Page 27 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

Merrick stalked right up to them, pushing Lessia out of the way.

Getting into Raine’s face, he dragged the Fae to him by his shirt. “Do not threaten any of us again. Especially not her. Do you hear me?”

A dark chuckle left Merrick when Raine raised his brows in challenge. “We’ve fought before, Raine. Remember the outcome.”

Rolling his eyes, Raine patted the hand twisting his shirt. “I see your temper remains intact.”

But when Merrick continued to glower at him, his steely eyes burning into Raine’s, the latter nodded. “Fine. You have my word.”

Raine glanced toward the still-snarling beast, and when he jerked his head, Ydren disappeared into the clear water, barely leaving a ripple on the smooth surface—almost as if the wyvern had never been there at all.

“I see you were able to control Ydren as well. She didn’t like that.” Raine gave her a lopsided smile over Merrick’s shoulder.

Lessia only glared back at him, still unsure whether his promise not to hurt them was sincere.

Releasing him, Merrick seemed about to turn around to face Lessia when Raine spoke again. “Do you know who she really is?”

Merrick froze mid-turn, his magic roiling in the air once more.

“She’s Alarin’s daughter, yes,” he growled.

Raine lifted his hands. “Just making sure you know what you’re doing. Come on, I’ll take you to my place.” He glanced at Lessia and wiggled his brows. “Seems like some of you might need something to wear. Unless you prefer to walk around naked, that is. Not that I’d mind.”

Her lips curled back when a laugh bubbled out of Raine, but before she could slam a dagger into his stupid face, Merrick lifted her and threw her over his shoulder.

“Let. Me. Down,” she snarled when he started walking after Raine, Venko and Ardow cautiously following. “I swear, Merrick, I will kill you.”

“No, you won’t,” he said simply as he adjusted her and lengthened his strides to follow Raine up a sandbank.

ChapterSeven

Lessia stared at the leathers folded on the chair in the corner of the room she’d been shown.

Raine had reluctantly given them to her while mumbling something about how they’d probably fit, but with a strange expression twisting his features.

Lessia shook her head.

She knew Fae usually dressed differently—had seen the clothing her father would wear upon returning from spending time with his brother.

Their clothing was usually more elaborate, with different and more daring cuts, using colors humans usually deemed excessive.

But this?

Hesitantly lifting the brown vest, she examined it, wincing at the cutoff sleeves.

Even if she was no longer forced to hide the tattoo, these sleeves were nonexistent—not the capped ones the women in Ellow preferred, but leaving everything from her mid-shoulder to her hands bare.

And while the intricate lacing in the front was beautiful, it ended just above her chest… revealing much more skin than she was comfortable with.

When she unfolded them, the breeches weren’t any better.

She might have lost some weight during the election, and the leather was supple, but these would be skin tight.

Groaning to herself, with a rough towel, Lessia rubbed off the last drops of water from the quick dip she’d taken in the creek behind Raine’s house.

Her fingers absentmindedly traced the scars on her arm when she finished, whispering over the raised skin where the outline of the snake remained, only now in a slightly lighter shade than her skin.

As she peeked at it, her chest constricted.

---