Page 118 of Secrets of Avalon

I pull her closer, pressing my forehead to hers. "I’ll be good as new in just a bit, I promise."

She pulls back slightly, her eyes roaming over my body. "The bite marks," she gasps, her fingers tracing the air above my shoulder where Fen's teeth had torn into my flesh. "They're... healing."

I glance down, watching as the angry red wounds knit themselves closed. The skin pinks, then fades to its normal hue, leaving no trace of the injury.

"It's the ambrosia," I explain, flexing my shoulder experimentally. There's no pain, not even a twinge. "Speeds up our healing time."

Melinda's eyes are wide with wonder. "That's... incredible." Her expression quickly shifts, a flash of anger sparking in their depths. "But it doesn't change the fact that you put yourself in danger. You jumped between me and a raging wolf the size of a pick-up truck, Hawke!"

I take her hands in mine, squeezing gently. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat," I tell her firmly. "You're my mate, Melinda. My soon-to-be wife. Protecting you isn't just instinct, it's my greatest honor."

Her expression softens, a mix of exasperation and love.

I chuckle, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips. "I'll do my best to be more careful," I promise. As I pull back, I catch sight of Fen, huddled against the far wall with an old gray blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

Melinda follows my gaze. "Go to him," she urges softly. "He needs you."

I press a quick kiss to her forehead before standing. My legs are steady as I cross the arena, the ambrosia working its magick with every step.

Fen doesn't look up as I approach, his eyes fixed on the ground. I settle beside him on the wall, close enough that our shoulders almost touch.

"How are you feeling?"

Fen lets out a bitter laugh. "Like I nearly killed my brothers and terrified your mate. So, not great."

I wait, giving him space to continue.

"I'm sorry, Hawke," he says finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "I lost control. I... I think you need to lock me up. I'm a danger to everyone here."

A knot forms in my throat as I remember the fear, the self-loathing, the desperate desire to protect others from myself before Melinda restored my soul. "No, Fen. That's not the answer. I've been where you are, believing isolation was the only way to keep others safe. But it's a prison of fear, not a solution. It will only make the darkness stronger."

He looks up at me, his eyes cloudy with self-loathing and desperate hope. "How can you say that? You saw what I did. I could've hurt Melinda. I hurt Wraith and you."

I lean in, gripping his shoulder. "You are my brother. We’re going to get you through this." I reach into my pocket and pull out a small flask of ambrosia. "But you do need to be drinking this more regularly. I know you’ve been slipping your share to Boaz, thinking you could make do."

He eyes the flask warily. "He needed it more."

"Obviously not as much as you did.”

He takes the flask with a shaky hand. "I don't deserve your faith in me."

I clasp his shoulder, squeezing gently. "You do. And not just mine. Look around, Fen. Everyone is here for you. You’re not alone in this."

A flicker of hope crosses his face.

"Now drink up. We've got a wedding and a coronation to prepare for, and I need my best men at full strength."

Episode 13

CHAPTER 46

Nope, No Sleep For Me

Melinda Mayweather

The soft glow of candlelight flickers across the stone walls of Hawke's chambers—our chambers now, I remind myself. I'm curled against Hawke's chest, his steady heartbeat a soothing rhythm beneath my ear. The events of the day swirl through my mind like leaves caught in an autumn breeze.

"You should rest." Hawke’s fingers trace lazy patterns along my spine. “We have a long day tomorrow."

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