Page 32 of The Barbaric Fae's Soul

“Yes.”

“And what would you be doing, if I was sleeping? I can’t risk missing the fight with the next klynna, Da…” Aev trailed off, and didn’t finish.

I remembered telling him not to call me Dakota, when I’d been triggered.

“When you grabbed me and said my name like that, it reminded me of my ex-boyfriend,” I admitted to him. “He would never let me walk away from him, so it brought bad memories back. I didn’t mean that you shouldn’t call me by my name, I was just panicking. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want to remind you of him.”

“You don’t.” My lips curved upward sadly. “It’s just trauma.”

“I’ll think of a nickname for you,” he said simply.

“You could just call me Dots. I’ve been answering to that for a long time.”

“No. It’s too playful for the woman who would approach me in my tent the way you did, just to take away my pain.”

My face heated. “It wasn’t just to take away your pain. I was being a little selfish.”

“Then I enjoyed your selfishness immensely, and would welcome it at any time.” He gently caught my hand, since my fingers were still on his face. “Come to my tent with me, and I’ll rest without complaint. Not for long—just long enough to ease your conscience.”

I should’ve said no.

I should’ve come up with an excuse.

But honestly? I didn’t want to.

So I nodded.

And his lips curved upward.

He released my hand, and we headed off toward his tent together. Both of us were silent, and neither of us bothered shifting forms.

“You and Oren weren’t fighting the way the seelie fight,” I said quietly, as we walked through the forest that still seemed mostly asleep.

“The seelie are more violent than us, and Oren and I weren’t truly fighting; he was testing me, to see if I could freeze him while he burned and attacked me. It was a mental exercise more than a physical one, and unfortunately, I didn’t succeed.”

“Oh. How did you learn to move like that?”

“Lots and lots of practice.” He flashed me a white-toothed grin. “You know, you could learn to protect yourself without any violence. There are fae who prefer not to trade punches, and they train their bodies through gymnastic movements rather than fighting ones.”

“Is it like what you and Oren were doing?” I asked him. “It almost looked like you were dancing.”

“It does resemble a dance,” Aev agreed. “You perform the same motions—you just teach your body to pull back, rather than attacking. It doesn’t prepare you for the physical or emotional consequences of an actual fight, but it would give you more control over your body.”

“That would be amazing,” I admitted. “Feeling strong and in control… I’ve always wondered what it would be like.”

“Then I will find one of my men to teach you,” he said simply.

“Why can’t you?” I looked at him, frowning slightly.

He focused on the trees, straight ahead. “I didn’t think you would want me to.”

“I’d feel safer if it was you. I know that’s probably hard to believe after my panic attack, but it’s true. My panic has nothing to do with you; it’s just memories.”

“Then when we’ve dealt with the klynnas, I’ll train you.” His hand carefully took mine, and I slid my fingers between his. Neither of us looked at each other.

“After you rest,” I reminded him.

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