Page 59 of A Soul to Guide

“Do what you want. I’ve decided to buy some things before all the stalls close. I’ll also see if this inn offers warm food.”

Raewyn shined an appreciative smile at him. “I would adore a bath, a warm meal, and a good sleep. Thank you, Merikh.”

With a grunt, he stepped out.

Raewyn’s chest felt lighter as she turned back to the tub, pushing her hood back. She unclipped her dust-covered cloak from her neck.

Her exhaustion could wait until after she was clean to pull her under.

Forced to bend forward to clear his massive height and imposing horns, Merikh stood next to the two double beds pushed together and stared down at the pretty Elf while she slept.

She hadn’t finished bathing when he’d returned. He’d opened the door while she was in the tub and running the bristles of a comb through a long sweep of white hair. It was crinkly but straight due to the heaviness of the water saturating it.

Her back was facing him, and she gasped as she covered her chest.

Merikh immediately closed the door at her startled reaction. He didn’t expect her to still be bathing, considering he was gone until past sundown.

He informed her he would place the food he ordered on the ground just past the door, and that he would return later. He chose to sit in the hallway and listen for when she was finished.

When there were no more sounds for a long time, he entered the room again to find she’d climbed her way under the covers and was already asleep.

The bathtub was still full of water. Even though he wore his snout covering, he could scent the air was sweeter than before from her cleaning products.

For the first time since meeting her, Merikh had shifted into his more monstrous, four-legged form so he could sleep. Against the ground, he’d curled into a ball on the opposing side of the bed, so she wouldn’t step on him by accident. Laying like that tended to make his quills stick out from his body.

Turned out, he never needed to worry, since he towered over her still-sleeping form much later.

It’s been nineteen hours,he thought, for some reason compelled to rub the side of his forefinger and claw against her round cheek.

Her slightly parted lips didn’t twitch at his touch, nor did her closed eyes or white brows. He allowed the softness of her long, thick eyelashes to tickle his knuckle before he moved higher.

With her laying partially on her side and back, her body twisted, he was able to press the back of his hand against her forehead. Her temperature wasn’t raised, nor was she sweating.

She doesn’t appear to be feverish or sick.

She’d been sleeping a hell of a long time, and it didn’t appear as though she’d be waking soon.

Merikh tapped a claw at the navy bonnet around her hair, noting the silky material, curious as to why she was wearing such an apparatus on her head. Did Elysians often wear these for sleeping?

He must admit, he’d never been interested in watching anyone sleep, yet... he didn’t back away from Raewyn.

Her pointed ears caught his attention, as they often did.

He ran the back of his knuckle over the rim of one. A strange emotion bubbling in his chest almost caused him to chuckle when her long ear flicked wildly under the light touch.

Is she sensitive here?He did it again, and it flicked.

Raewyn let out a soft groan, before burying her face against the pillow, as though that was enough to escape him. She was only lucky he didn’t wish to disturb her.

The blanket she was wrapped in was lowered, revealing the roundness of her shoulder. Her sleep garment had slipped.

He drew the tip of his claw down the arch of her neck, over the length of her shoulder. Raewyn shivered.

Merikh growled at her, at her reaction to a simple claw, at his own nagging desire to keep touching her so she would let out another raspy moan.

She’s too fucking pretty.He grabbed the blanket and brought it up to her cheek, covering her more from his sight.

He’d checked that she wasn’t sick, which was why he’d approached her in the first damn place. So why was he admiring her face and shoulder? Even now, he considered touching her face more.

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