Page 113 of Wrapped in Their Arms

“Sorry,” she said softly.“AmIinterrupting?”

Her voice was hoarse…tentative.

“No, of course not, my lady,”Brightsaid quickly, sinceBurnremained mute.“Please—come in.”

Noelle did as he asked, coming to stand between the two of them.

“Wow, my head is pounding,” she murmured, putting a hand to her temple and wincing.“It’slike someone is playing aMariachiband inside my skull.”

“We have the same problem,”Brighttold her gently.“Ithink it’s from the pink drink thatThuneforced on us.”

“You’re probably right.”Shehesitated, andBurnheard her draw in a shaky breath.“Er…look,Iknow things got…kind of crazy last night.Ijust want you to knowIdon’t blame either of you for what…what we had to do together.AndIhope you don’t blame me either.”

Burn’s chest tightened.

How is she comforting us?Afterwhat we—whatI—did to her?

“Of course we don’t blame you,”Brightsaid at once.

“It’s nobody’s fault but ours,”Burnsaid sharply.

Mine.Hemeantmine.

Because it wasn’t just the fucking drink and it wasn’t just the circumstance.Deepdown—shamefully deep—some part of him had wanted her like that.

And that was what he hated himself for the most.

“Burn…”Noelle’ssoft voice tugged at him.

She placed a gentle hand on his arm.

His entire body froze…his throat closed and he couldn’t breathe.

But before she could say more,Cookie’svoice bellowed from down the hall.

“Breakfast!Andyou’d better be careful—if oldThunecatches you all together, you’ll be in trouble!”

Bright sighed.

“He’s right—we’d better go.”

The three of them filed out of the room.

Burn hung back just a step, watching the wayNoellewalked.

The tiny hitch in her gait…the tender shift of her hips…the faint wince she tried to hide.

She was clearly in pain and it was all his fault.

His heart squeezed until he thought it might crack.

I wishIwas aBloodKindred,he thought bitterly.IfImade essence,Icould heal her.Takeaway her pain.Dosomething useful for once instead of just hurting her.

But he wasn’t and he couldn’t.

There was nothing he could do except swear—to himself, if to no one else—that he would never,everhurt her again.

Even if it meant putting himself between her and the hugeTrollox…even if it meant dying in this nightmare of a house.