Page 92 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

“Veil, you’re freezing,” Ravv grumbled, setting me down on my feet. When I wobbled, he stepped up close, spreading one hand on my abdomen to hold me in place with my back against his front.

“You’re the cold one,” I shot back. “Geez, are you made of ice? You usually feel warm to me.”

“Yes, I am made of ice. I have no idea why I would feel warm to you. You’re my personal fire at this point.” He dragged his hands up to my breasts and squeezed, making me want him. If I wasn’t so damn exhausted, I would’ve considered asking him to touch me, but I didn’t think I could stay on my feet that long.

“I see. You just like me for my warmth.”

“Yes, that’s the only attractive quality you possess,” he drawled, squeezing my breasts again. “Heat. Just heat. I’m disgusted by your ass, breasts, and mouth.”

I snorted. “Seems believable.”

“Very.” He lowered his lips to my throat and slowly kissed up the column of it until he reached my earlobe and sucked lightly. “I want to taste you again.”

Despite his words, he looked absolutely exhausted, and a bit dizzy too.

My legs trembled. “I don’t think I can stand that long.”

He gave me an unhappy rumble. “In bed before you sleep, then.”

“Deal.”

He released my earlobe and reached for some soap, but found none. “Damn. I forgot to restock it.”

My lips curved upward.

The fact that he’d forgotten something mundane made him seem more human to me, as silly as that was.

“I’ll head out to grab supplies while you’re asleep.”

“I still need to check your wounds,” I reminded him. “I might be in better health than you right now.”

He made a noise of disagreement. “They’re small wounds.”

“I’m starting to think that means you’re pretending not to be in pain.” I leaned away from him, turning slightly. My eyes caught on a bright red wound on his side, and widened. “What is that? Veil, Ravv! Who did you fight?”

He released me reluctantly. “It’s nothing to worry about. It’ll heal fast.”

I bent closer so I could see the wound. “It’s still bleeding. If it wasn’t something to worry about, it wouldn’t still be bleeding.” I poked at it, and he swore.

“Don’t touch it.”

“I thought it wasn’t something to worry about,” I shot back.

“It’s not.” He gritted his teeth. I was pretty sure it was out of pain, not anger, for once.

“Who were you fighting? What happened?” I repeated the questions he’d ignored.

“Ria finally came after me.”

I blinked.

It took a minute for the admission to set in. “Ria, Ria? As in, your twin sister Ria?”

“Yes.” He swore again as I pulled him further into the water—and again when I moved his arm so the shower would wash his wound.

“What happened?”

“She finally hunted me down herself. There must only be a few cultists left.”

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