Page 113 of Dark Fey Captive

“No,” Nav said.

“No to the grey or the fish?” Rita asked.

“I’m grey all over, and I like to eat fish uncooked.”

Rita grinned at Tori. Ignoring her mom, Tori handed the fish to Nav.

“There’s a chance you can get parasites if it’s not cooked.”

“I will be fine,” he said.

She didn’t look convinced as she sat down.

“So, about the houses,” Evi said. “Will they eventually have power and heat?”

“Yes,” Nav said. “And running water. But the cities will not have water for long. The towers will run out. It would be better to find another location before then, where the houses have their own wells.”

“Do you have a location in mind?” Gwen asked. Although she kept the suspicion from her voice, I knew she was thinking it was a setup.

“No,” Nav said. “I’m not familiar with the area, but Arena has a book of maps that might help.”

I grinned at Gwen and gave in to the urge to wrap my arm around his waist.

“Yes, ladies, he’s as irresistibly huggable as he seems.”

He glanced at me as he swallowed his bite of fish, and I noticed the darker circles under his eyes.

“And I think we’re going to take the rest of this meal to go,” I said. “We’ll see everyone in the morning.”

They were quiet as we left the hut. Nav finished the fish before we reached the outhouse, and I showed him where the sink was to wash. My toes and nose were cold by the time we were back in my hut, and I was quick to kick off my boots and climb into bed with him.

His hands rubbed my arms and back as I tucked my cold face against his warm chest.

“They’re afraid of me,” he said after a moment.

“They don’t know you,” I said. “It’s pretty common for people to fear what they don’t know. Give them a few days, and they’ll warm up to you.”

“Do you think they will let me stay here?”

“Do you want to?”

“I want to stay with you.”

“Me too. But if I had to choose between staying here without you or staying with you in Ashland, I’d pick Ashland every time.”

“Because you choose me or because you choose the house with the fireplace and the working shower and the supplies?”

I tipped my head back to meet his gaze.

“Because I choose you. Without hesitation. Without fear. To be clear, I’m willing, Nav. Very, very willing.”

His pupils started to dilate.

“Nope. None of that. I’m not putting myself in a position where I have to explain to Tori how you ripped your stitches. Go to sleep. When your stitches are out, we can have some fun time again.”

He let out an aggrieved sigh and kissed my forehead.

EPILOGUE