m doing. I crawl into the bed and pull her to me, wrapping her in my arms and holding her tight.

“Kill?” She mutters sleepily.

“Shh, sleep Little Warrior, I have you,” I whisper, and her flesh burns my skin, but not in the normal way—in a way that sets our bond alight.

Within moments she’s passed back out, curling into me, and it’s everything I could have dreamed of. A relapse if you will. I’ll treasure this night—not the tears, but the way she feels in my arms and how her breath skitters across my neck.

This is dangerous and I know I can’t risk falling asleep, but I can’t seem to pull away. It’s like the bond has pulled taut, anchoring me to her. So I’ll hold her until the sun comes up. I’ll live the dream of us being true mates for this one night and then never again.

A tear slips down my face, shocking me, but I hold on to this, letting myself feel the hope for us until I need to lock it away again. After all, it’s safer for both of us that way.

CHAPTER SEVEN

ILET OUT A GROAN thick with sleep… Waking up feels hard this morning. Wait. Morning? I was only supposed to be out for a nap, not all day and night! My arms fling out on either side of me to an empty bed. I swear… No, it must have been a dream. Killian would never crawl into bed and hold me. He’s made his stance on our bond clear, no matter how much I wish he could change his mind. One day he will realize he won’t hurt me, but for now, I’ll be supportive. Well, as supportive as I can be—it hurts the bond when he denies us, and there’s only so much of that I can take, but I understand his reasoning.

Ugh.

It’s too early for such serious thoughts.

My hands brush the bed beside me, the sheets cool to the touch. I swear though, it felt so real.

Nero hops off his perch and lands beside me. “That’s because the cranky brute was here last night. Sat right there in the chair staring at you like Jesper does right before he devours you. That is until you started crying in your sleep. The panic on his face was almost comical. He left when the sun rose.”

I blink at him. “I’m sorry, what?”

He sighs, leaning down into my face. “Big fae. Big muscles. Long braided hair. Cranky. Ringing any bells? He was here with you; it wasn’t a dream.”

I sit straight up, almost knocking over Nero in the process as a warm fluttering feeling takes root in my stomach. Maybe there is hope for us.

Before I can dig myself a mental thought hole, Jesper comes barreling through my door and I instantly open my thoughts up to him, something that has become second nature when it’s just the two of us.

He tackles me into the bed and pouts. “I see Killian has got you all worked up. I would take care of it for you, but it’s almost noon and Aemon has called a meeting in the war room. I figured you’d want to be there for that?”

“Noon? Why in the void did I sleep so long? Why did all of you let me sleep so long?” I panic as I struggle to untangle myself from the sheets to get ready. And why in the Fates do I still feel so exhausted, like it’s seeped into my bones and won’t release me from its grasp? It’s probably just because I slept for so long.

Jesper stops me, kissing the tip of my nose. “You’ve been pushing yourself hard. You clearly needed the rest. I’m sure you’ll be back to yourself in no time.”

My body leans into him, seeking his comfort. “You’re probably right,” I sigh. “Okay, let me finish getting ready and then we can figure out the plan.”

He leans down, stealing a kiss before leaning against the pillar of my bedpost, gesturing for me to continue getting dressed.

I try to suppress a smirk but my lips twitch as I strip myself bare, slowly, tantalizingly, until his eyes are so dark with lust that I swear I’m moments away from him devouring me like I’m the last meal he’ll ever have.

His thoughts bleed through the bond. “Fucking Fates. Aemon won’t care if we are late… right? No, Jesper. Keep. It. Together. War. Dying fae. Boobs. FUCK. Think of Killian’s hairy ass… hairy ass… hairy… ass. Fuck her ass is so fine. I just want to bite it. NO! Bad, Jesper. Just one little taste won’t hurt…”

Nero’s caw mimics laughter. “As entertaining as it is to listen to his unhinged thoughts about your body, we should really get going.”

I pout at him for spoiling my fun, but he’s right. So to put Jesper out of his favorite kind of misery, I throw on a tunic and leggings before attaching my blade to my waist. I’m not going anywhere without that. The purple gem on the hilt glints in the sunlight and it reminds me.

I scoop up the necklace and place it into my pocket.

“What are you doing?” Jesper asks as he rearranges his cock, probably so it makes it easier for him to walk.