Page 138 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“You are… You certainly have nothing to be ashamed or self-conscious about,” she advised me in all seriousness with raised brows.

“It is not about being ashamed.”

“Then why hide?” she demanded, and I could hardly breathe as her eyes lowered to my exposed chest before tracking down my arms and torso. “You are perfection. You do know that, don’t you?” she asked me.

I was rendered utterly speechless as she shamelessly devoured my body with her eyes in blatant admiration. There was already a delicate flush of heat in her cheeks from the heat of the water, but it darkened as she licked flecks of moisture from her lips. And then her attention shifted higher to her mark on my shoulder, and my cock reacted with a pulse of anticipation.

She was admiring me. Admiring what was…hers.

“I am nothidingmyself, Summer. I am just selective of who I choose to share myself with,” I tried to explain. But it was honestly a wonder I managed to form coherent words at all with the way that she was looking at me.

“So does this mean I’m special?” she asked, her lips curving crookedly.

“You… do not give me much choice, but yes, Summer. Of course, you are,” I assured her.

She seemed surprised and met my eyes as if verifying the truth of my words before she looked quickly away from me. I worried at first that she had seen something in my face of the emotional and physical torment that I was enduring. But then she bit her lip with what seemed more like uncertainty.

“How is your back?” she asked, changing the subject, but I had the sense she was distracted or that there was something else she had wanted to ask me.

“It is healed,” I answered and began to lather my hair which drew her attention again. I could feel her watching me but pretended not to notice by keeping my head tilted up and my eyes closed. But gods, her awareness felt like it was branding every inch of my skin.

“Let me,” she said softly after a moment and began to drift hesitantly closer to me.

“You don’t have to,” I said automatically, and then felt a flicker of regret when she flinched. I’d never seen her so unsure of herself, so hesitant or coy with me, but there was also a stubborn tilt to her head.

“I know that I don’thaveto, but I dowantto. If that is alright with you,” she amended quickly. Her voice was so uncharacteristically timid and soft, but there was also the hint of a fragile hope. The thought that she just wanted to touch me was almost too much for me to bear.

“Alright,” I agreed, lowering my arms. Suds bloomed in the water from off my hands as she moved closer.

She was nervous, I could plainly see it in the thudding of her pulse in her neck, but she was determined. I wasn’t sure why shewanted to do this for me or why it made her so anxious, but I held still for her as she reached up.

Her touch was tentative at first, but she quickly gained confidence, and then each scratch of her nails on my scalp sent a thrill through me that ended in my cock.

As much as I wanted to let her relax me, my blood only continued to heat with every riveting moment she was touching me.

Chapter thirty-eight

A GODDESS OF WRATH

Rian

Istrode through the entrance of my yurt back at the army encampment and hesitated at the sight of Nuala sitting on the floor at the table in front of my couch. Carrick sat across from her with a game ofcártaí,a favoured pastime among our people, between them. I had almost forgotten I still had my childhood board tucked away.

“I can only move two spaces even with themórcard?” Nuala was verifying, and I stayed back to watch them as Carrick explained the constraints to her. My uncle was so patient and kind with her that it made me smile at them.

“Rian,” he greeted, inclining his head when I decided to make my presence known and walked into the room.

Sage had made my apologies, I could tell the hurt from our conflict had lessened in my uncle’s eyes. I needed to make those apologies myself, but it was hard to do when my magic was so closely tied to my emotions. Even just talking to Sage the night before about how I had failed him as a leader had been a risk. My emotions and magic were both so much more volatile than usual.

Nuala did not verbally greet me, but I could tell she was relieved to have me back from her expression. It had taken a lot of reassurance that morning before she seemed comfortable being left alone, and I hadn’t been able to stop myself from worrying about her while I was gone. Knowing Carrick had been keeping her company made me feel immensely better.

“Ornella took a short detour with Sage, but when the dryad returns, it is my hope that she will heal you at least as much as she is able,” I advised the Seer.

“They took a detour?” Carrick asked with concern.

“Worry not. Sage merely wanted to show Ornella the hot springs. I will know if something goes amiss.”

I did not tell him that Sage was utterly closed off to the rest of the Hunt. His mental shields were all up and thick to prevent any transference of information to occur.

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