Page 75 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

“Thanks.” I nodded at Elwynne before I slipped away.

Coarse walked with me silently, leading the way when he realized I was still clueless as to where we were in the castle.

We got back to the king’s space without any problems, and I locked the door behind me again. It occurred to me that I shouldn’t have left it unlocked in the first place, and I felt a bit guilty.

Coarse plopped back down in bed with Gleam, and I remained by the doorway as I stared at Ravv for a moment.

Veil, he was gorgeous.

Made entirely out of chiseled muscle and battle-honed strength. Confident, deadly, and sure.

What would I give to have even a fraction of those qualities?

More than I could even comprehend.

My eyes closed, and all I saw was fire.

I wasn’t ready to sleep again.

Elwynne was right about me needing a shower, and showering definitely defeated climbing my squishy human self into bed with that gorgeous creature. So, I stripped and slipped beneath the water, embracing the warm, blissful peace of the shower.

Chapter 16

Laeli

My mind wandered as I scrubbed my hair.

Ravv and I hadn’t had a chance to reestablish what our relationship truly was since the Beast’s attack. It could have been gone completely, or it could be what it had been before the attack… which had been a tentative friendship bordering on more.

Most-likely, it was somewhere between those two options. Ravv had mentioned being tired of acting like he didn’t want me, so he wasn’t completely impervious to whatever he’d felt for me.

Despite that, whatever we were would end with the eclipse.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to accept the truth.

Ravv and I had no future.

Even if we were attracted to each other, there would be no real commitment. He would never choose me as his queen, and I could never let myself rely on him.

I’d survive. I had to believe that.

My mind went back to the fire, though.

Back to the loss, and the trauma.

I shuddered, still needing a distraction. I’d trapped myself in Ravv’s room again, and there was no way out.

Which meant nothing to distract me.

Except…

My mind went back to the way Ravv had touched me in that shelter.

Theoretically, I could distract myself just by slipping a hand between my thighs. It would be a bit weird to learn how to touch myself in Ravv’s shower, but he was the one who told me not to leave the room.

Which meant… I was going to do it.

I slid a hand between my thighs, then breathed in sharply as I dragged my fingers over the sensitive bud there. No one had ever taught me the name for it, but I knew Ravv had paid a lot of attention to it.

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