Page 163 of First Ritual

“Since I betrayed our bond, I’ve felt you drawing away.”

Shit. “I was doing that, yeah.” I took a breath. “That was shitty of me. I was a mess—am a mess. I guess I draw back to myself when I feel that shaken. Making you feel discarded was wrong of me, and I’m really sorry to have betrayed our bond in that way. Hanging out with Berry and the others is more superficial and easier to bear in some ways. Because it means less.”

Our tether hummed.

Rooke and I smiled.

“Go get your necklace and gems,” she said. “I’ll gather supplies and meet you at the apothecary center.”

Curiosity and excitement warred for first place within me. I half ran back to my chamber and sprinted up the stairs to grab Mother’s things. Leaving my quarters once more, I smacked into a wall of magus.

Cool magic caressed me.

Wild.

I steadied myself, peering up at him. Fuck, he was so damn handsome. He stole my breath away. Had that ever happened before? “Morning. You’re awake.”

“I am.”

Was I blushing? Ugh, I was.

Wild gripped my elbows and kissed my forehead. “Thank you for last night. I—” His face warred. “Just, thanks.”

The heat in my cheeks worsened. “Do you feel better?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “I feel alive.”

My lips quirked in response. “Good.”

“He wasn’t wrong, you know. You are delicious.”

I full-on flushed. Those words seemed different coming from Wild.

Wild brushed his fingertips over my cheekbone. “What’s this, darling? Are you blushing for me?”

Were we both thinking about the things I’d screamed last night? I’m fucking yours. Those three words certainly weren’t the worst of it. I’d repeated all kinds of things last night and added my own comments unprompted. “I feel different today. About you. I don’t know what to do with it.”

Wild’s breath hitched. Or did I imagine that?

“I have confidence you’ll figure things out,” he said after a beat, expression smooth. “Let me know when you do. How do you otherwise feel?”

His meaning caught me, and I peered down. “Fine after that bath. I thought things would be pretty raw.”

His satisfied growl filled the small tunnel. “I’d hoped you would be.” Wild hooked his finger around my mother’s necklace adorning my throat. “This again.”

“My mother’s.”

“I prefer it around your waist,” he purred, then took off his pendant. My gaze flew to his as I saw exactly which pendant it was.

His ruby one. A male magus’s pendants were important. Men collected them over their lifetime, and the collection was a visual of their magic and them.

Wild placed the ruby over my head.

“Wild,” I said uneasily. “I can’t accept that. This is one of your favorites.”

His lips touched my forehead again. “I have many favorites. Wear it. I like to be around your neck.”

“Like a noose?” I asked sweetly.