Page 390 of Primal Bonds

Her jaw set. “You do love me. You’re just afraid to admit it.”

“Mmph.”

She glanced down. Adric looked back at her, eyes gleaming a brilliant blue in the gloom.

Chapter 31

From far off, Adric heard Rosana arguing with Langdon. Was aware of other people in the room, too, all men.

Get the fuck away from her.

His vocal cords vibrated in a growl that only he heard. He tried to rise but couldn’t.

Rough hands lifted him, conveyed him down first one flight of stairs, then another. Pain jolted through his head, down his spine. He gritted his teeth and bore it. He would not give them the satisfaction of hearing him groaning.

The movement halted. The hands released him and he fell to the floor. His head bounced. A white light exploded behind his eyes. The pain reached a screaming pitch and he passed out.

For a time, everything was blissfully dark. But gradually, sensation returned, and with it the knowledge that Rosana needed him.

He clawed his way back to consciousness.

Cold. Dank.

Hard stone beneath his body.

The musical trickle of water.

Rosana’s scent, and the murmur of her voice.

A soft thigh beneath his head…and his head pounding like a motherfucker.

“You do love me,” she said. “You’re just afraid to admit it.”

“Mmph.” He wasn’t sure if he was agreeing or disagreeing, but he did know that he needed to see her.

He forced his eyes open. He was on his back with his head on Rosana’s lap. The room was so dark he could barely see a foot in front of his face. His eyes went night-glow.

Rosana gave a tremulous smile, her own irises a luminous aquamarine in the shadowy light. “You’re awake.”

He grunted, the only sound he could manage right then.

He hurt everywhere. His muscles. His bones. His fingers. His face. Even his toes twinged when he gave them an experimental flex.

But the worst was his head. He fingered his right temple. He vaguely recalled Langdon slamming him face-first into the desk. The blow had reverberated through his skull and down his vertebrae. He was lucky the prick hadn’t broken his neck. Thankfully, the wound had already scabbed over, his body drawing on his quartz to speed his healing.

But after that, he didn’t recall much. In fact, he couldn’t remember exactly how Rosana had come to be involved.

“How long…was I out?”

“About fifteen minutes.”

“Fuck.” He tried to lift his head off her lap and froze as the dull throbbing in his brain spiked.

“Shh. Don’t move.” Rosana guided him back onto her thigh. “Rest.”

She smoothed a palm over his eyes and nose, down to his chin. The pain eased. His eyelids drifted shut. He nuzzled her hand, both man and cat wanting nothing but to drift off again.

He forced his eyes to open. “Where?” he asked through swollen lips.

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