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“You know what I desire.”
His breath catches as if he’s choked by unspoken words, but he won’t say anything. He won’t even look me in the eye. Instead, he focuses on taking the rabbit from the fire. He carves the golden-brown meat with his dagger and hands me a piece. I’m unable to resist the mouthwatering aroma.
God, it’s delicious. I was starving and I didn’t even know it.
“You’re a good cook,” I say.
He arches an eyebrow. “Am I?” He gives me another sliver of meat.
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“I’m not used to compliments.”
“You’re a good lover. Though you don’t have to believe the word of a virgin.”
“I’m an incubus.” He shrugs, pretending not to care, though he can’t hide the smirk shadowing his mouth. “That’s a given.”
“You’renotgood at humility.”
His smirk widens.
Deliberately, I take the rest of the rabbit from him and tear into it with my teeth. While I lick my fingers, he watches me.
“Rook, are you bribing me with food?”
He snorts. “Bribing?”
“This isn’t the first time you’ve hunted and cooked for me.” My traitorous stomach flutters. “I can’t help thinking of dragon courtship.”
He polishes his dagger, then watches the reflected flames in the steel. “You needed someone to take care of you.”
“No man has ever cared for me.”
“You’re welcome.”
He’s so gruff, he makes me smile. He can’t hide how sweet he’s being.
Shivering, I sit closer to the fire. “I didn’t think my first heat would be this intense. Deep in my bones, every instinct is screaming at me to find my mate and claim him.”
Him. He’s your mate.
Rook glances at me. “It will pass.”
Once he claims you in return.
“Is this nothing but a fever dream?”
“Undoubtedly, since you weren’t like this before. You were perfectly content to hoard gold in your cave, kill dragonslayers, and torch the occasional village.” He arches an eyebrow. “Am I wrong?”
“I wasn’t content. I was lonely.”
That’s an understatement. It does nothing to describe the hollow wound with ragged edges inside me, or how much it hurts to think of being so alone forever. Sorrow cuts deeper than any blade.
“Will you return?” he asks.
“To my cave? I don’t want bandits stealing all my treasure. But I don’t know if I can ever go home after what happened.”
“Remember the enchantment.”
