Page 225 of The Gods Veiling
Exhaling harshly, I do just that. Every move I make, though, is made at an agonizing pace and it takes enough energy out of me I grow pissed. I’m literally out of breath when I’m finally able to shimmy the boxers back on and reach behind me to flush.
Fuck, this is humiliating.
That sound was obviously the cue Creed was waiting for. Wordlessly, he turns, cuts the water off, and scoops me up. I already know my face is flaming and I refuse to look at him.
“Did you all help Amick get me dressed?”
“No. He made Kyzen go get the clothes and cut the shirt. I fixed a warm bowl of soapy water and got rags, then he made us leave the living room. I don’t know how he did it. You were in the same spot on his lap when I left and returned.”
Knew he had magic hands and that he’d be efficient as well as respectful.
Creed suddenly stops walking once we hit the end of my bed and I push up on his shoulders to prepare myself for him to put me down. I find his eyes distant and his body stiff, though.
“What’s wrong?”
He shakes his head. “Seismet would like to see you.”
“Really, right now? He just spoke to you?”
“No, Verlet did. He asked him to. Your line of communication will strengthen with time, but for now, he can’t reach you this far. He says you need it.”
I blow out my breath and shake my head. “I’m not walking that far.”
“You just let me worry about that.”
“No. You can’t carry me all the way to the meadows.”
“Well, for one, I definitely can. Two, where we’ll meet them isn’t all the way at the meadows. It’s not far from here.”
I grit my teeth. This night will haunt me forever. “Will you ask him why it’s so important right now?”
He takes a moment, then just starts walking. Right out my back door. He ignores how I repeatedly say his name and grip his shirt.
“I didn’t say I wanted to do this or that this is okay, asshole.”
“Too bad. It’ll help you heal, so this is what we’re doing.”
The dick even has the audacity to put his hand on the back of my head and shove it down until it’s tucked into his neck again.
I do bite him then.Hard.
His feet stop moving and his hands tighten around my thighs. I don’t break the skin, but now that I’ve got his full attention, I push myself up slowly once again.
“Listen here, just because I’m beaten and can barely move, don’t think I won’t find a way to fuck you up. Next time, ask me if this is okay.”
Those dark gray eyes of his are pronounced even in nothing but moonlight and the white rings around his pupils are blazing. I wasn’t expecting that kind of intensity, and I refrain from squirming against him.
“I’m so fucking thrilled to see your fire still shining bright even in this situation. But you listen to me.” He tilts his face a little closer and his breath mingles with mine. “You’re going to do whatever it takes to heal, like it or not. And also…you bite me again and I’m going to bite back, Thayla.”
The way he growls my name dark and low is completely opposite to the sarcasm he had in his tone with his first comment.
My stomach tightens when he starts walking once again without ever taking his gaze off mine. The multiple intentions in his words are clear and I don’t know if I’d love or hate a bite from him.
What I really don’t know is if I’d survive a bite from him.Pretty sure I’d be a goner. In more ways than one.
I lay my chin on his shoulder and tell myself it’s because sitting up is painful—which, to be fair, it is—and so I don’t obscure him from seeing where he’s going.
Really, I can’t just stare into his eyes any longer. There’s too much to unpack in their depths and I can’t handle that tonight.
