Page 113 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

Close your eyes.

Frelina did as he asked her in her mind.

As her eyelids fluttered shut, Raine pulled her even closer, but not to comfort her.

No. It washewho needed someone to steady him—someone to keep him grounded.

When his memories crashed into her without warning, Frelina understood why.

Ice-filled wind rushed all around him, and an overwhelming tiredness swept through Raine as he pulled open the door to the old tavern.

They’d trained all day, and Merrick had nearly killed him when he lost his temper.

Which might have had something to do with Raine telling all the females flocking around the soldier camp they’d set up outside town that Merrick was looking for a wife.

Despite his cold, stiff limbs, Raine snickered. He’d barely ever seen Merrick take an interest in females. He was too busy brooding and worrying if he was an evil threat to the world to entertain himself with ladies.

Raine, on the other hand…

His snicker turned into a big grin when the warmth of the tavern wrapped around him and Thissian and Kerym waved to him from the back. The warmth seeped through his body, and as it heated his limbs, they hurt even more—but he didn’t have time to linger on it as something brushed his nose.

What was that?

Raine whipped his head back and forth until his gaze settled on a tiny little Fae with hair so blonde that it almost seemed white cascading down her back.

His entire being melted.

Then hardened.

Then melted again.

Raine couldn’t stop himself from turning fully toward her, and his feet moved of their own accord as they brought him to the female, his gaze locked on her the entire time.

She must have felt him coming because she turned around, and he was rewarded with the darkest eyes he’d ever seen.

She was full of contrasts.

Tiny but with a look in her eyes that would have made males bigger than Raine shrink back.

White hair and black eyes and golden skin.

Full lips in a dainty face.

She was… everything.

He must have stumbled into tables and people because he both felt people push him and heard people curse him.

It didn’t matter.

That…

She…

As he halted before her, the barkeep tapped her shoulder, and this little wild creature continued meeting his eyes as she said, “Oh, fuck. I think I might need two drinks because this seems to be my mate.”

The memory switched to another, and Frelina could barely breathe from how hard Raine held on to her.

Raine winced at himself in the mirror, pulling at the violet shirt and trousers that clashed horrifically with his red hair while Merrick slapped his hands on his knees and wheezed from laughter.