Page 25 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

“Get in here so I can close the damn shelter,” the male fae growled at me.

I was experienced enough with his grumpiness that my lips curved upward just the tiniest bit.

I rose to my feet slowly, then stepped over the ledge of the shelter and slipped inside. He pulled me down into his arms and held me securely against his chest as he closed us in together.

His ice skimmed my arms and legs, the touch slow and comforting as my chest pressed to his. I felt my flames flicker a few times, before going out entirely.

A long breath escaped me when they were gone. “I don’t know how you did that.”

“Your magic recognizes mine as its mate.” His fingers skimmed my arm, and his erection throbbed lightly against my lower belly.

A few long minutes passed in silence before I said quietly, “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“You’re my mate. I protect what’s mine.” His voice was low and gravelly.

For a moment, I let myself believe our connection would be permanent.

Just for one breath, I let myself picture what it would be like if I had the grumpy fae at my side for the rest of my life.

Veil, the idea nearly made my eyes burn.

I wanted that. Someone to protect me. Someone to rescue me when I was taken. Someone to put my fire out when I couldn’t do it myself.

“Why did you come for me?” I whispered, a few minutes later.

But by the time the words left my mouth, it was too late. He was already asleep.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Though it took some time to wind down after everything that had happened, I eventually managed to fall asleep.

We woke up just a few hours later, then started to move again. Gleam seemed more rested than Ravv and I, which was a good thing since she was the one running.

That day and night passed uneventfully. We reached the Endless Wilds in the middle of the day after, and awe struck me as we barreled into the massive jungle.

The trees stretched up so much further than I could see, wrapped in thick vines and sprouting monstrous leaves. The colors were more vibrant than any I’d ever seen, and I found myself watching the scenery go by with much more interest than I had in the Human Lands or the Sands.

Gleam stayed on the jungle’s floor, which meant weaving around trunks the size of houses back in my city, along with all the other plants we had to dodge too.

I didn’t feel at ease in the jungle, but I vastly preferred it to the desert.

We stopped by a river that night. The water was moving rapidly, and Ravv warned me that there could be predators within, so he carried me in and kept one arm wrapped firmly around my middle. We both scrubbed ourselves clean quickly.

The cleanliness was worth the fear. I felt like an entirely new person without all that sand coating me. My body was still extremely sore and achy, and my bruises were only getting uglier, much to Ravv’s irritation, but I hadn’t been abducted by anyone new in two whole days. That felt like a victory, as ridiculous as it was.

Ravv and I climbed into his shelter together, still damp but also warm and sticky thanks to the jungle’s humidity. I curled up in his arms, and he pulled me into his possessive grip.

“You’re going to drink my blood tomorrow,” he told me, his voice low but not unsteady in the slightest.

“That didn’t sound like a question.”

“It wasn’t one. Your bruises look even worse today.”

I rolled my eyes. “That happens with all human bruises. They look worse before they get better, and healing takes time.”

“I’m not walking into Jirev with a bruised mate. Every fae we see will assume I’m the one who hurt you.”

“You said the mate thing has to be a secret.”

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