Page 49 of Vows Forged in Blood

I assumed as much, but wasn’t sure quite how strong the bond had gotten on her end. She could sense my presence, it appeared, but could she sense my emotions?Gods I hope not.

We simply stare for a long moment, and too many things seem to be passing between us. Tension, fear, uncertainty…desire. I clear my throat, knowing I’ll have to get used to this and find a way to put it from my mind if this is going to work. She seems a bit unsure on what to do now, fiddling with the ring she always wears on her right index finger.

“I’ll…go. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“No, that’s alright.” I take a deep breath. “Stay.” I deliberately try to make sure the word isn’t a command. I want it to be aninvitation. She blinks in surprise and her pulse beats wildly at her throat. She studies me for a long minute and I realize I’m holding my fucking breath waiting for her to decide, but she finally nods.

“Alright then.” She makes her way towards the couch and I try to keep my eyes from dipping to her throat and lower. I fail, of course, and nearly growl at the sight of her nightgown. It’s thin silk, the color of a cloudless sky, with delicate lace lining the material that dips in a low V between her breasts. Again, the silk leaves so little to the imagination that I clench my fists at my sides, my nails digging deep furrows in my palms, blood pooling. I cross the room to pour a drink and wipe the blood away before she notices.

“Would you like a drink?” I turn and she quirks a brow, staring pointedly at the glass in my hand.

“I think I’ve had quite enough blood, thank you very much.”

My lips quirk ever so slightly.

“I have plain whisky.Sansblood.”

“Oh, then yes, please.” I pour another glass for her and cross back to the sofa. I hand her drink over and we both stand there awkwardly for a moment before she seems to shrug off the strange situation and settles onto the couch, pulling her feet up beneath her and pulling her robe closed. I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.

“It is quite late, are you not tired?”

“I…haven’t been sleeping well.” After a moment she adds softly, “Nightmares.”

I want to kick myself. Of course she’s having trouble sleeping. She was attacked by creatures that strike fear into the hearts of even some of my most hardened soldiers. I should have foreseen the nightmares and done…something. I haven’t a fuck all idea of what, but I should have found a way to help her. Instead, I left. Again.Fuck. I know this is my job, myduty, but leaving her is becoming harder and harder to bear. How the fuck am I supposed to be the High General when I can barely stand to leave my mate behind? I take a long drink, knowing that I’ll have no answers tonight, so I try to push the thoughts away. I want to focus on this moment, this hopeful start to something real with Dahlia.

“I’m sorry,” I say, wishing she could possibly understand how much I mean the words. My duty might be to protect Braxhlem, but it’s also to protect my mate from anything and everything, even from things as intangible as nightmares.

“It isn’t your fault,” she says, taking another sip of her drink.But it is, I think.All of it.

“And how is your training going then?”

“The last two weeks have been…what is the opposite of fun? They’ve been whatever that is.” I hide my smile behind my glass as I take another sip of my drink. “But I’m going to start learning actual weapons and fighting tomorrow. I was hoping that meant no more early morning exercise sessions, but I’ve been assuredthose will continue and weapons and fighting will be in the afternoon.” She rolls her eyes.

I laugh lightly and she smiles.

“You don’t enjoy rising before the sun, I take it?”

“I believeloathe entirelyis a more accurate statement of my feelings on the matter…but I’ll admit that I already feel stronger for it.” She takes another drink and we slip into another somewhat awkward silence.

“You come here to read then? To distract yourself from sleeping?”

“How did you know…?” Her brow furrows.

“Your scent is all over the room,” I say lightly, though it had hit me like a battering ram when I’d first entered. It was everywhere, surrounding me, and it was like coming home and the most exquisite torture all rolled up together.

“Oh. Right, of course,” she says, shaking her head. “I, uh, hope that’s alright?”

“This is as much your study as it is mine now.” She holds my gaze and I get the feeling that she’s trying to stare right to the heart of me, to break down every wall and defense I have and strip me bare before her.

“Something’s changed,” she finally says and my heart stutters in my chest. She can’t possibly know the truth…can she?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she says, twisting on the couch so that she’s facing me. I don’t even notice how the movement makes her robe and nightgown ride up, baring her thigh, the soft, smooth skin...No. I don’t notice it at fucking all.Control, control, control, I chant, calming myself. “That you avoided me for months and months, and now you aren’t. Something had to have changed.”

“I…” How the fuck to answer this? I don’t want to lie. I can’t tell her the truth. Not the whole truth anyway, but perhaps a portion of it. “I tried to handle the situation as other princeswould have, keeping our lives separated, but as I told you before—I’m not like other princes. So, I don’t want to handle this situation as they would.”

“And that means…?”

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