Page 74 of Ever Dark

“I know that I loveyou, Nox,” I murmur as he coaxes me back to sleep. I feel safe in his strong arms.

“Shhh, sleep.”

Panic fills my chest when I open my eyes. I’m in a room I’ve never seen before. In someone else’s bed. Where the fuck am I?

My throat burns. Fuck. I can barely swallow. I turn my head, and my stomach knots. I shrink back against the pillows.

“You’re awake. Good.” Draven lounges in a chair next to the bed.

The scent of honey wafts up my nose. It’s sweet but stings to breathe in. “Did it all burn?” I rasp.

He blows out a deep breath, his brow furrowed at me. “No. My driver spent all night hosing it down. No thanks to you.”

Fuck. I went too far.He makes me this way. All I see is red every time I’m around him.

“You saved me. Why?” I’m under no assumption that he still doesn’t want to kill me, but he could have left me for dead in the fields last night.

His eyes darken. “I don’t know.”

“Thank you.” There’s something he’s not telling me. He’s holding back.

He unbuttons his shirt and takes it off. The quiet rage coming off him is palpable. “You do not get to decide when you die. I do.” He unzips his pants and steps out of them. “You almost fucking died last night because of your impulsivity.”

I’m too weak to argue. And I know he’s right. For once, I agree with him. But the way he undresses is stirring an ache in my core. “What are you doing?”

He gently climbs on top of me, careful not to put his weight on my fragile frame. “You have no idea how fucking terrified I was. To see you choking on the ground, desperate for breath. I hate you for making me feel that way.”

Fuck. He does feel something more for me. “I’m sorry,” I murmur.

He gazes at my lips. “Don’t you ever put yourself in harm’s way like that again.”

I tilt my head closer to his. “I won’t.”

He pulls back the sheet to get underneath it. The heat from his body sends a spark straight to my belly. “Are you warm enough now? You’ve been shivering all night.”

I nod, not trusting my voice.

“Good.” He shifts more of his body weight onto me. I whimper as his cock twitches against my panties. He boxes me in with his arms, one resting on either side of me.

“You did more than save me. You took care of me and watched me sleep all night.” I part my legs so he can settle in closer.

He slowly shifts his hips up and presses his length against me. “I did.”

We are locked in now, holding eye contact like our lives depend on it. “Tell me how. What did you do?”

He places his hand on my chest. “I applied an ointment here.” My breath hitches as he grips my throat. “And here.”

I bite back a moan when he rolls his hips again, putting more pressure on my aching nub. “What else?”

He slides his hand up my jaw and drags his thumb across my lips. “I made you drink the antidote. The one we created for you just in case…”

Fuck.My panties are soaked.

I lick his thumb, my lips quivering. “Let me show you how grateful I am, Slick.”

A low growl rumbles from his chest into his throat. “You need to know something… I’m half-nightmare, Mia.”

I let his words sink in. The weight behind him. But I’m not surprised. It’s been staring me in the face this whole time. Deep down, I think I knew that about him. I sensed it. It’s why we are drawn to each other’s darkness.

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