Page 93 of A Trial of Fate

“Castor. Out. Now!” Daxton commanded, and without arguing, his brother was gone in an instant.

I watched Daxton closely as he stalked across the room and slid onto the bed next to me. I gulped as he moved closer, his body only breaths away from mine, my heart racing a million miles per second inside my chest as my throat dried and heat flushed the cheeks on my face.

“May I?” he asked, pointing to the half-devoured tray of food, his eyes showing a hint of fiery passion burning in the depths of his storm-gray eyes.

“H-help yourself,” I answered, blushing at the intensity in his eyes that boarded on desire. “I don’t think I can manage another bite.”

Daxton brought a bite of bread and cheese to his mouth, and I felt myself practically swooning as I watched the food pass over his delectable lips. “We don’t have the sense of smell shifters do, but we can detect changes, Spitfire. And—” He stopped. “Spitfire?”

Swaying a little, I grabbed my throbbing head as my vision started to become foggy.Oh no,I thought, unable to sit upright. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion overtook me as I slumped forward, catching myself on the edge of the frame.

“Skylar, are you all right?” Daxton was there in an instant. His strong hands supported my shoulders, helping me lean back againstthe wall. He looked worried; the hunger I swore I saw moments before was quickly replaced with concern.

“Just tired,” I whispered. I couldn’t believe how quickly things had turned. “With my basic needs met and the nerves gone, my body is finally forcing me to rest. This is normal for us, by the way.”

“Normal?”

“When shifters exert too much energy or are severely wounded, our bodies naturally shut down once we feel safe. So we can heal, and survive.”

“I see.” In a silver flash, Daxton fastened the latch on the door and then teleported back to my side. “I’ll take over for now, Spitfire,” he said softly as he pulled the blanket from the floor. He slid in behind me on his bed and tucked me securely into his chest. I was too exhausted to protest, and to be honest, I didn’t want to. I nuzzled into his embrace as he wrapped his strong arms around me, keeping me safe and protected from the world.

Before closing my eyes, I asked my final question for the night, “Can I trust you, Daxton?”

I knew I didn’t have long before my shifter instincts pulled me into a deep sleep. Whenever we were past the point of magical exhaustion or needed to heal a massive wound, we slept until we regained our strength. Shifters couldn’t fight it once the sleep began to set in.

“Yes, you can trust me,” he whispered softly against my brow just before I drifted to sleep. “I trust you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Iswear to the gods, I have never slept so soundly in my entire life.

True, it was partially due to my shifter instincts shutting my body down, but it was also because of the male who held me tight against his chest the entire night. I didn’t want to move. Wrapped in Daxton’s arms, I felt comfortable and protected. I had succumbed to the shifter’s sleep once before, ironically with Gilen. But he was never able to comfort me like this—no one had. Daxton stayed with me throughout the entire night, never once leaving my side or letting me go.

Trust…I trusted him.

I could depend on Daxton, and with so much unknown in my future competing in the trials, I was glad to have him in my corner. At least, I hoped he was. I took in a deep breath and smelled the familiar scent of the cold mountain air with the fresh hint of pine. My animal practically rolled over with delight and contentment.

“Welcome back… again,” Daxton said in a soft voice as he adjusted his arms around me.

I shifted my body, testing the mobility and strength of my limbs, before tilting my head up toward his face. He was so damn handsome it almost took my breath away. I quickly tried to douse the spark of desire from catching, but he wasn’t making it easy. Daxton held a look of pure bliss, resting his right hand behind his head as he turned toward me.

“I hope I wasn’t too much dead weight on your chest all night,” I said, almost immediately regretting it.

Really… Okay, really, Sky? That was the first thing to pop into your head this morning? Not “Thank you for looking after me”?I buried my face into the side of his tattooed chest, praying he was still groggy from being asleep and didn’t catch what I had just said.

“You don’t need to worry,” Daxton huffed, stroking my head to encourage me to unbury my face. His smile was relaxed, just like his gentle touch that continued migrating down my arms as he pulled me closer toward him. “I’m strong enough to hold you through thenight.”

When I was brave enough to look at him, I noticed an openness and vulnerability that hadn’t been there before. It was hard to explain the mesmerized look he was giving me that I couldn’t bear to break away from. I felt drawn to him. Like a rope had tied itself to my chest and was tugging at my center toward Daxton’s.

“What’s that look for?” I asked, tilting my head with a smirk.

His smile widened. “Oh… there is a reason.”

“And that is?” I flipped onto my stomach and propped myself on my elbows. “Care to elaborate or enlighten me?”

Daxton released me and placed his arm that was underneath me behind his head, giving me a playful wink. “Later, if you’re lucky.”

“Great. Now, I will never know. I am one of the most unlucky shifters in this pack. I swear I always get caught in the middle of something.” I flung my hands up as I flopped my head into the sheets.

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