Page 81 of Season Warriors & Wolves

“He was being too rough and you know it.”

“He is always like that.”

“No, no he is not.”

“Kil. He is,” she said, pointing under her elbow, the finger shaking. “I had a big gash here, remember? I was about seventeen and he gave me a playful shove while I was standing next to an alcove. Tumbled for a good solid minute down the cliff.”

“Then by right I ought to punch him again.”

She bit her smile down. “Alright, horses down, big boy.”

“Snow,” I said, cradling her face in my hands. “Whatever it is that you are doing, stop it.”

Silent again. So silent.

If she wanted me to say it for her I would. “It won’t fix what he thinks you broke, Snow. Not his trust in you. Not the promise you gave him. It will not take away that he almost lost you. Whatever you let him do to you. Whatever punishment you want from him or Alaric. You are not deserving of any of that. Tell me that you know it.”

She swallowed and tore her eyes away from mine.

“Deny it,” I said. Lying would be better than nothing. Better than this silence.

Her lips parted, but nothing came out. Silent again. When had she ever been this silent? Not when I was her enemy. Not when she had hated me. Not after she’d told me she loved me. Never.

“Leave,” I said to Caiden. “There is something I need to talk about with my wife.”

Snow did not turn to look at her friend lazily descending the training courts and leave. She didn’t look at me either.

I rested my lips against her temple. “Why are you keeping me from here? Do you…do you not trust me anymore?”

Her head whipped back and her eyes shot wide. “Kil, no.”

“My queen,” Visha called, and Snow’s attention went to her. “Might I see you for a moment?”

“She’ll come to you in a second, Visha. After she tells me at least one truth.”

Snow got to her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on my lips. “I trust you. I do not trust myself.”

She slipped from my hands just like that, rushing to drag Visha away.

I didn't think twice, I faded to where Caiden was, following after him while he manoeuvred through the city and took a seat inside a tavern.

“I’ll tell you what you want to know,” he answered before I even asked. “Sit. I can’t have this conversation starving.”

“You’d go against her word.”

“Yes, if she had asked me to keep it a secret. But she hasn’t.”

“So, you’ll just tell me to spite her.”

He sneered, breaking some bread sticks in half probably wishing it was my neck. “I’ll tell you because you’re the only person who can seem to get through her head.”

I took a seat. “Speak then.”

“She thinks she has forgotten.”

“Forgotten what?”

“Pain. She says it doesn’t bother her and that she doesn’t notice much of it anymore. She fears that she might be hurt, but wouldn’t notice if she really is hurt or just imagining it. It is all in her head, Kilian. I know it. I think she just wants to be treated normal again. Treated as a normal human being.”