Chapter 9
Kirion
When he said those words, claim me, my heart skipped a few beats.
All sorts of things started happening in my body that I couldn’t control.
Shock. Disbelief. And relief I would no longer have to become Malin’s mate.
My muscles felt like water, then tensed hard as rocks.
Then sagged with a weight as if those rocks had turned to lead.
Now Tane would claim me. But only in words. If I’d felt even a tinge of excitement, it was gone in seconds. But I couldn’t help but wonder for a fleeting moment what that would be like. Being claimed by Tane. Being more than a dinner companion, or ward, but his omega. His!
But he hadn’t bought me for that. He had already said he wasn’t interested in a mate despite being alone for years.
He spoke to me again, but my thoughts were too loud. I didn’t hear him. I shook my head once, blinking down at my plate.
If Tane legally claimed me, it meant I would never have a mate for the rest of my life.
I would be alone. Childless. When I was deemed by him to be a proper age, Rohan constantly reminded me he’d sell me to the dragons.
I had spent many years telling myself I didn’t want a dragon mate.
I knew I would end up with one, but I didn’t have to want it, did I?
I never thought about alternatives. I wouldn’t allow my mind to go there.
Now I thought about being alone. No partners or lovers. No one to share my heats.
It didn’t seem fair. Tane might think he hadn’t put me in a cage, that he was humane, but this was definitely a cage. He said I had freedoms. How far did that go? I suspected it didn’t mean what that word actually stood for.
Tane spoke again. I raised my head.
“Dragons are predators,” he said. “It’s about keeping you safe. You won’t have to be afraid.”
“Wolves are predators, too.” My voice cracked.
He scratched the side of his head. “Uh, yes. That’s true. But you’re not in that country anymore.”
What I had meant to say had not formed into the proper words. I was used to predators. I was used to being viewed as a prize, like food. I didn’t like Malin but I also wasn’t afraid of him hurting or raping me. Except for his rudeness. That could hurt my feelings. If I cared. Which I didn’t.
“You don’t have to claim me. I’m not actually afraid for my life with Malin,” I said.
“It would be just legal paperwork.” Tane spoke with a sure voice.
“But it would tie you down. You wouldn’t be free to actually…um…meet someone on your own.”
Tane took a bite of his steak and slowly chewed. He seemed like he was on automatic pilot and didn’t even taste it.
“That’s my decision.”
“Decision?”
“Not to meet prospective… others.”
“But you have a long life ahead.” I spoke softly so he wouldn’t hear my voice shake. “You could change your mind.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” He took another bite of steak.
That was when I realized Tane was good at avoidance when things got uncomfortable.
The lunch was fantastic, the meat thick and juicy, the vegetables perfectly cooked. But this situation had my stomach in knots.
“What about me?” I asked.
“You? You wouldn’t ever have to worry about anything. You’ll be safe.”
“You keep saying that. I know I would. That you would keep your word. But what about me? I mean,” I gulped, looking up. “My future.”
Now he met my gaze. “You don’t—” He stopped himself abruptly.
I bit at my lower lip. “You were going to say I don’t have a future, right?”
His eyes darkened. His brows narrowed. “You are technically not—” He stopped himself again. “You’re very vulnerable. That’s what I meant to say.”
“I know. Because I have no rights.”
Tane stopped eating. “I hear you.”
My water glass sparkled from condensation. I picked it up but didn’t drink.
“Kirion.”
When he said my name, a sharp pain went through me. I put the glass to my lips and took a sip so I didn’t have to reply. At least, not right away.
“I do hear you,” he repeated. “Honestly, this situation is not fair to you. I feel like my hands are tied, too.”
Maybe I was overstepping, but I couldn’t hold back my next words. “But it was fair enough for you to attend the auction, bid and win me.”
He looked like he was holding his breath. After a few seconds, he said, “What do you want me to do? Send you back?”
My heart flipped. The edges of my eyes heated. Rohan would simply sell me again and Tane knew it. I could end up at a brothel or farm. Or worse, with an abusive alpha who would make Malin look like a saint.
“I can’t go back,” I whispered.
I clutched my water glass so hard there was a sudden snap. I didn’t realize what had happened until liquid spilled everywhere. Then red drops fell onto the tablecloth. Blood. My blood.
Tane jumped up, white napkin in hand, and ran around the table to me.
“Kirion. Are you okay?”
I was still clutching the broken glass, not feeling anything but numb shock.
Tane cupped my hand as I opened it and the broken glass fell. “The glass broke.” I spoke in a monotone. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re hurt.” He pressed his napkin over my open palm. “Elias,” he called. “Bring the first aid kit.”
Elias ran into the room, saw the damage I’d done, and hurried off.
“I’m okay.” I started to stand and that was when the pain hit. My hand stung. I let out a groan of pain.
“Sit back down,” Tane ordered. “Let me look.”
I sort of fell back into my chair, Tane holding my hand in his.
“I don’t see any glass fragments. The glass broke into three pieces and it looks like everything’s there.” He pressed his napkin to my hand and it quickly turned red.
“Ouch.”
“You might need stitches,” Tane said.
Just then, Elias ran into the room with a white box, setting it beside Tane and opening it. Inside were bandages and bottles of medicines.
“Should I call a doctor, sir?” Elias asked.
Tane took his glass of water and poured it over my hand.
“Ow! That hurts.” I tried to pull my hand away.
“Just seeing how deep it went,” he said. “Try to relax.” He turned to his butler. “Elias, maybe some whiskey?”
“For him or you, sir?”
I glanced up quickly to note Elias’s face was deadpan serious.
“Both. My best Scotch, please.” Tane never took his eyes off my hand.
As Tane slowly rinsed off my hand, not caring that blood and water went all over the pristine, lacy, white tablecloth, the pain turned to a sharp ache.
I felt lightheaded. I’d never liked the sight of blood.
Especially if it was my own. I didn’t want to have stitches. The thought made me even queasier.
“Can you move your fingers?” Tane asked.
I wiggled them a little, trying not to wince. “Is it bad?”
“Not too deep from what I can see. Just bleeding a lot. Which is good.”
“Why is that good?” My voice quavered.
“Because it gets all the germs out.” He pressed the napkin harder to my hand, making me grunt, and said, “Hand up. Hold this in place.”
I used my free hand to press the now very red napkin while Tane rummaged in the kit.
Elias returned with a tray holding two snifters of gold liquid and a large bowl of water. “Filtered, sir,” he said. “And cold. The cold will help stop the blood. Wash the wound carefully before applying the antiseptic.”
Tane looked up. “You sound like you know what you’re doing.”
“I work alongside the kitchen help, sir. There have been some accidents.”
“What? I didn’t hear anything about that.”
“We take care of it, sir. You don’t need to be notified of every cut and burn.”
“Cuts and burns?” Tane sounded shocked. “If there are medical bills I most certainly need to be notified.”
Elias ignored the statement and gently steered my hand toward the bowl, taking away the sodden napkin. I hissed as my hand sank into the water. The liquid immediately turned pink.
Elias had towels draped over his arms which I hadn’t seen until now. He brought them forward and placed them next to the bowl.
Tane set a couple of tubes and clean bandages beside them. He looked into the bowl. “Looks like the bleeding is slowing.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look. I hoped he was right.
“Here, drink some.” He handed me one of the glasses of Scotch.
I wasn’t a big drinker but right now I needed it. I took a few sips, letting the warmth spread through me.
Tane lifted my hand from the bowl and set it gently on the towels, taking one up and blotting the skin dry. I felt the ministrations but still refused to look.
“Ouch.” I sounded like a baby but I couldn’t help it. There was so much bright red blood still gleaming on the table as if some terrible crime had occurred.
Tane held up the first tube. “This stuff might sting.”
I held my breath as he opened and applied a cold gel. It did sting, but I kept my mouth shut.
“This stuff is numbing ointment. Should help it not hurt so much.”
I wanted to protest that it didn’t hurt that much. But it did. I let him put that on, as well. Immediately, the pain subsided.
“Oh. That really works,” I said.
“Good.”
I was able to look now. My hand was all slimy-looking, but I still had all my fingers. And there weren’t any scary flaps of skin hanging down.
Elias unraveled the spool of bandage and cut it neatly with scissors from the kit. He handed each strip to Tane, who gently began to wrap my hand. They wrapped it tight and thick over the palm and all the way up to my wrist, using tape to keep it all together.
When it was done, I looked at my hand. They really had done a great job. The bandage had some sort of placebo effect, because I wasn’t as queasy or dizzy anymore. The pain had gone. For now.
“Try not to move it too much.”
I placed my hand in my lap, looking down at it.
“I’ll make up two new plates and serve the rest of your lunch in the breakfast nook, sir.” Elias began to clean up the mess.
I wasn’t hungry anymore, but I got up and followed Tane to the small area off the kitchen. I swayed once and Tane turned as if sensing it and place his hand on my shoulder.
“Okay?”
“Yeah.” His hand was warm, like a sturdy and steady force. I didn’t want to need that, but right now, I did. I also had my glass of Scotch with me. It was disappearing fast.
Elias brought us out all new plates, the food hot and cooked perfectly. New steaks and all the trimmings. We had barely gotten started eating in the dining room.
But there was another problem. The hand I’d hurt was my dominant one. I couldn’t use it to cut up my steak. I just stared at my plate.
“Are you no longer hungry?” Tane asked.
“I’m not left-handed.”
“Sorry. You need your steak cut, don’t you?” He leaned over the table and took my plate. When he finished, he placed the plate back in front of me.
We didn’t talk anymore about my safety or future plans. We didn’t talk at all.
I picked up my fork and awkwardly speared the bites. It was a slow process to eat even half my food. By that time, I really wasn’t hungry. I felt sleepy. And strange. I started to laugh. Elias had refilled my whiskey glass and it was all gone again.
“I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought.”
“Does your hand hurt?”
“Not really, but I’m afraid to move it. And I feel funny.”
I tried to get up but fell back. Tane rose and came over to me.
“Come on. I’ll help you.”
I couldn’t get my feet properly organized underneath me to walk right. I leaned against Tane, laughing again even though I knew I was being ridiculous.
“I don’t think you’ll make it up to the third floor.” Tane’s voice echoed as if from far away.
“No? I can do it. I think.” I fell against him, bumping my injured hand. “Ow.”
“Come on. This way. Into the den.”
We entered a beautiful room, which I was sure he’d shown me on the house tour.
I’d forgotten how nice it was. My head was heavy, but I could still hold it up enough to see where I was going.
White tile gleamed. Before the fireplace lay a thick rug and a large couch.
The walls were a restful blue. A rock hearth framed the fireplace.
Tane sat me on the couch which was soft and comforting. I immediately fell to my side, curling my legs up. I watched as Tane turned on the fire. It was electric, not real wood, but still perfect.
He came back to me, grabbing a blanket from the couch-back along with a pillow and basically set about putting me to bed. It was the last thing I expected, but my head was spinning and everything felt so nice and peaceful that it seemed all right.
“I spend a lot of time in this room,” he said. “It’s cozy and peaceful. No one will bother you.”
I nodded, my eyelids slowly sliding closed. That was the last thing I remembered before nodding off.