Page 45 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

Some habits were hard to break.

Ten

Raina

I awoke to the warm glow of sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting patterns on the plush carpet. My body felt weak, every muscle protesting as I slowly shifted in the soft sheets, trying to make sense of my surroundings.

This wasn't any room I'd ever called mine, but it was familiar. I was back at Thornewood Castle.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed Liam asleep in a chair beside the bed. He was leaning back, arms crossed, with his chin touching his chest. Wavy locks of hair fell across his forehead.

A fleeting hint of nostalgia made my chest throb. For a heartbeat, I forgot how much he hated me.

I was having a hard time understanding why he'd come for me. I assumed he must have been sent by Aeryn. Regardless, he'd risked his life to save mine and I owed him for it.

I then noticed the dark dried stain on his pectoral, where the small dagger had been embedded. He'd done his job, so why hadn't he gone to clean up? Why was he here beside me?

Wanting to be upright, I attempted to sit up. Pain shot through my body like lightning, and I winced, collapsing back onto the pillows.

Liam jerked awake and he quickly stood, concern etched on his face.

"Easy there," he said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder to keep me from trying to move again. "Sage said you shouldn't move around much yet."

I stared at him, confused and slightly resentful. Why did he have to be so infuriatingly caring now?

"Thank you," I said hoarsely, averting my eyes from his intense gaze. "For ... just, thank you."

Liam continued staring, then nodded. "You should go back to sleep."

Apparently, ayou're welcomewas too much for him to muster. And here I thought things couldn't be more awkward between us.

Unable–and unwilling–to keep my eyes open while he stood over me, I relaxed and drifted back to sleep. Liam might not be my biggest fan, but he wasn't going to harm me. Not physically, at least.

The next time I awoke, Liam was gone. In his place sat Saxon. His colossal canine sat on his haunches staring at his master.

"Seriously, Fermac, you cannot steal food from the kitchens whenever you're hungry," Saxon chided. "You scared the staff half to death by sneaking up like that."

Fermac huffed.

"Also, you'd already been fed. Is it your desire to be too fat to be of use?"

Fermac's champagne eyes flicking towards the ceiling before looking away, feigning disinterest.

The door swung open and Lorne entered, his wide body filling up my vision. Emotion, primarily relief, struck so fast I shook with it.

I pushed myself up to sit, finding it much easier this time around. "Lorne," I said softly, reaching out my hand, not knowing what else to do.

Instead of taking it, he sat at my hip and gently folded me into his big frame and the shaking subsided. It had been so long since anyone from my old life showed me any true affection.

"I'm sorry I left you," he murmured into my hair, his voice thick with emotion.

"Don't apologize for that. I told you to go."

"I’m still sorry."

Saxon tsked. "There's no guilt to be had here, Lorne. If you had not returned to Nox with those arrows in your back, you'd likely have died there and we might not have ever found Raina. You did the right thing. Both of you."

Lorne released me from his arms and inspected the bruising that was surely covering my face and neck. It was on my arms, too, but those I could see. Guilt, thick and cumbersome, coated his face.

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