Page 216 of Primal Bonds

He massaged her nape until her head drooped, then murmured, “Let’s lie down.”

When she nodded, he rose to his feet and carried her the few steps to their sweater-nest, where he lay on his back, her draped over him like a blanket.

Keeping the quartz loosely in her hand, she laid her head on his chest, grateful for the sound of his heartbeat. It made her feel less alone.

“I’m here,” he murmured one more time. And for now, that was enough.

Chapter 26

Fane woke to find the thin light of dawn spilling through a crack in the cavern ceiling. But what had awakened him was the tug of the geas.

His heart sank. Guess Sindre knew he’d recovered.

A chilly white mist formed in his palm. Blue writing unfurled against it and then faded away: Return to court. If the fada is with you, bring her, too.

He drew a long breath. Such a long-distance command didn’t have the same power as when Sindre addressed him directly, but he couldn’t ignore it.

He turned to Marjani—but he was alone on the cavern floor.

He lifted up a little and saw her creeping fully dressed toward the exit, her boots in her hands. He felt a sharp hurt that after the night they’d shared, she’d sneak out without even saying goodbye. But how could he blame her?

The geas tugged harder. He dropped back on the floor and clenched his jaw, resisting. Let her go. That way, he could truthfully say he didn’t know where she was.

Gods, it had nearly broken him to hear her story last night. The things the woman had survived. It was amazing she was still walking around.

Just before they’d fallen asleep, she’d curled into a ball on her side, wound tight as a watch spring. He’d followed, wrapping his body around her.

Somehow, he’d vowed as his eyes drifted shut, he’d save her from Sindre and Blaer.

Now he glanced at her again. Maybe he could use Sindre’s order to help her? Because he knew she was going back to the court to save that damn friend of hers—and the king would be waiting. That maze of his would snap shut on her like a wolf’s jaws.

He sat up. “Wait.”

She whipped around as he snatched up his clothes.

Her eyes blazed cougar-blue. “Let me go, Fane.”

“You’re going back, aren’t you?” He zipped up his jeans and sat down to put on his shoes. “To save your friend.”

“I’m not going to answer that. You’re under a geas, remember?” She stepped into her boots and leaned over to tie them.

He winced but persisted. “He might have escaped.”

“Then where is he? He’s a wolf. If he got away from them, he would’ve followed our scent.”

He blew out a breath and tried another tack. “You need me. You can’t get through the portals without me.”

“I did it once.”

“And the goblins almost captured you.”

She finished tying her boots and straightened up, arms crossed over the pert breasts he’d kissed just a few short hours ago. “Goodbye, Fane,” she said in a hard voice. Then she scraped a hand over her shaved head. “Have…a good life, okay?”

She slanted him a crooked smile that arrowed straight to his heart—and slipped into the tunnel.

“Damn it, Jani.” He strode across the cavern and inched his way after her.

She bared her teeth at him. “Stay the fuck away from me. Or is this a way to get back on the king’s good side?”

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