Page 53 of The Labyrinth

“Eat,” he commanded.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I dug into the food, scarfing down as much as I could before he even sat down with his own plate. He didn’t make a move to touch his food, just watched me with contentment clear in his eyes. “What?” I asked through a mouthful of egg.

He shook his head. “You’re beautiful.”

I dropped my fork, reaching up for the bird’s nest I was sure my hair looked like. I had egg and tomato all over my face, and I couldn’t imagine I smelled nice either. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Truly.” He took a bite of his egg, smiling at me, then pointed with his fork. “Eat. Finish your plate.”

I scooped up another bite of food, moaning when it touched my lips. How could I have forgotten how good food tasted? I must have lost my mind. I looked up at Ten, suddenly feeling very grateful for where I was. “Thank you,” I murmured.

“For your eggs?” He raised a brow. “You don’t need to thank me for breakfast.”

“For all of it.” I toyed with a piece of tomato on my plate, spearing it with my fork until it split. “For not giving up on me.”

“You don’t need to thank me for that, either.” He set down his fork, staring at me as if he could see past all my defenses. “I told you. You’re mine. That means I’m not going anywhere. Ever. If you need someone to hold you, and tell you it’s all going to be okay, I’ll be that person. If you need me to burn you, and make you feel alive, I’ll be that person. I will be whoever you need me to be for the rest of your life.”

I spun the tomato around on my fork, unable to look away from his piercing gaze. “I want you to be you.”

“Good.” Ten pushed his plate away, letting his half-eaten breakfast take the place of my nearly demolished one. “Now, eat. You need it.”

I grabbed his plate, happily stealing the rest of his food.

“Now, I don’t want to push you…” Ten started.

I looked up at him, suddenly worried, fork frozen halfway to my mouth. “But?”

“Nothing bad.” He chuckled quietly. “I just thought you might want to take a walk to the market with me. Get some fresh air. Some daylight on your skin. But if you’re not up for it, that’s okay, too.”

Outside. To the market. With other people. People who had seen what I did. “Does everyone know?” I whispered.

Ten reached across the table, grabbing my hands in his. “Listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. There is an unspoken rule here that we don’t discuss previous Cage fights citizens might have been involved in. Even if someone was there, they wouldn't speak of it to you.”

I nodded. That made me feel a little better. “I can really go to the market, though? It’s okay?”

He looked at me, an intensity I hadn’t seen for a while sparking through his eyes. “You earned your place, deliciae. If anyone has a problem with you, they can take it up with me.”

His possessive nature, and the way he wanted to protect me, lit something alive inside of me. That craving I had for him and his body never went away. If anything, it was stronger than ever, telling me just how badly I needed him, and needed him to claim me as his. But right now, I just wanted to make him proud. “Let’s go to the market.”

“Finish eating, and get dressed. I’ll meet you at the front door.” The smile on his face told me I had made the right call.

I was suddenly excited about the prospect of leaving the house in the daylight, even if it was just to go to the market. I shoveled the rest of Ten’s plate into my mouth, and hurried up the stairs to my closet. I had been living in the same shirt of Ten’s since I got home, so the idea of putting on something that was mine felt strange. But I put on a dress I thought Ten would like, dragged the brush through my hair, and jogged back down the stairs before any doubt could creep into my mind, reminding me I didn’t actually belong here. That maybe I would be safer back in my bed, with the curtains drawn.

Ten stood at the door, looking as sexy as ever. He ran his eyes over my outfit, lingering on my face. “What? Do I have food on my face or something?” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

He shook his head. “No. It’s just the most incredible thing to see your eyes so alive again. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”

I walked the few steps between us, wrapping my arms around his broad waist the best I could. He hugged me back, and I would’ve been happy to stay like that forever. A reminder I had something worth fighting for, time and time again.

“Come on,” he murmured, pulling apart and tugging on my hand. “Let’s go.”

We walked out hand in hand into the blue sky. It was a beautiful day, without a cloud in sight, the sun warm but not overly hot.

For some reason, I expected people to stare at us the second we walked out the doors. But people hurried past, keeping their heads low to the ground, not giving us a second look. As much as it made me feel more comfortable, knowing I wasn’t the center of attention, it was weird, wasn’t it? “Are the people normally this…jumpy?” I asked under my breath as yet another person pushed past, not acknowledging us in the slightest. “Or is it me?”

Ten shook his head. “No. They’re off. They had a few days reprieve after the fight, where they felt untouchable again, but I think it’s faded. People are nervous about the Ravens. They want to do what they have to do in public, and hurry home.”

I watched the people rush around us, not speaking to anyone else, completely set on whatever mission they were on. It was strange to me, to think that a monster would be afraid of anyone else. But there were hierarchies in every culture, and according to Ten, the Ravens were up there in terms of viciousness. “Why do the Ravens think anyone wants them in control?”

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