Page 76 of Feathers and Thorns

“I suggest you leave before this escalates.”

The deep tenor of his voice caused goosebumps to ripple over Soren’s skin. It took a moment before her shock let her mouth respond. She swallowed back the lump of fear that had made a home in her esophagus and finally spoke.

“Rook, what the hell are you doing in my tent?”

* * *

Rook lowered his blade as Soren’s voice carried through the short distance between them. “Little bird?” he replied in confusion. “This is my tent.”

Soren scoffed loudly, and he imagined she was putting her hands on her hips as she responded with, “You scared the shit out of me.” He could hear her voice wavering as her breathing sped up. The panic behind her words was clear. “I thought … I thought …” She began sucking in breaths.

He reached for her in the dark. “Soren, you need to breathe.”

“I … I can’t.”

Rook caught her just as her knees buckled and she fell to the floor of the tent, her hands wrapping around her knees, forming a cage between them.

He shuffled around so he was behind her. With legs on either side of her shaking form, he pulled her back against his chest and kissed the back of her head before resting his cheek on her shoulder so he could whisper against the shell of her ear, “Breathe with me.” He inhaled slowly, letting her feel his chest rise against her back, and when she sucked in a haggard breath, he said, “Good. Now out,” then continued to exhale at the same pace.

She shuddered against him, and he could hear her let out a trembling breath.

“I’m here, little bird. I’m not going anywhere.”

She nodded in understanding, trying to get her heart rate under control.

He did not know how long they sat like that. He could feel her hot tears as they slid from her face to rest on his bare arms. After a while, the tears stopped, and her breathing evened out enough for her to choke out, “Water.”

Rook reached for his canteen and offered it to her.

She took it gratefully. The water cooled the frayed edges of her mind, washing away the rest of the panic.

He was kneeling before her now and brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “Come, little bird; let’s get you to bed.”

* * *

Soren’s eyes adjusted to the dark space enough to make out Rook’s bare chest in front of her. She took another swig of water before closing the canteen and setting it aside. She let him pull her to her feet then brushed her hands down her arms. She hadn’t had a panic attack in front of him since the first day they had met. She felt stupid and weak.

He brought her over to the cot and coaxed her to sit. One by one, he undid the laces of her boots and pulled them off, followed by her socks. If the circumstances were different, she would have shrugged him off, but the anxiety attack had lowered her defenses.

She watched with wide eyes as his deft fingers undid the corset ties on her vest. He set the material aside then gestured for her to lay back. Her tunic had lifted, and the skin below her navel heated as his knuckles brushed against it before he undid the button on her leather training pants. He slid them down her thighs at an agonizing pace, leaving soft kisses in their wake. Then he folded her bottoms, placed them beside her vest at the foot of the bed, and stood to put his tunic back on.

“What are you doing?” she asked then followed up with, “Did you want to?” Her hands gestured to her half-undressed body.

Rook bit down on his lip to remind himself that it was not the time for sexual advances.

“As tempting as that is, I thought it best if you got some rest.” He began pulling his boots on over his bare feet.

Soren sat up, her chest tightening. “Please,” she said, struggling to articulate. Her next words were so soft, but they penetrated his heart with the strength of a thousand daggers. “Please, don’t go.”

He continued his steps in reverse, removing his boots then his tunic before scooting onto the cot beside her. She had turned toward the side of the tent so he could mold his body to hers.

“Thank you,” she replied, nuzzling back into him, relishing in the heat that always seemed to radiate from his athletic frame.

“Do you want to talk about what just happened?”

“Ask me tomorrow.”

“As you wish, little bird,” he replied, allowing himself to bask in the lavender scent that drifted off her skin. Three days at sea, and she still somehow smelled just as he remembered.

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