Page 7

Both their gaze lock onto me, and the tension in the room increases. I try to think of what I could possibly say in this situation, but nothing comes to mind, so I just open my mouth. “I will let you know if I need anything else from you, thank you.”

“Oh, and as for the puncture wounds in your shoulder,” she says, stepping to the side and hovering her hand over the shoulder where Kurt bit me.

I close my eyes, trying to keep the images from popping back into my head.

“They were deep. We cleaned them and packed them with a special kind of seaweed for a while, before stitching you up. The seaweed has healing properties, and will help to preserve the muscle there as you recover. I anticipate that this is the wound we will have to monitor most.”

Trying not to move too much, I nod.

“Thank you, Aliza,” Eli says.

She bows and hurries back out the way she came.

Eli leans back further, settling in. Everything about him seems calm, almost pleased. Even though he’s covered in blood and seems to be, well, naked, although I can’t quite see all of him. I have no idea why he seems so happy. Holding me like this can’t possibly be comfortable.

“ Uh ,” I begin, choosing my words with care, not wanting to upset the ultima. “I appreciate you and your people caring for me.”

He smiles down at me, his eyes filled with adoration. “You’re my mate. Of course I’m going to care for you. It’s my job.”

There’s that word again. Mate.

Then, all at once, I think of Ezra, Cayson, Maverick, and Xander, my heart racing at the prospect of them looking for me, not knowing where I am. They’d be frantic. Terrified. Does anyone from The Selection even realize I’m gone?

“How long have I been here?”

He regards me strangely. “Five or six hours.”

Five or six hours, plus the time I was with Kurt… I’ve been away from my men for a while. They’ll have noticed something was wrong. Unless they’re already here…

“Have you seen my mates?” I ask, voice weak. “They might be looking for me.”

“You have other mates?” Eli says, his eyes softening with amusement. “Of course you have other mates. You’re beautiful.” I shake my head in embarrassment. “And how many of those are there?”

“I—” I drop my head, a blush blooming over my cheeks. “Four. From The Selection.”

He gives me a glib smile, his entire face at ease he gazes down at me. “Four, is that right? I’m not surprised—your scent is particularly intriguing. I scented you all the way out on the road.”

“Oh,” I whisper, blushing, staring down at my hands.

He continues. “Had I known you were already connected to other men, I would’ve sent word to them already. No bother though, I’ll send a message and let them know you’re here.”

“Thank you,” I manage.

He kisses the top of my head again. “Anything for you.”

How I came to The Selection hoping to leave without a mate and instead now having a pack of them, I don’t know.

I mean, technically Cayson and Ezra are just pretending to be with me, but there’s at least three others who seem to really feel this connection.

And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a connection to all four men back at The Selection.

What I do know is that there’s no way I could have an ultima as my mate—he’s much too strong to be mated to someone like me.

Surely, he’ll realize he’s mistaken eventually. Won’t he?

“But with four mates,” Eli muses, “surely at least one of them should have been there to protect you. Why were they not?”

I don’t like the idea that he might be blaming my guys for what happened to me. The only person to blame is me and my stupid self for being so trusting. So naive. Even when I knew there was a dangerous man coming for me.

But how do I explain that to this man?

“It wasn’t their fault. I was tricked,” I say, the embarrassment flushing through me, hot and shameful.

“I received a letter that I assumed was from my men about meeting them for a surprise. It was instructing me to get in a carriage and go somewhere. When I got there, it was Kurt who was there instead. None of my mates even knew I was gone.”

I’m starting to notice something with this man.

He has the aura of a king. Even when he’s sitting up, it feels like he’s reclining, bored, or calm, I’m not sure which.

But topics concerning me make his energy shift in a way that’s almost visual.

He goes from calm to ready to strike without even moving.

It’s just something you feel about him, like knowing when a predator is simply walking past or when a predator is ready to strike.

That change comes over him now, even though he still holds me gently.

Even though there’s only the slightest tension in his shoulders.

“They should never have left you to sleep alone,” Eli says, the faintest growl in his voice.

“But that’s not for you to worry about. I will ensure they’re in line once they arrive. ”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Nonsense. I’m your mate. My job is to make sure that you’re always safe and loved.”

I stare, not sure what to say. “Sir, truly, it would be an honor to be your mate. But you can’t possibly be.”

He smiles again. “Faye?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been through a lot. Don’t worry about any of this. Just relax and focus on healing.”

He calls in a servant and gives them the names of my men and to send word that I’m here.

The servant rushes back out without another word.

With that, he shifts his arms, tucking me further into his hold, humming contently.

I want to argue, to say something, but the truth is, I’m exhausted, and his arms feel so incredibly good.

After a moment, I let my eyes close, resting and enjoying being in his warm embrace.