Page 47

The room was dark and cold. Rion sat at the edge of his bed, his fists clenched, boots still on, and magic swirling at his feet. She let the door close, and those sharp eyes snapped up, pinning her in place.

She struggled to breathe beneath that gaze, and something deep in her core ached at the sight.

You’d betray me. They all do.

No. Please don’t think that way.

“Don’t send me away.”

His jaw feathered. “You protected him.”

With shaking hands, Arianna pulled the collar of her shirt down to reveal the bite mark on her neck. Every muscle in Rion’s body tightened.

“He did the same for me.”

Rion stood and her heart leapt. He approached slowly, that feral rage still consuming his scent, but it wasn’t Rion that frightened her. It was the thought of him kicking her out.

Arianna tilted her head to the side, allowing Rion to push her hair back and examine the wound. She heard his breath quicken, the slight grind of his teeth.

“Who,” he growled.

“A male that’s already dead. Eoghan pulled him off me.”

Rion growled again at the mention of Eoghan’s name. His jaw worked and he stared at the mark for a time, making no move to touch it.

“Can I clean it?” he asked.

Arianna nodded and limped toward the bed. Rion followed, his movements slow. He stalked around her, that intense gaze examining every inch of her body.

“Your other wound is worse.”

Arianna tried to sit and winced, grabbing at her side. Rion marched toward the kitchen and returned with a bowl full of water. He pulled a clean rag from the bottom dresser drawer, then sat on the bed beside her. Clenching her teeth, Arianna lifted the hem of her shirt, peeling away the fibers that had stuck to the dried blood.

Rion, with the lightest touch imaginable, dipped the rag into the bowl and pressed it against her side. Arianna hissed at the contact and his eyes snapped to her face. She ushered him on. He worked carefully, dabbing the cloth around the wound to clean away blood and dirt.

“You need stitches.”

Arianna glanced down, examining the puncture wound for herself. “I don’t suppose you know how?”

He disappeared into the bathroom only to emerge a minute later with a small box. Rion stood in the doorway, his brow furrowed. “It might be easier if you lie down.”

Arianna eased herself back and pulled her shirt up and away from the wound. Rion climbed onto the bed and crossed his legs at her side. She watched his fingers guide a piece of thread through a curved needle. “This isn’t going to be the most pleasant thing in the world.”

She slowed her breathing. “I know.”

Arianna turned her head away and hissed at the first prick of the needle. She clenched her eyes against the pull of the thread and tried to focus on Rion’s hands grazing her skin instead. When that didn’t work, Arianna turned her attention to his even breathing. The steady rhythm of his heart. It’d been pounding earlier, but with his mind occupied, it’d slowed, and his anger had dissipated with it.

“Done.”

She glanced down. “You’ve done this before.”

“A time or two.” Of course, he’d done it before. It wasn’t as though he had anyone to treat his injuries. Arianna sat up then Rion moved behind her and brushed her hair away from the bite mark. It stung less than her side, but Rion was still careful, his fingers gentle and movements slow. She scented the rage building in him again, taking over his natural herbal scent like fire consuming trees.

“I’ll be fine.” She didn’t know why she said it. Whether it was to console him or break the silence. Rion set the rag down, but his fingertips lingered on her shoulder and despite being covered in dirt and blood, her heart surged in response.

Hesitantly, as if unsure of his movements, Rion shifted Arianna’s hair to her opposite side, exposing unmarred skin. He leaned closer, taking in her scent and that rage brewing around him quieted. He sighed, pressing his forehead into her shoulder.

Arianna sat perfectly still, relishing in his heat. Her heart skipped a beat when he sighed against her skin, sending shivers coursing through her body. His breath quickened in response. Just a slight tilt of his head and Rion’s lips would be against her skin. If she turned around, would he stay or—