Page 37 of Unexpected Mate

“I’ve heard that before.”

He moved toward me with a bowl of soapy water and a rag. He slowly washed my face. I moaned in pain when he swiped gently over the massive bruise where my face had ate rock in the tunnel. His eyes were sympathetic, but he made nocomment. Then, he started cleaning the blood from where my skull had cracked into the stone wall. The blood had dried on my scalp. Pain like a knife blade stabbed my brain and I ground my teeth together to hold in the scream.

He cleaned my arms next and moved to clean the bloodied bottoms of my feet next. At one point, the pain caused me to jerk my foot, and my skirt fell open from where the sword had ripped it. We both looked down and my stomach churned at the sight. My legs were bruised and cut, but what had bile rising in my throat was the blood that was dried to the insides of my legs. Evidence that the pain I had felt the night before hadn’t been from the heat, it had been from Cage. He had used me, not caring if he damaged me, and then tossed me aside.

Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.I repeated it like a mantra.

The guard let out a hiss, and then rinsed his rag and began wiping away as much of the blood as he could without completely violating my privacy. I wanted to tell him that I could wash myself, but I just sat there, swallowing back the sobs.

Something caught my attention as I watched him. “You have ears like I get when I shift!” I cried. “I call them my fairy ears. What are you?”

“I am a wizard,” the man replied.

I breathed in his scent. “Nope. You aren’t a wizard. Plus, wizards don’t have fairy ears.”

“My ears are normal, and please stop saying that. Such a silly word.”

Okay, ixnay on the arseay.

“What does that phrase mean?” His tone was curious again.

“Uh…to not talk about ears. You are clearly self-conscious about yours, and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“What language was that? I speak all of the earth’s languages, but that one I do not recognize.”

So, he couldn’t speak Pig-Latin? Now I just had to think my entire escape plan in Pig Latin.

“Pigs don’t talk, and I assure you that is not Latin.” He held out a pair of sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt. “I’ll leave to give you privacy so you can change. I have left the bowl of water as well in case you have other areas you wish to clean.”

I watched him leave the cell and close the door behind him. I was grateful for his thoughtfulness, but also confused. I was brought down here to die, so why was he treating me with respect?

It took me a while to wash; I scrubbed until I bled, and I still felt dirty. Would I ever feel clean again?

I dressed slowly, my body protesting the entire time. When I finished, I sank down heavily on the cot.

It was only a matter of time before the heat that simmered below my skin became unbearable. The dragon instinct to survive was strong, and my body didn’t care if my mates were nowhere around and I was trapped in a cage. It wanted to ensure the survival of the species by whatever means necessary.

I also knew that Elise would be back as soon as she could get away without raising suspicion. She had been planning my torture for a while, and I think she was relishing the idea ofripping me apart… even if it meant killing her son in the process.

My hand rested over my flat stomach. The craziness of the heat hadn’t exactly given me much time for rational thought. I could already have a baby growing in my stomach. I smiled as I thought of my mates, wondering how each of them would react if I were pregnant. Then Cage’s words barged into my mind. I couldn’t let him take my baby. My child would grow up caring for others. He or she would make the world a better place, simply by their presence.

The elf had moved back into my cell. He gathered up the supplies and placed them outside the door. Then he returned and sat on the ground near the cot. His eyes were level with my own as he studied me. He carefully placed his hand on my head, and instantly the headache that had been banging against my skull eased. Who was this man? And why did my magic grow a little stronger when he was beside me?

“You intrigue me, Bunny.”

I groaned. I was pretty sure that living with that nickname would be worse than the torture Elise was planning for me.

I focused back on my memories, trying to ignore the comforting glow that strange guard was radiating.

I had spent so much time trying to contain my powers, now it was time to let loose. I closed my eyes and started at the beginning of my memories, the ones Beasty had given me during our merge. If I was going to be stuck here until I worked up enough strength for an escape, I would put the time to good use. Right now, the most important thing I could do was learn from the wisdom buried in those memories.

This was the last time I would ever be taken by surprise. The last time I would be weak. It was time to take the training wheels off this bicycle.

This dragoness was going to come back with a vengeance.

I was done with hiding.

I felt the beginning flicker of my dragon fire.

This queen is coming for her throne.