Page 126 of Rage of Her Ravens

Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Someone has to take care of you, since we can’t trust the nurses here.”

I ate in silence while wondering if that distant look in her eyes was because she’d rather not be with me or something else. After I’d eaten half the plate, I pushed it away. “I’ve had enough for now but thank you.” I didn’t want to waste my time eating when I had my beautiful mate’s company. I wanted to cherish this time together, for however long she was willing to stay.

She took the plate away, and I leaned back in bed, memories slowly returning. I’d fought them for as long as I could. It hadn’t been the first time I’d exchanged flames with the brothers, but something in their fire had changed. Their flames were more virulent, almost poisonous.

“I remember being badly burned.” I looked at my hands. The skin was smooth and clean, no signs of injury. “How?”

She sat back down beside me, gently wiping crumbs from my mouth. “Nikkos’s magic has grown stronger.”

I couldn’t tear my gaze from my beautiful mate. She was being so kind. Had she finally forgiven me? I leaned toward her, intoxicated by the lavender scent wafting off her skin. “Because of you.”

Her cheeks colored, and she looked away. “Maybe.”

“Not maybe.” I took a chance and reached for her hand, relief sweeping through me when she didn’t pull away. “You’re a blessing to us, Shirina. Before you, he wouldn’t have been able to heal me. I would be dead by now.”

She hung her head, her face flushing. “Before me, Malvolia’s mages wouldn’t have attacked you.”

“Those fools.” I forced a laugh. “It was only a matter of time before they found some excuse to come after us.”

When she looked back up at me, her eyes were glossy from unshed tears. “The girls could’ve been killed or captured, and you defended them knowing you could die, too.”

I reached for her, pulling her into my lap, so pleased when she didn’t pull away. I cupped her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. “I would die for them. For you, too, Shirina.”

She flattened her palm against my chest but didn’t say anything. For a moment, I wondered if I’d gone too far by pulling her into my lap. I didn’t want to drive her away. I cleared my throat. “I don’t need a nurse anymore if you want to be with my brothers.” I forced out the words, even though it felt like I was driving a dagger into my own chest.

She draped her arms around my shoulders, solar flares flashing in her eyes. “What if I want to be here?”

I stilled while looking into her eyes, fearing my heart would beat out of my chest. Had she finally accepted the bond? “I would not send you away, even though I know I don’t deserve your kindness.”

She nodded. “A group of mountain men tried to rape me.”

My world came to a standstill with the exception of my pulse pounding loudly in my ears and the fire racing through my veins. “W-what? When?” I would turn them all to ash.

She averted her gaze. “It was shortly after my parents told me Tari had been killed by a bear. They said they buried her body, and it was too gruesome to dig up. I didn’t believe them. Tari was a green witch. Animals loved her.” She gave me a hopeless look before turning her gaze down. “It made no sense that one would kill her, so I ran away from my parents in search of her. I was only gone a week before the mountain men found me. There were at least a dozen of them. I tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. I had no choice but to use my siren’s call.”

I swallowed back bile, rage and flame pulsing through my veins. “I hope you killed them, because if not, I’m hunting down every one of them.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. “I made them slit their own throats.”

I gritted my teeth. “Good.” Though some part of me wished they were still alive, so I could cut off their dicks and shove them down their throats.

“Good?” Her voice cracked as more tears spilled over her eyes. “I used my magic for evil.”

Clasping her shoulders, I desperately searched her eyes. “You used it for protection.”

She hunched over, as if the weight of her imagined sins were too heavy to bear. “I’d been using my power of persuasion my whole life, for an extra slice of pie or for my mother to sing us another song. She never said ‘no’ to me. My siren’s call didn’t develop until I was on the cusp of womanhood, and I only used it jokingly on Tari then or to chase away annoying suitors. My voice hadn’t been very strong, not until that night.” She paused, releasing a shuddering breath. “I don’t know if it was fear that awakened my magic, but a dam burst, and my veins have been humming with power ever since. I never told my parents what happened. I was so afraid they’d think I’d turned evil.”

I dug my fingers into her shoulders. “You’re not evil.”

“I feel like my whole life they’ve been watching me, waiting for me to turn out like Malvolia.” She wiped tears from her eyes. “The way they would look at me, as if I was a venomous serpent waiting to strike.”

“Look at me.” I cupped her chin, desperately searching her eyes. “You’re not evil.” I swallowed back my sorrow, forcing out the words through a tightened throat. “You’re absolutely perfect, and I’m sorry, Shirina, it took me too long to see it.”

The light in her smile was enough to drive away the shadows in my blackened heart. “Shiri.”

It took me a moment to comprehend what she was saying. She wanted me to call her by her familiar name. Did this mean she was ready to accept me as her mate? “Shiri?” I tenderly stroked her face, my dick hardening when she let out a sensual moan.

Desire swirled in her eyes. “Yes?”

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