Page 155 of Cruelly Bitten

But I quickly derailed that train of thought because there was no point in musing over the potential of something that had never happened.

I needed to focus on the future and where we should go from here.

Except I had no idea what path to take.

Cam walked out just as I finished pulling the sweater over my head, his blue eyes trailing over the creamy fabric and down to my fitted jeans. Appreciation brewed in his gaze, an appreciation I shared as I took in his all-black suit.

He wandered over to my garment bag to take out a pair of thin socks and a set of flats.

No heels.

Because he’d searched my mind to learn how much I hated them.

Silently, he knelt before me and gently gripped one ankle to lift my foot into the air. My heart skipped a beat as he slid the sock over my toes and up my heel. Then he repeated the action on my other foot before slipping on my shoes.

It was such a small action, yet so incredibly reverent in nature that it took my breath away.

By the time he stood again, I felt lightheaded from a lack of oxygen.

He brushed his knuckles along my jaw, his gaze intense. “I might not be your preferred version, Ismerelda, but I’m therightversion. Because you’re not who you used to be either. You’re not a swan anymore, darling. You’re a lioness. A queen. And if you let me, I’ll be your king.”

His thumb traced my bottom lip, his eyes following the motion.

“The choice is yours,” he concluded softly, then leaned in to press a kiss to my cheek. “But don’t rush, my queen. Take your time. I’ll wait for you to decide. And I’ll honor whatever decision you make.”

With those words lingering in the air, he turned and left the room.

I swallowed, my lungs burning with the need tobreathe. When I finally inhaled, it was a cloud of Cam’s scent.

Peppermint. Woodsy. Masculine.Virile in nature.

I closed my eyes and allowed his cologne to overwhelm my senses, momentarily lost to his familiarity.

So much had happened over the last few weeks. Hell, so much had happened over the last twelve decades.

The world had completely collapsed.

Humans had become slaves.

Vampires and lycans had created a new government.

I’d been locked away for safekeeping while my mate had been brainwashed. Changed irrevocably.Reborn.

Mere hours ago, I’d almost been raped to death.

And now… now the man I loved was a complete stranger to me.

Yet he was exuding a patience I very much admired. A patience Ineeded.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I concentrated on my breathing.In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three, four, five.

Cam wanted me to attend this meeting.

No, not just me. Keys, too. The human he’d apparently adopted in the last twelve hours.

My lips almost tilted upward, only because it was a verymyCam thing to do. He had always been the type to instantly decide if he liked or disliked someone. Most people fell into the latter category. When that happened, he simply dismissed them.

But when his instincts latched on to someone he admired or someone who intrigued him in a unique way, he gave them his full attention.