Page 31 of Revenant

“Or Eryx,” he adds. But everyone knows he will show up when everybody else has—nobody tells him when or where to be. Moody as hell, that one. “Speaking of which, does he even know?”

“Bas was supposed to tell him” I offer. Though since Bastian was the one tasked with it, the gesture’s a bit hollow.

“So…no?”

“Most likely.”

“Um, are the hoods really necessary?” A girl’s voice cuts from the middle of the room. Fuck—I almost forgot they were here. Four girls, standing in a straight line, hands tied behind their backs, with black cloth hoods over their heads.

I release a heavy sigh. “What did I say about being quiet?”

A door swings open. Bastian strolls in, and my face goes slack, heat rising. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I bite out, dragging a hand down my face.

“Sorry we’re late. Got a little…held up,” Bas says, but I barely hear him. All of my attention zeroes in on Alicent. Naked. Every inch of her folded against him. My mouth goes dry—I can’t look away.

Bastian sets her down on shaky legs in line with the others. Freckles scatter across her shoulders, trailing down over the soft curve of her breasts. Her hands instinctively move to cover them, and I’m willing to bet her face beneath that cloth hood is the same shade as her hair.

The light catches the wetness of her skin, accentuating the toned lines of her hips and thighs. My mind goes blank, all previous thoughts rushing back full force. I never looked when she went skinny dipping at the bonfire, thinking if I had seen her like this—exposed, vulnerable—I wouldn’t be able to control myself. She’s stunning, and despite every warning her Calder blood should set off in me, I’m learning I can’t keep my distance the way I’d thought I could.

My tongue drags along my bottom lip, then along the edges of my top teeth, tasting the impossibility of restraint.

She’s trembling. Whatever may have happened between her and Bastian doesn’t matter. Her fear hits me like a drug, and I want it, every pulse of it. I want to drown in it, own it.

Before I can even think, I’m unbuttoning my shirt, ignoring Elias’s sideways glance. My feet cover the space between Alicent and me, and without a second thought, I drape my shirt over her shoulders, guiding her arms through the sleeves. I spent the morning with a book open in my hands, not reading a word of it, watching her instead, and now I can’t seem to think about anything else.

Without her sight, her fingers fumble for the buttons, shaking as she tries to cover herself quickly. Something stirs in me, and I can’t stop myself from reaching for her hands. I take them in mine, leaning closer, letting her freshly washed scent sink in. “I got it, love.” Her breath catches sharply, then flutters as she exhales, and I realize just how close I am to losing control.

Her hands fall to her sides, trusting me at her most vulnerable. The first few buttons slip into place easily. On the fourth, my pinky brushes her navel—barely a touch—and my body ignites. Alicent gasps, goosebumps rising where I touched her. She doesn’t pull away. Instead, her body freezes, so still I might forget she’s breathing—if it weren’t for her heart pounding against her chest.

I clear my throat, forcing myself to finish the rest with deliberate speed, all the while attempting to hide the fire inside me. I shift to stand between Elias and Bastian, unable to stop myself from noticing the faint sound of Alicent picking her nails, over and over, betraying her nerves. A tick? Perhaps we should have bound her hands like the others, but something tells me this helps keep her calm.

My jaw clenches tight enough to ache, already exhausted with Bastian’s antics. “What were you thinking?” My words come out level only because I force them to; my stare pinned on the overly confident asshole.

He lifts his shoulders, the picture of innocence as he walks toward us. “I got her here, didn’t I?”

“Naked, Bas? Really?”

“What can I say, the opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t pass it up,” he gloats, beaming from ear to ear.

“Just tell me you kept your hands to yourself.” Elias growls, annoyance dripping from every word.

“I don’t kiss and tell.”

“That’s actually all you do.” He huffs, clearly annoyed.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Please just say you didn’t do anything stupid.”

“As a matter of fact, I was the perfect gentleman. Have a little faith.”

“I would if I couldn’t see your boner from here,” Elias says flatly.

“Are you offering to take care of it?” Bas winks, and I can practically see Elias’s irritation spike.

“Bite me.”

“Careful, E. You know what that mouth does to me.”

“For fuck’s sake, both of you shut up.” I pivot, all my exasperation aimed squarely at Bastian. “You know as well as I do that was stupid. You could’ve at least gotten her dressed.”