Page 17 (1/2)

"Nola…sweet…" He approached her slowly, as if she were a trapped animal "What did they do to you?" There was horror in his tone He crouched beside her, reached out and smoothed her hair from her damp forehead Then he froze "How is this possible? I’ your warmth"

"Yes Happened just after you’d left" Any other time, she would have been mortified for him to see her like this: broken, helpless, naked but for a sheet covering her lower half Her relief at seeing hireat

"I will destroy the gods for this How dare they do this to you! Allow you to feel only when you will be injured The cruelty such an act requires… I will find a way to raid the heavens and I will--"

"No, no This is a blessing I’ve had ti Each ti about you, like the fact that you did not deserve as done to you, and that I trust you, I’ve been given back a piece of ether, and a spark of hope entered his eyes "Can you pass the ca to toss , but that invisible wall blocked them"

Fury replaced the hope "We didn’t hurt your sisters--I knew you would hate it if we did, but noish I’d sliced each and every one of them to pieces They abandoned camp or I would see to it now"

"You’re here now That’s all thatwill you be able to stay?" Her nervousness returned His king would want him back And the Amazons would one day come back This was not the first tirier Far more brutal "You can’t remain forever, and I can’t leave We’ll be forced to separate again and--"

"It’s all right It’s all right, sweet Do not worry yourself Think only of healing I’ without you No matter what You freed th her nervousness had given her drained, and she expelled a breath "As long as I have you, I’ll be all right" The words flowed freely Talking about her feelings was beco easier

"Yes, you will" He stretched out beside her and angled his head, displaying his neck to her The scent of him filled her nose Dark spice and tree dew She inhaled deeply, savoring "Drink," he said

"Wh-what?" Even when they’d been trapped on that island, he had not let anyone drink from him Not from his wrist, and certainly not fro and blood are distasteful to your kind, but you will heal faster if my blood flows inside your veins I have watched others of my kind do this for their mates ere not va froust you I know you do not like such things being done to you"

Precious little lights flickered in his eyes "I want to give you everything, Nola Even this With you and no other I need this, so please Please"

Please, this proud, strong ed toward him--pain, so much pain--and sank her teeth into his neck, hard as she could, cutting past skin and hitting vein Blood instantly trickled down her throat

Once, the thought of doing this would have been distasteful to her, as he’d claimed But this was Zane She wanted hiet And like hiive

"I never thought to allow so her head "I--I have to tell you so thatcould ive her time to tell him that "The demon queen," he continued "I was her slave for ly She took from me whenever and however she desired Her methods sickened --someone--my compliance was supposed to purchase"

Nola released his neck "I--"

"No Do not speak Keep drinking There is e will abandon one from me"

She sank her teeth back into his neck, the war her up froht to never endure such things again You, though, I think I would allow to do anything to me It has been that way from the first I don’t understand it, either Your presence doesn’t drown out the memories or take away my revulsion for this act My…need for you sih I fear you will find me, a dirty demon whore, unworthy of you I a away Blood trickled from the side of her led into his waiting embrace, head cradled in the hollow of his neck The action pained her, but only a little She could feel the flesh weaving together on her back "Never say otherwise"

"You…you do not wish to leave me now?" So hesitant So unsure

"If you are a demon whore, then I am an Amazon whore When I was a child, my mother mated with a man and left the Amazon camp to live with hiain," she said, heat spreading over her cheeks "I know the desire to never again be touched by another Except you"

"Oh, sweet I am so sorry for what you endured And you are not a whore Never say such a thing"

That gentle tone brought tears to her eyes "If I cannot, you cannot"

"Agreed" He wrapped his arm around her, careful of her injuries "You once told me your family had destroyed you, that you had killed thes to you"