Page 27 of The Minotaur's Milkmaid
I step forward, heart racing. “Bea, wait! It’s not like that. I’m okay. I’m…I’m happy.”
Beatrice stops in her tracks, breathing hard, eyes wild. Her gaze darts from me to Dakar, and then back again, disbelief written all over her face.
“Happy? Maeve, you were kidnapped! You disappeared! They burned down the village!”
“I know,” I say softly. “But I'm okay, I promise. He would never hurt me.”
Before Beatrice can spit out another word, a shadow moves beside us. I glance up and,oh.The Minotaur man who stepsforward is tall and strong, almost as broad as Dakar. His skin is smooth and golden, like he spends a lot of time in the sun, and a simple braided leather strap crosses his bare chest. His dark hair is tied back loosely, and his features are handsome. Not as handsome as my mate, of course. He doesn’t say anything right away, just gives Dakar a firm nod, his amber eyes serious but kind.
He steps between Dakar and Beatrice. He presses a clean cloth into Dakar’s hand and bows his head respectfully.
“It’s good to see you, Chief.”
“Silas,” Dakar grunts in greeting and starts wiping the dripping mess from his horns and face.
Then, in one fluid motion, Silas turns toward Beatrice, who’s gearing up for another outburst, and without even breaking stride, scoops her right off the ground.
“Hey! Put me down, you overgrown ox!” she shrieks, flailing her arms and kicking her feet. “You ape! You halfwit mammoth! Maeve,help me!”
Silas only huffs a dry chuckle, adjusting her over his broad shoulder like she weighs nothing more than a sack of feathers. “You’ll feel better after a walk,” he says, completely unfazed by her tantrum. “And maybe a drink.”
“I’ll scream!” she threatens.
“You already are,” he replies.
And just like that, they disappear down the winding path through the village, Beatrice still wriggling and cursing with flair.
The moment stretches, then shatters with a snort from Dakar. He wipes the last of the milk off his brow and looks down at me with a glimmer of amusement.
“Your friend has fire,” he murmurs.
“She’s going to roast you alive,” I whisper back, half hiding my face in his arm.
He chuckles. “She can try.”
Before I can respond, a soft voice calls my name.
“Maeve!”
I turn just in time for Annie to wrap me in a gentle hug. Her dark curls tickle my cheek, and when I pull back just a little, her big brown eyes are shiny with tears. She looks beautiful.
“I was so scared,” she whispers into my shoulder. “We didn’t know what happened. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Tears sting my eyes as I hug her tighter. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until this moment.
She leans back, giving me a once-over, like she’s making sure I’m really here. Then she looks back in the direction Beatrice was carried off. Her lips press together in a small, understanding smile.
“Bea’s…having a hard time adjusting,” she says gently. “She missed you. We all did. But you're her favorite, you know.”
My chest aches.
“I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I just…everything happened so fast. And now I don’t even know how to explain it.”
Annie squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to explain. We’ll figure it out together.”
I nod, trying to blink back the emotions.
Dakar clears his throat, the scowl on his face softening the moment his eyes find mine. He cups my cheek with a large, warm hand, his thumb brushing a tear from beneath my eye. “Go on, little one,” he murmurs. “Spend time with your friends. Let her show you around.”
