Page 101 of A Dawn Of Blood

I watch her eyes dart to Dryden again. “Why are you looking athim?” I demand as I come to block her view.

It’s an incredulous look she throws me, right before she folds her arms again and motions at the archway. “Alright, that’s enough, you’re going to bed.”

Heat washes over me. “See?” I ask as I get a little closer again. “Bossy.Any other orders you have for me, Aurora? I’m all ears.”

I see color rise to her cheeks, but it’s the embarrassed kind.

What the hell is wrong with me?

There’s a moment of silence before the fae says, “I think we should all call it a day.”

I shoot him an angry look. “Yeah, you do that,” I drawl.

Everyone starts awkwardly getting up, including her. I find myself following her without deciding to do so.

“Good night, everyone,” she says, and without giving me a single glance, she starts making her way to our rooms.

There’s anger in the way she’s marching, but now that idiotic fae is on my mind again and I just can’t help it. “A bargain,” I say when I rush to catch up with her.

She hesitates for a second. “Yes?”

“Get rid of the fae and I’ll owe you a favor.”

I think I see her roll her eyes, again. “You still owe me one from when you let me heal you.”

I come to block her way, taking her wrist in my hand and getting in her face. “Then I’ll owe you two,” I grit out.

I keep looking straight into her eyes, waiting. There’s no end to the things I want from her at this moment — to say yes, to give me a smile, to throw her arms around me…

I get nothing. Just an exasperated look as she pulls her hand out of my grip. “Let me make this as clear as possible. Dryden poses no threat to you whatsoever.” She walks around me, opens the door to my room and says, “You need rest.”

I let her nudge me inside, but I don’t let her close the door. I narrow my eyes at her, suddenly becoming aware of the fact she’s been acting weird all night. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” she says, but there’s this awkwardness in the way she does.

My jaw clenches. “You’re lying.”

“I said go to bed, Cain,” she snaps, only confirming my suspicions. Then she shakes her head, seemingly collecting herself. And there’s tenderness in her voice when she says, “Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She closes the door and leaves me standing there, my mind reeling.

As if in a haze, I walk over to the door connecting our rooms, placing my palm on its surface.

There’s definitely something bothering her. It’s clear as day.

And the restlessness this change in her mood makes me feel is infuriating to say the least, but I still fail to indulge it.

Chapter 71

Iclose the door behind me and just remain standing there for a moment.

Great. It’s all so fucking great. He finally starts relaxing a little, and it’s inthesecircumstances that he does, I bitch to myself as I start taking my uniform off.

But I only manage to unbutton the first couple of buttons before I hear a knock on the door connecting our rooms.

The sound is so unexpected, I just freeze and remain frozen in place.

He doesn’t wait for an answer. He opens the door and walks inside, his eyes sucking me in as he stalks over to me. “You’re angry with me,” he says when he comes to a stop right in front of me.

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