Page 111 of Until the Stars Fall

CHAPTER 53

Connor

After the attack in Linley, I refused to take any chances, so I instructed Matthias to again reserve a single room for Lieke and me in Fairden. He teased me briefly, as expected, but her safety was worth enduring his juvenile remarks. We departed early in the morning and rode hard without stopping. When we arrived, I expected Lieke to collapse from exhaustion. Instead, she lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I didn’t comment on her shallow breathing or trilling pulse. To be honest, I didn’t know what to say or how to help—or if I even could help.

As I had done before, I moved to gather a pillow and some extra blankets from the bed, but I stopped when she shifted her head toward me.

“Connor?”

“Yes, Sapphire?” I replied, trying to guess what she might request this time.

“Would you stay with me?” Her question came out barely above a whisper, and her lashes began to glisten with the first hint of tears. My heart thumped unevenly, and I was glad she couldn’t hear it as I could hers. I swallowed hard, wrestling between my innate need to help her and the desperate desire to keep things professional between us.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I said gently. She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and nodded quickly as she resumed staring at the ceiling above her. I dropped the blankets and pillow back onto the bed and came around to sit beside her outstretched legs. Reaching for her would most definitely cross the line, so I threaded my fingers together and leaned forward, resting my forearms on my legs.

“What is it, Lieke?” She shot me a puzzled frown as if I had just sprouted a third eye, and I had to admit it was a rather ridiculous question. The attack last night wasn’t the first time she’d ever been in danger, but I’d never seen her struggle this much. “This isn’t like you.”

“We haven’t always shared a room, Wolfie,” she said, closing her eyes.

For some reason, guilt pricked my heart, as if I had failed her somehow by not being there for her. I gritted my teeth, frustrated with this stars-damned sense of duty I’d inherited. I wasn’t her keeper! I wasn’t her savior!

Aren’t you though?My thoughts taunted me, and a low growl rumbled in my throat.

Her eyes flew open, finding mine.

“Sorry, Sapphire. What helped in the past? Aside from having a prince sleep beside you?” I intended the last question as a joke, realizing only too late how awkward it sounded.

She didn’t seem to notice, though, and shrugged. “Time, I suppose. Eventually it becomes easier to close my eyes, but the nightmares never truly stop.”

We didn’t exactly have time on our side here, with five more villages to visit over the next week. My eyes shifted to the space beside her on the bed, but I couldn’t do it. Here I was, commander of armies, a seasoned warrior, and the crown prince of Emeryn, and I was too nervous to sleep next to a human for a few nights.

“Would it help if you shifted?” Lieke asked. I cringed, and her brows knitted together. “Do you dislike shifting? Or are you truly that averse to being so close to me?”

Both.

But I couldn’t say that aloud, so I offered her a half-truth instead. “It’s not the most comfortable to be in that form, so I don’t do it often.”

Her lips curled into a small, obviously forced smile. “Yet you’ve done it to save me. More than once.”

I waited for her to ask the obvious question—why? But she never did. I explained regardless. “Actually, the first time I did, I was needing to find Brennan quickly, and my senses are enhanced when I shift.”

She lifted her chin slowly. “Ah, I see. So, it isn’t always for me.”

“To be fair, you’ve only been around for a small part of my life, and I did shift now and then before we met.”

Lieke looked back to the ceiling and remained quiet for a long time, but I had no idea what to say or do. If we were to have any chance at success on this tour, I needed her rested and alert. But I also needed to maintain certain boundaries.

Which was worse? Sleeping beside her as myself or as my hound?

I hated this, but I couldn’t sit here all night debating it either.

Heaving a rough sigh, I stood up and padded my way to the other side of the bed. Then I glanced over my shoulder, checking to make sure she wasn’t watching. I hated doing this with an audience. Not that it was embarrassing at all, but the process was uncomfortable enough as it was. Having someone’s eyes on me only made it worse.

Closing my eyes, I located the thread of magic in my mind and snagged it, then stretched out my shoulders and tossed my head as I shifted into my hound form. When I turned back to Lieke, I found her staring at me with her mouth hanging slack. Rolling my eyes, I dropped my head to the side.

She didn’t say anything as I jumped up. Staying at the foot of the bed, I lowered onto my belly and curled up to go to sleep. Through slitted eyes, I watched her lie back down and turn onto her side to face me.

“Good night, Wolfie,” she whispered.

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