Filed to story: Confirming His Luna by Eyes Novel >>
But she’s breathing.
I scoop her into my arms with little effort, her slender form folding into my frantic embrace as I rise to my feet and hurry back towards the little path. She’s so small and cold, and she twitches slightly as I carry her toward the villa.
The slight movement is enough to make me gasp in relief, and I all but run back to the villa.
I take her back to my room instead of hers, my feet moving on autopilot. She moans softly as I lay her down on my bed, my fingers sliding away a slick strand of hair that clung to her face and tucking it behind her ear.
Her pulse is faint, but it’s steady, and she’s breathing evenly.
I’m about to turn and head out of the room to send for the healer when my eyes land on a scar, and I go rigid.
Now that we’re back in the light of the villa, I can see her clearly. Droplets of water trickle along her alabaster skin, and I realize I’ve never seen this much of her. There’s a large bruise on her abdomen below her ribs that’s fading. It looks about a month old, but if it’s still so violent and visible after healing, I can only imagine how bad it looked when she got it.
That’s not the worst of it.
There’s a patch of burned skin on her forearm where it looks like someone extinguished a cigar against her bare flesh. There are scars along her shoulders and claw marks on her legs, and I have to look away as I feel myself shatter at the sight of what she’s suffered.
I gathered that her uncle and the others in her old pack were unkind to her, but I never imagined… this.
My hands clench into fists, and I have to remind myself to breathe as the wolf within me howls, hungry for blood. I want to slice the Banes into pieces and burn the remains to the ground. One life for every cut on her skin would not be enough.
The marks were scattered all over her body in places that were easily concealed, as well as parts of her that she should never have to cover.
I take a long, slow breath and walk back to the bed, folding the covers across her to cover her as a single thought slips through among my thirst for revenge:
When my mate bares herself for me to see, it should be her choice.
She’s already been refused the dignity and mercy that she deserves by her own people.
As I drape the blanket up to her neck, she stirs with a little sigh. My heart quickens, and my hands go still as her lashes flutter and her eyes open to meet mine.
“Hi.”
I blink a few times, trying to gather my bearings. I remember the lake and the strange whispers that chased me through the dark. I remember Tristan’s voice calling out to me from a distance. I remember falling…
“Hi,” he says, and it’s such a simple, familiar little word. My mind clings to it like a lifeline as I drag myself into consciousness, and my vision comes into focus.
I’m still in my wet underwear, but we’re no longer by the lake. My head is spinning as I take in my surroundings. We’re in Tristan’s room, and he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, his amber eyes narrowed on me.
“I- I wasn’t trying to run away,” I mumble.
It wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind when I saw him, but for some reason, it’s the first thing that slips out of my mouth. I instantly regret it.
Hurt and anger flash across Tristan’s handsome features, and I’m not sure if it’s because I implied his home was a place to escape or if he’s upset that’s what I’d assumed he’d think of me.
“I don’t care,” he says simply, his tone strained. I try not to flinch at his words.
My limbs feel leaden, and I’m not sure how exactly I ended up tucked under the covers of his bed. He stands, pushing himself off the edge of the mattress to pace around the bed with his arms folded over his chest.
Does he really not care if I leave?
“What were you doing in the lake at this hour?” he asks sharply, and something almost imperceptible shifts in his eyes. He said he doesn’t care, but I could almost swear there’s concern creeping into his voice.
“I wanted to go for a swim. I didn’t mean to worry you,” I say sheepishly, and it sounds like a pathetic excuse even to me.
He pauses his pacing to shake his head in disbelief.
“You wanted to swim?” he asks with a frustrated groan as if he were dealing with a reckless child. “Why didn’t you just say so? I could have gone with you to make sure you were safe. Or Lucy. Any one of us. What were you thinking? It’s the middle of the night, it’s cold and… forget it,” he huffs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just stay there. I’m going to get the healer.”
“No,” I say quickly. The last thing I want is to be examined right now. I’m suddenly extraordinarily aware that I’m almost completely naked under the blanket on his bed. How much of me did Tristan see? “I mean, that’s not necessary. I’m fine.”
He looks at me, brows furrowing over his elegant eyes.
“You passed out,” he says slowly, some of the annoyance melting from his expression. “You could’ve hurt yourself. You might have hit your head. If you have a concussion—”
“I’m fine, Tristan.”
He stops short, eyes widening slightly in surprise like he’s unaccustomed to hearing his own name on my lips. I shut my eyes tightly to block out the sight of him, taking a deep breath. I can’t think straight when he’s looking at me, and whatever happened at the lake still has me rattled.
After a moment, I open my eyes, and I find that he’s still standing by the side of the bed, his features softened.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?