Page 35 of Oath of Betrayal
This was way worse than drinking myself stupid and cuddling the local wildlife. I opened my eyes the tiniest bit, dreading what I’d see.
I was lying on a muscular chest with a vast expanse of soft dark hair cushioning my cheek. I looked upward, needing to know where I’d ended up, and when I saw Orm’s strong features, a strange emotion shivered through my body. I was glad it was him … no, not just glad, I liked it.
Much to my confusion, it no longer felt as if my magic wanted to entangle his soul. This was a huge relief but small consolation in these circumstances. I was in bed with the man who controlled my geas, and even if I liked how it felt, I hoped the commander had a good explanation for why I was using him as a pillow.
Gods, please have mercy. I didn’t invite him in, did I?Not after I so vehemently told him that under no circumstances would we end up in the same bed. I tried to pull away, but he only tightened his hold, murmuring something in his sleep before he patted my head like a bloody dog and nuzzled my hair, inhaling deeply. That gesture was a testament to an intimacy that hadn’t been there before.
The bastard promised me,I thought, trying to rouse some anger, but it was hard to feel righteous indignation when his touch felt so right.Focus, Annika, you also like drinking andhunting dangerous monsters, but that doesn’t mean they’re good for you.I tried to recall last evening. I vaguely remembered Orm’s voice and the reassuring feeling it had given me.
I didn’t feel as if I’d been violated, but this wasn’t right. Still, if I’d invited him, I couldn’t blame Orm any more than I could myself. I raised my head to study the man cuddling me.
Orm’s shirt was open, revealing more than a muscular chest. His body hair narrowed as it reached his stomach, the thin line begging to be followed, and he had a scar running from his left shoulder to his right hip, as though someone had tried to slice him in half.
I wasn’t surprised by the scar. The commander was a man who lived by the sword, but when I looked back at his face, I noticed something that didn’t match his overly masculine physique. His eyelashes were so long and delicate that every maiden who ever saw them would surely be green with envy, and the thought of some jealous lover trying to pluck them made me chuckle.
My mirth woke Orm up, and he looked at me with concern. ‘How are you feeling, Nivale?’
The soft baritone, so filled with worry, disrupted my merriment, and I pulled away, but Orm’s arms caught me before I could escape, pulling me in close again.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ I pushed back with my hand to his chest. ‘I’m sorry if my invitation gave you the wrong impression. I don’t remember what I said, but we should forget this happened.’
‘All I’m doing is trying to rest. You kept me up most of the night; it’s only fair for you to let me sleep now,’ he said, rubbing his forehead. ‘And you didn’t invite me in. You just wouldn’t let me leave.’
‘You should go to your own bed then.’ My eyes opened wide. ‘Wait,what?’
‘I’m already in my bed. Can we get some rest now? Please?’
‘No! What is wrong with you? If I didn’t invite you to my bed—I mean, your bed—then what the hell happened? Oh, and whereismy bed so I can go there—preferably before I fry your arse for taking advantage of my drunken state?’ I again pushed on his chest. This time, he let me go with a heavy, exasperated sigh.
‘Last night was challenging for everyone, especially for you. After you Anchored Vahin, things progressed so fast. When you collapsed, I ended up beside you in bed. Once the danger had passed, you refused to let me go, so I thought you needed me and stayed. I owed you at least that much for saving us all.’
‘What? I would never cling to you … you’re lying. Tell me the truth—’ I hadn’t finished when he sat up, causing me to fall to the side. With a sigh, Orm wrapped the blanket around my shoulders.
‘We are both tired. Your questions can wait until after you rest. In the meantime, since the sight of me angers you, I will go find another bed. Get some sleep, please. It’s still early. Once you wake, I’ll have some food delivered; just tell me what you’d like.’ He stifled a yawn.
‘Also, Vahin sends his regards; and he said that if you leave the room, he’ll track you down and hold you captive until you go to sleep.’ The commander stood up, and when I tried to follow him, he raised his hand. ‘Stay in bed. Don’t waste your breath, I’m not even listening.’
He started tying his shirt but stopped, noticing the laces were ripped. ‘I have to say, you are a persistent woman. Although, the next time you rip my shirt open, please just tell me you want to be held instead of growling that you want my heartbeat. With a mage of your class and power, it’s a worrying statement to hear, Nivale.’
‘W … what? Why do you keep using that ridiculous nickname? I’m nobody’s flower. Gods,men. And if you’re so upset about your shirt, I’ll get you a new one.’ I was so confused, and thelonger he looked at me with that glint in his eye and the smirk on his lips, the angrier I became. Until I snapped.
‘I only wanted to know what happened, but instead of answering, you’ve accused me of assaulting you and aretellingme how to spend my morning. Do I have any say in how I live my life? Or has the mighty commander already decided what’s best for me along with what my name is?’ Orm gazed at me, barely restraining his laughter. Something about what he’d said filtered through the fog in my mind and distracted me.
‘What do you mean,Vahin sends his regards?’ I asked, studying Orm’s features to make sense of everything, my eyes narrowing at the crinkling at the corners of his eyes. The bane of my existence tapped his temple, and the corner of his mouth lifted into a mischievous smile.
‘You broke my dragon. We’ve always been able to communicate with images and emotions, but since he’s met you, he’s startedtalking, and godsdamn, he hasn’t shut up since. The short version of yesterday’s events is that your spell worked, you saved everyone, and you are Anchored to Vahin after a very tense few hours of delirium. Now I’ve got two voices shouting at me: one in my mind and the other in my ear, so if everyone could just calm the f …’ Orm’s deep sigh and now tightly closed eyes made me realise he wasn’t just talking to me, and curiosity overcame my anger.
‘Is he talking to you right now?’ I asked, fascinated, and Orm nodded. Then, leaning into my ear, so close his breath gave me goosebumps, he whispered, ‘And when it comes to your nickname?’ His smirk returned as he continued. ‘I call you Nivale because you are as special and as rare as the mountain flower. You have a strength and resilience that leaves me awestruck. I wish our circumstances were different—you have me mesmerized, Ani. As for your strange need for my heartbeat, I found it quite adorable.’
I couldn’t even remember a time when a man would dare talk to me like that without fear, reverence, or hunger for my conduit abilities. And I felt like a fool because I was falling for it, so I decided it was time to cut him off and change the subject.
‘I didn’t know dragons could talk like that. When we met, he felt … well, he didn’t feel like a person.’
‘He has always been a sentient being, but something changed after your meeting at the lake. Vahin’s thoughts have become clearer, and we can communicate with the same ease as if I were talking to you or Alaric.’
Before I could ask more questions, his gaze grew serious. ‘Ani, I owe you a life debt, and I don’t know if I can ever repay you. I know you wanted to have defined boundaries between us, but I crossed them last night to save you. I don’t regret a single thing, but it will be difficult to keep our agreement when I remember how good it felt to hold you in my arms.’
How in Veles’ pit did I end up in such a mess?
