Page 110 of First Ritual
Wild exploded upward and punched the stone wall of what had to be his room. The stone cracked. Over and over he punched the wall until slowing.
He remained facing the wall, panting hard.
I slipped on my white dress and approached. My voice was quiet. “We can both agree normal rules don’t apply to our situation. Neither of us would have done those things without this mating ritual being at play. This will all go okay as long as we acknowledge that.”
“Part of me wanted to do it,” he said harshly. “When I saw you with Bedwyr… I wanted to rip his fucking head off. The only thing that stopped me was my need to get to you. And I knew even as I portaled us here that I’d do the exact fucking thing I’d managed not to do this morning.” His eyes were weary in answer to my silent question. “I wanted you to drink my blood.”
That was why he’d stalked out of my chamber?
Wild winced and lifted his shirt. The area he’d sliced to drip blood into my mouth had stopped bleeding.
“I’d heal you, but my magic is still coming back.” I gripped his hand anyway, and then blinked when the cut under my thumb knitted together. “That’s new.”
He kept still as I ran my fingertips over the other cuts.
I lifted my gaze to his after. “I wasn’t pushing any magic just now. Do these runes come with perks?”
“Perks? Not sure I’d use that word.” Wild scowled at the new circle rune in the top half of his X rune. “But you may be on to something. When our magic met, I became an animal obsessed with you. When we kissed, I could pinpoint your location and portal wherever you were. Maybe I can heal you too.”
“I just recall my chest aching at the start. Worse when you were upset. My touch soothed you. Then after the kiss, my touch felt better.”
“Replenishing,” he muttered. “It felt amazing.”
He’d downplayed that one. “Now I can heal you. Things do manifest with each new rune.” I traced the circle on my stomach. “What do you think this one means?”
“We’ll ask Rooke and Corentin. I don’t really care what they mean. I care how many more there will be” was the wooden reply.
That made two of us. I rested a hand on his arm, and he flinched. The flinch was echoed in my very soul. Guilt nearly choked me. My words were a bunch of bullshit. I was doing this to Wild. He felt so terrible, but he wasn’t to blame.
I opened my mouth to say… I had no idea what to say.
I wanted this all to go.
“Breakfast has started,” Wild said, trailing fingers over his split knuckles to heal them. “We need to get the mission announcement done. We can keep figuring this mess out later.”
Just like that, he’d shoved aside the insanity of what happened. As though curtains had been drawn back, I suddenly saw what drew Wild to Caves.
The distraction.
Maybe I could take a tincture from that kit. “You’re right.” I set my focus on the game. I needed something to cling to that didn’t mean anything.
Caves. My new best friend.
The door burst open.
“We’re fucked,” Huxley announced.
Sven grimaced. “Hate to agree with him.”
Corentin shut the door and faced us. “We need to do some damage control. Big time. The orgy thing has taken root. Your parents are going to hit the fucking roof. So here’s what needs to happen. Sven will date Rooke. Wild, I’m afraid you’ll need to do the same with Bronte. Sorry, bro. Huxley has a cover story.”
“It’s not a cover story,” Huxley replied wryly. “I’m open in my preference for men.”
“And I’m open in my preference for women. No one would believe I’d get into a relationship thing.”
“Why do you get to stay single?” Sven demanded. “Me and Wild are open in our preference for women too.”
Corentin sneered at him. “I’ll take Rooke then, shall I?”