An oval mirror hung in front of the sink, and after patting my face dry, I checked out my reflection. God. I looked like hell. Felt like it too. My dark blond hair was tangled in places, and I picked out some leaves. The skin around my eyes was puffy from crying. That’s when I spotted a mark on my neck. Well, two marks.
Hickeys.
I touched them, feeling a quiver in my throat. Had Maddox and Briar noticed me gone yet? Would they come looking for me? Hopefully, they wouldn’t worry. After the crap I’d already put them through, I didn’t want to add to it. They’d be better off just leaving me to the wolves.
I left the washroom and rejoined the demi-human in the kitchen.
He stood at the stove, stirring the contents of the skillet with a wooden spoon. His bushy tail jutted from the back of his black trousers, slowly moving from side to side, and his furry ears twitched at my approach. Spices filled the air, along with the smell of onion, peppers, and chicken.
“Did you find the bandages?” he asked, setting the spoon aside.
“Nah. But I don’t need them. The cuts aren’t deep.” There were also so many that I’d look like a mummy if I wrapped them all. “My friend is a physician and can help heal them when I get back. He infuses healing tonics with magic.”
How weird it was to call Briar my friend when he was so much more. But calling him my lover to a stranger would’ve been too awkward.
“Is he one of the men you love?” He grabbed two bowls from a cabinet.
So much for not making it awkward.Thanks, past self, for your rambling mouth.My cheeks heated. “Uh. Yeah.” I tapped a finger on the tabletop. “You sure I can’t help you with anything?”
“I’m sure.” He scooped food into one bowl, then the other, before carrying them over to the table. “I have water or tea to drink. Which do you prefer?”
“Water, please.”
He nodded before filling two glasses. When he placed one in front of me, his hand slightly trembled. I recalled the menacing snarl from when he’d first found me outside—the anger. I understood then it had probably stemmed from fear.
“Thank you,” I said, scooting closer to the table. I grabbed my fork but waited for him to sit before digging in.
It wasn’t how I’d expected the night to go. I’d planned to cook dinner for the knights and ask Maddox about his mission. Planned to, maybe, have another steamy night with him and Briar. But then those plans had gone to shit.
Now, I was in a fairy-tale cottage in the middle of a dark forest, eating dinner with a demi-human who eyed my hand with the fork, as if afraid I’d try to stab him with it.
Movements slow as not to startle him, I ate a piece of zucchini before shoveling up a bit of everything else, the chicken and the mix of veggies. The spices and juices blended together perfectly, like a celebration on my taste buds. I sighed happily. “You’ve made me like vegetables. Even broccoli. And I usually hate broccoli.”
“I’m pleased you like it. I don’t have many opportunities to cook for visitors.”
“Would you want to if you did?”
He ate a slice of chicken, not answering.
“Well, you can feed me all you want to.” I swallowed another bite. “This is freaking amazing.”
He smiled. Or managed something close to a smile. He looked down at his bowl and continued eating.
My gaze wandered the room as we ate in silence. Pots and pans hung from a wrack against one wall, and herbs dried upside down, like the ones in Briar’s clinic. Red apples sat in a basket on the counter. Living all the way out there alone, I wondered if he had his own garden. Did he go to the marketplace? Why had he seemed so mad when he thought I was one of the princes?
“Lake,” he softly said.
I paused in my chewing and looked at him. “Huh?”
“My name.” His purple eyes met mine briefly, before averting back to his food. “My name is Lake.”
That feeling from earlier returned, like warmth prickling at my chest. I couldn’t explain why. “It’s nice to meet you.”
His gaze remained on his bowl, but his ears twitched again. “I apologize for my rudeness from before. It’s been quite a while since anyone has journeyed this close to my home. It caught me off guard.”
“That must get lonely.”
“Lonely? Sometimes, I suppose.” Lake moved a piece of broccoli around his bowl, a distant look in his eyes. “Keeping to myself is easier.”
