Page 91 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

“You’re not doing it.”

“We can talk about it later. Take me home.”

I grumbled, but carried her out of the house. Everything was still spinning a bit, and moving felt much more difficult than usual, but I managed.

Laeli lowered her head to rest on my shoulder, her face tucked against my neck while her legs wrapped around my waist.

Gleam and Coarse fell into step with us as we walked.

“You need a few bandages,” Gleam warned me.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not. It’ll scare Laeli if you pass out from blood loss.”

“I’m not going to pass out from blood loss.”

“You said that last time, too.”

I grumbled again but couldn’t disagree.

Gleam said, “We’ll find some bandages. Watch her carefully so Coarse doesn’t get as grumpy as you.”

I scowled at her, and she winked at me before slipping away.

Coarse growled at her, then growled at me, before following her away.

“They’re kind of adorable,” Laeli whispered to me.

“Ridiculously so,” I agreed.

She snorted, and I couldn’t stop a ghost of a smile from curving my lips.

“Between Gleam, Coarse, Elwynne, and Orvay, you’ve been paired with couples for a long time,” she said.

“Unfortunately.”

She smiled against my neck. “You like it.”

“I enjoy seeing them happy,” I admitted.

“But…”

“It grows lonely from time to time. I think it would for anyone. I saw my parents together enough to believe that fae are meant to exist in pairs.”

She grew quiet for a moment.

A long, long moment.

I wondered if she was also thinking that fate had paired us perfectly, but doubted it. She was far less certain that we suited each other than I was.

Because I knew Orvay would’ve taken Ria back to the castle, I didn’t dare take Laeli there, and headed toward my old house instead. I tried to prepare myself for the emotional impact that would accompany seeing her sprawled across the bed that had been mine back when life was so much simpler.

Chapter 20

Laeli

Ravv pulled my dress over my head as he stepped into the shower with me and turned the water on. My eyes shut as it started falling, raining over my head and rolling down my face.

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