Page 14 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

“Just a few rough tumbles during the royal hunt,” he muttered. “It’s nothing.”

“They don’t look like nothing.” But, changing the subject, she looked up at him. “I am deeply sorry for what happened. I w-was mad at myself. Mad at how helpless I felt. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

“There’s no reason to apologize,” Lord Vladya said, shaking his head. “Seeing the condition Emeriel was in… I understand—” His eyes flashedyellow, and his hand shot out, gripping her neck.

“Human scum,” he growled in an angry, deadly tone.

Aekeira’s breath seized as his grip held tight, cutting off her air. Her hands went to his wrist, but she didn’t fight him.

She had learned long ago panicking only made things worse.

As quickly as it began, he released her as though she had bitten him. Stepping back so fast he nearly lost his balance.

“I… I apologize, I apologize, Aekeira. Just leave. Tonight’s… tonight’s bad. I do not want you to get hurt.”

Aekeira inhaled deeply, steadying her breath and pounding heart. “I’m not going anywhere. So you may as well stop trying to push me away.”

He shook his head again, hands balled into fists. “It’s too dangerous—”

“Please, let me help you, Vlad,” she whispered now… pleading.

Before he could protest, she pressed on. “It only gets this bad when you suppress your instincts for too long, and when you haven’t been sleeping well. When was the last time you fed?”

“I’m not touching Merilyn in this state. And sleep…” He barked a bitter laugh. “Sleep is hard to come by when there are so many voices in your head giving you pointers on how to commit a mass massacre andbathe in their damn blood.”

Aekeira wanted to embrace him. To pull him into her arms and take some of that pain away.

But if there was one thing his past episodes had taught her, it was to be cautious in moments like this.

“May I hug you?” she asked gently, opening her arms to him.

For a moment, he was rigid, his gray eyes wild. But slowly, the tension began to drain from him.

Without another word, he stepped stiffly into her embrace, lowering his head to rest against her shoulder.

Relief washed over Aekeira as she held him close, her arms tightening around him.Light-gods, how I had missed this male.

The stiffness in her own body melted away.

Suddenly, everything felt alright in Aekeira’s world again.

***

Kill, kill, kill!

Kill them all...!

Closing his eyes, Vladya forced himself to focus on her touch, grounding himself in her soft arms.

His beast prowled restlessly within him like a confined wild animal, clawing at his insides, desperate to be let out.

Craving to cause destruction.

Hungryfor havoc.

"I will run you a bath," Aekeira’s soft voice penetrated his chaotic mind. "And I will send Yaz to fetch some ointment for the bruises and a potion to help reduce the headache—it may help you relax enough to get some sleep, is that okay?"

How did she always know of the headache pounding behind his eyes like his skull was being split in two?

---