Page 69 of Tide Touched

I raise my small hoard. ‘But… books!’

A muscle feathers his cheek, then he holds me close. ‘Yes, there are books. This is Mariam’s place. The book stall holder. Do you remember?’

I look up into his face. Memories flash behind my eyes. Courtney attacking me. Elijah’s sweet embrace, promising me… promising me… something. ‘I remember thinking that… that I wanted to fly in the woods.’ I shake my head. ‘I don’t know.’

Killian holds me close. ‘It’s all right. Why don’t you come have something to eat?’

‘Oh. I am hungry.’

Killian hauls me up into his arms—letting me hold onto my treasure—and sits down with me on a fluffy, comfortable couch.

‘Killian, I feel tired and fuzzy.’ I rub at my temples, still half-convinced I’m dead, or maybe dreaming. I lean into his chest as he passes me a glass of water.

‘I know. You need rest.’

I peer into the embers of a hearth, my eyes heavy. Fire. Warmth. I like warmth. As my eyes droop, a flash of memory flicks into my mind. Days spent with my friend, curled together against flames on the beach. I sit up so fast I send the books toppling to the ground. ‘Moira!’ I shout. I run for the door, but it’s double special locked or something. I throw my shoulder against it, trying to escape. ‘Moira!’ I bang on the damn thing. I try to summon my fire, sending sparks skittering everywhere.

‘Hey, hey.’ Killian’s arms catch me around the waist. ‘Easy, hold on. Katherine, relax, listen to me for a moment.’ He turns me bodily, holding my face in his grasp. ‘She was taken, yes, but you were severely injured. I had to let you rest.’

‘I rested!’ I shout. ‘Now let me go! She needs me!’

A familiar older woman comes tottering into the room. ‘Goodness me, what’s all this noise? Ah! You’re awake. Good grief, girl, look how pale you are. Killian,’ she snaps, ‘why haven’t you fed her yet?’

‘I—ah—’

‘Let me out of here!’ I snap.

The woman blinks. ‘Young lady, you’re free to leave whenever you like.’ She unhooks two little latches, indicating that I’m an idiot and don’t know how doors work. ‘But you haven’t eaten, and you’re still injured. Please take a few minutes to replenish yourself.’

Killian hugs me, rocking me gently. ‘If I know Elijah—and if he feels anything for Moira like what I do for you—he’s already here. He wouldn’t have rushed into the Water estate. He’s smarter than that. Why don’t we eat, then go and find him? We’ll get Moira back.’

I’m trembling in his grasp. ‘I need to go to her.’ Tears prick at my eyes.

Killian turns me, a finger under my chin, tilting my head back to meet his gaze. ‘I know. But let’s do this right.’

The older woman pats me on the arm. ‘Listen to him, dear. Come, now. Let me fix you some breakfast.’

The three of us eat in near-silence, sunlight spearing through the cracks of the double doors. The single window is covered with a blanket nailed into the wood, I assume to discourage thieves. Slowly, I turn to the bookseller. ‘Thanks,’ I murmur. ‘Why would you let us stay here?’

Mariam smiles warmly. ‘I’d hate to disappoint Nemra, Killian’s mother. She and I were friends, a long time ago,’ she adds. ‘I couldn’t turn Killian and his mate away.’ Pride sparkles in her eyes at the word ‘mate’, and I realise she’s happy for Killian. That he has me.

I lower my gaze, shame flushing my cheeks at my earlier outburst. ‘Well, thank you.’

When we get up to leave, Mariam presses a bag into my hands. ‘You need to clean those wounds every few hours so they don’t get infected. You’re lucky they haven’t already.’ She touches a bandage on my face, which I hadn’t even noticed. ‘You two take care of each other, now, you hear me? Try to stay out of trouble.’ The smell of food, of freshly baked bread, wafts from the bag. I don’t have to look in there to know there are also shoes and clothes.

I hold my arms out and she crushes me into a hug. ‘I’m so glad to have met you, Katherine. You’re welcome back any time.’

We stride out into the middle of the little town as the sun rises, a new day dawning. I feel a tightness in my chest. Moira’s been gone for a full day and night. Who knows what they’re doing to her? Carter was kind enough to me as his mate, but Moira… what if the alpha’s hurting her the way he hurts his nephew?

Killian wraps me in his arms. ‘I can feel your worry and anger.’ He presses a kiss to my forehead. ‘Take a deep breath. Let’s find Elijah.’

It’s not hard. He’s in wolf form, snarling at anyone who gets too close, his nose to the ground, as though trying to track a scent. I run up to him and fling my arms around him, relieved to see him. He’s wounded from the attack, but he’s still standing.

Elijah shifts and I get a good look at him naked before quickly averting my gaze. Lucky Moira. Killian tosses him a pair of pants, and Elijah quickly dresses, then hugs me. He looks closely at my face, over at my wounds. ‘I’m glad you’re looking better.’

I’m finally in jeans and a shirt again, no more of this dress nonsense. Sneakers, too. I touch his arm, appraising his wounds. ‘You too. But I’m freaking out about Moira.’

‘Same, I caught your scent and figured we should go together.’

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