Page 74 of A Trial of Fate

Castor lunged forward and managed to tackle Daxton onto the ground. The males exchanged blows, wrestling on the grass, neither yielding to give the other one the upper hand. Castor gave a combo knee to the inner groin and elbow to the face to force Daxton to release his death grip around his neck.

Daxton grunted and folded over. “Low blow.”

“Quite literally, no?” Castor raised to his hands and knees, panting with exhaustion. “You have a death wish today or something, Dax?” he rasped as he spat blood onto the grass. “Again, I must ask… What the fuck has gotten into you today?”

Daxton stood, readying himself to begin again. “Don’t tell me you’re scared to go another round?”

“With how you are acting right now? Yes. Absolutely, I am. You have a look of death in your eyes that has been there since last night and hasn’t gone away despite me kicking your ass all morning.”

“I believe I am the one still standing… SoIam the one who has successfully completed the ass-kicking,” Daxton countered.

Hmm, clever, and also, from the looks of it, very accurate.

The breeze shifted, changing directions in the field, and the males suddenly tensed and stopped. That was definitely my cue to leave. I quietly sank back into the brush and dashed through the trees back toward the bathhouse.

The smoke was rising from the outdoor hearth, and steam began to steadily build. I grabbed the long poker to move the heated river rocks to the sauna and dripped cold water onto the hot stones. Steam jetted upward, and I sealed off the opening.

I was so looking forward to this, hoping it would be just what I needed to wash away the memories from last night.

Standing up, I turned around and walked toward the entrance. Rounding the corner, I was suddenly stopped as I ran into a solid wall of muscle that appeared out of nowhere.

“Ugghh,” I grunted as I bounced off the firm bare chest of none other than Daxton himself. “What are you doing here?” I asked as I awkwardly staggered back, trying to recover my footing. I couldn’t help the heat rising in my cheeks and boldly stared at the High Fae. I was taller than most females and some of the males in my pack, buthe still had a good head of height over me.

Daxton was utterly silent.

I cocked my hip and rested a hand on my side while I furrowed my brow. “Okay, look, I don’t have time to figure out what you are doing. Trust me. I’m not in the mood for games.”

“Are you all right?” Daxton asked.

“I-I’ve had better nights,” I admitted, giving him a perplexed look, crossing my arms around my middle.

He took note of my posture, and his expression altered into one of concern. “What happened?” His stare bore into me after he quickly scanned me from head to toe, looking for any sign of injury.

I shifted, hugging myself as I fidgeted with my feet. “I… I don’t feel like talking about it.”

“It looks like you have been out in the woods all night.” Daxton’s eyes hardened as his nostrils flared. The muscles in his shoulders and chest tensed as he turned away from me. If I didn’t know any better, it looked like he was revving up for another fight.

I cautiously took a step back. “I was—” I began as he snapped his cold eyes up to meet mine. For a moment, my words froze on the tip of my lips, swallowed whole by the intensity of his stare. “A night sleeping alone on the forest floor doesn’t always lead to the best mornings. I came here to clean up before meeting with Latte for my last check-up.”

Daxton relaxed his clenched fists, softening the muscles along his square jawline, and reached up to scratch the corner of his trimmed bearded chin. “You were alone?” He seemed genuinely surprised, perhaps even, dare I say, grateful?

“Yes.” That was a strange question for him to ask, I thought. “Why does that matter?”

“Because… I can smell another male’s scent on you.”

Shit. I didn’t anticipate running into anyone before I had a chance to clean up. If Daxton could smell Gilen’s scent on me, I knew the others would, too.

“Like I said… I don’t want to talk about it.” I tilted my head at him, confused by his reaction. Daxton seemed conflicted but also somewhat relieved to hear I had spent the night alone in the woods. What was he getting at? Why did it matter to him that I was alone or with someone else?

I rolled my eyes and lightly shook my head. “Look, I need to clean up, so if you would kindly move aside?”

To my surprise, Daxton smiled. An honest, truthful smile thatshone like the rays of dawn, sporting twin dimples below the ridge of his high cheekbones. I fought the urge to reach up and cup his face in my hands to trace my fingertips over those marks I knew rarely saw the light of day.

My stomach dropped as he dipped his chin and pivoted off his foot to turn away from me. I suddenly regretted asking him to move, but that regret quickly changed to outrage.

Daxton marched right up to the bathhouse door, grabbed the handle, and went inside.

“Excuse me,Princey!” I yelled, pounding my fist on the door. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

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