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“Nicolai had an injury to his leg and was exhausted, but otherwise, he seemed okay. My partner and I helped fight Bates, and then we shifted back. He still seemed fine.” Confusion creases his brow. “It wasn’t until his trial partner turned up and was helping us get him to the lake that he became like this.”
“You’re saying his partner did it.”
“I don’t know that for sure.” No, he’s not going to accuse anyone without proof, but I can tell that’s exactly what he thinks. “He was insistent on helping support Nicolai. I just assumed that he was feeling guilty after doing a vanishing act during the fight. Now, I’m not so sure.”
We knew that others in the trials would be after us, but I hadn’t expected it to be so sneaky and cowardly. Blatant attacks and ambushes, sure, but pretending to help and then poisoning one of us? It makes me physically sick.
I can feel that anger rise again, and the lead healer must too, because he clears his throat and moves over. “Guys, we need space to be able to work on him, and this isn’t going to be a quick process. Go back to the compound and rest.”
I’m shaking my head before he’s even finished talking. “No, I want to stay here.”
“I can’t allow that.” The healer is firm, but I’m stubborn.
I’m about to tell him that I don’t give a flying fuck if he agrees or not, but Joel places his hand on my shoulder.
“Let’s leave them to it, Laelia. You need to rest, and we’ll just get in the way here.” He can tell I’m about to protest, and he raises his brows. “You can’t help him if you’re exhausted. You need to complete these trials, remember? If we fail, we go back to our usual lives with a little less pride. If you fail, you get executed. You can’t risk this, and Nicolai wouldn’t want you to.”
I know he’s right, but it still stings nonetheless. I’ve already let Nicolai down, and I want to be here for him. I can’t do that if I’m dead though. Finally, I let out a tense sigh and place my hand in his outstretched one, leaving Nicolai behind for the second time today.
* * *
The trip back to the compound is torturous. The farther I get from Nicolai, the worse I feel, my guilt eating me alive. I have no idea where Syn or Scott are either, and I’m feeling uneasy about how things were left with both males, overall making me feel like a horrible person.
After what feels like a lifetime, we reach the hotel and Joel walks me back to my room. Neither of us has said a word since we left the healers’ tent, remaining silent as we process everything that’s happened in the last few hours. Unlocking the door to my room, I let us both in, and as soon as the door closes, I wrap my arms around him, sighing contentedly.
“You should get some sleep.” Despite his words, which sound like a dismissal, he holds me, leaning down to kiss my forehead. I hum in pleasure at the thought of snuggling down in a warm bed, but I have other priorities.
“Shower first. I can still feel those creatures from the lake on me.” I shudder as I remember them, with their scratchy hands and sharp teeth. Swimming has always been something I’ve enjoyed, but I don’t think I’ll be jumping into water any time soon.
Joel makes a noise in the back of his throat, his hold on me tightening. “I shouldn’t have been so surprised about the creatures the council put in the arena for us to contend with, not after what they did at the ball, but it still caught me off guard.”
The ball, what an awful night that was. Forced to dress up and parade around in front of all the packs, we were segregated from everyone else and had our own buffet. That, of course, was because half of the food was poisoned. Several competitors died, and the only reason we didn’t was because the goddess warned me. The council gave us no notice. In fact, we were told the first trial would be the following day, so we assumed we were safe.
I very quickly learned my lesson—no one is safe around the council.
Joel has a point though. We know what the council is like, so we need to expect the unexpected, even if that includes creatures that I didn’t even know existed.
Leaning down again, he brushes a kiss over my forehead, but it’s not enough, and I’m craving so much more.
“I’ll see you later.” He sounds reluctant to leave, and despite his words, he makes no move to actually go.
Even so, my bond turns into a whiny bitch. Gripping onto his shirt, I press myself against him. “Don’t go. Stay with me.” Today has been shit, and I want to curl up with my mate and forget about everything for a while.
With a deep breath, he starts to untangle himself from me, but when I glance up at his face, I see how much he doesn’t want to. “You should rest,” he insists. He’s torn between staying and seeing to my needs here, and leaving me so I can rest. We both know what will happen if he stays.
Slowly, I step back from him and lift the cold, wet shirt from my body, exposing my bra. Dropping it to the floor, I keep my eyes locked on his as I hook my fingers in the waistband of my leggings.
“I’ll rest if you stay here with me. In my bed. Naked.”
He growls low in his throat, his mating instincts taking over as he watches me like a predator tracking its prey. I slide the leggings off until I’m standing here in just my underwear, and my skin pebbles with cold.
Joel prowls towards me, his gaze intense as he takes in every inch of my body. The pure hunger and male satisfaction that rolls off him fills me with glee, and my skin flushes from arousal. His body is pure muscle as he moves, the towel draped around him falling from his shoulders until he’s completely naked before me—not that it covered much of him anyway.
He’s gorgeous. While not classically handsome, he’s perfect and made for me by the goddess. Pride flushes through me. This male ismine. Feeling the heat of my gaze, he pauses just inches from me, allowing me to take him in. The scent of arousal fills the air, both mine and his, and it combines into something heady, only stoking my lust even higher.
Dropping my gaze, I see his cock is already hard and ready for me. Well then, I guess he’s made his decision about staying.
A gentle touch on my chin has me lifting my head. This is the only place he touches me, and I realise he’s holding himself back. Once he lets himself go, neither of us will be able to stop.
