Chapter Ten
Vee
The memory of Nate’s horrified face and the sparrow wing eyes filled with shame, burned in my chest. It was a searing pain blown way out of proportion to what I should be feeling about this dumb American frat boy—
No, he’s not!
He might be a little na?ve, but dumb? Nope. He was cute, attractive, and kind…and hot. I still hated myself for having rebuffed him. Gods, I had wanted to just go along with him, but I was better than that…and worse.
I bet someone had talked him into setting that trap in the forest. Making fun of foreigners, especially drunk tourists, was a favourite pastime for locals.
They likely told him about my kind and the ridiculous lore that surrounded us, knowing full well that people often got hurt in the woods at night.
Thank you for saving me.
Anger flared up in me. I didn’t even dare think about what could have happened to Nate in there.
Thankfully, the only people who died recently had been tourists who got lost and fell down ravines or got hit by trees on stormy nights. Tourists, exactly like frat boy here.
We’d never hurt humans who tried to catch us. Most of us Elvertritsch really liked humans. It was charming to see them stumble through the woods like newborn foals. I heaved a deep sigh when I remembered Nate’s soft skin and his graceful neck.
He was so warm when I hugged him.
I shook my head to snap out of it.
Pull yourself together, Vee.
It was hard to push the lingering fear aside, though.
What if Nate had been one of the unlucky ones?
Or what if he had met some other, far more dangerous being in the forest?
Panic choked me when I imagined him running into the Hoiman, a terrible giant who would join the Wild Hunt in a few weeks to still his blood lust for another year.
Nobody would have seen him again if he’d strayed a little too far and into the territory of the Elven Queen who lived in a moor an hour east of where I lived.
Then, as if he felt my fear, a whimper came from the living room.
Nate!
I leaped out of bed and was halfway down the hall in a heartbeat.
The breath rasped in and out of me
Nate laid on his side, his tall body curling in on itself. I threw myself down on the floor beside the couch. His skin was hot and damp beneath my palm.
Is he okay?
Under my touch, he let out another pained whimper, and slowly opened his eyes. They were glassy and bright and widened when he recognised me. A wave of something I didn’t have the capacity to look at yet washed over me when his gaze softened.
“Vee,” he rasped. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” I told him. He exhaled a shaky breath when I brushed a strand of damp hair off his brow. “I thought you were asleep,” I said. “But then I heard you…whimper.”
“Whimper? Please, I don’t whimper,” Nate huffed.
“Oh, then it must’ve been the cat.”
“You have a cat?” He glanced around the living room.
Adorable.
“Nope.”
And gods, that grin… Why is it doing things to me?
“It sounded like you were hurting,” I added softly. “Are you okay?”
I nudged the glass of water to his lips and used my other hand to support his head. “Drink. That’s it, Nate.”
His eyes held onto mine when he did as I told him.
Good boy.
I kept my hand under his head as I lowered it back on the pillow and trailed my fingers through the dark, silky strands as I lowered it back on the pillow, wanting to keep stroking his silky hair to comfort him.
“How do you feel?”
“I feel like shit. I fucking molested you earlier.” Nate threw his arm over his eyes and groaned.
Is that what he thinks happened?
“Nate, please look at me.” I pulled his arm away. “You didn’t—Gods! I wanted it, okay?”
My voice was barely a whisper. “Your nose would look a lot less perfect if I didn’t.” I ran my fingertip along the knife edge. Nate trembled under my touch and groaned when I ghosted over his symmetrical lips.
He licked them, and I snatched my hand away.
“Do you need anything?” I asked, pushing up to my feet.
This is dangerous, Vee.
“I think I have a few painkillers that should work on humans, too?”
“Nah, I think I’ll be okay. It’s just…“ He hesitated. “Can you stay with me for a while?”
He snuggled his face into the pillow.
“Of course I’ll stay,” I whispered and sank back to my knees. “I’ll stay for as long as you like.”
I ran my hand through his hair, scraping my claws softly over his scalp and loving the way he shivered. His little sigh made my stomach do funny things. I wrapped him up in a fluffy blanket and stroked his hair until he was fast asleep.