Page 34 of Magic Claimed
“Of course,” Anise said.
“Don’t bother, Anise. I’m not staying to eat it,’ I said.
Anise led a startled Gilda from the room. My heart sank to see the back of my former best friend. She may have deceived me, but it didn’t mean I disliked her. She was my only friend. And now? Now I had none.
“Oh, I think you are, Little Mate. You will eat and then you will sleep, and then you will be reasonable enough to listen,” Alerick said.
I fought against the exhaustion that made my limbs heavy with each struggling movement.“I will not do those things. I will never be reasonable.”
“Not spoken like a true slave. Anyone would think you’d be a bit more subservient if you are the slave you say you are,” Jarom drawled.
“You know nothing about me.” I uttered a frustrated sound. “Why aren’t you listening to me?” I said. I brought my heel down on Alerick’s booted calf, doing nothing but hurting myself. I cried out.
“Stop this.” Alerick wrapped his legs over mine so that I was locked within the cage of his body. His delectable scent of oak and cinnamon wove around me, making me madder. My back was crushed so hard against the front of his body I felt every muscle tense and undulate. The telltale, tantalizing bulge between his legs pressing into the centre of my back sent a wave of heat coursing through me. Damn him and damn this bond!
“She’s more trouble than she’s worth,” Jarom said.
“Iammore trouble than I’m worth. Hells, Jarom still thinks I’m a spy! Go get a real spy or a whore or a wolf or whoever wants you. You’ll have less trouble,” I snarled, too angry now to stop saying the first thing that came to my mind.
“You are our mate, Serafine. Not a whore. Not a slave. You’re a beautiful woman who has not known love. You don’t know how to accept it and you don’t know how to give it. Not yet. It is a tragedy we will spend the rest of our lives rectifying,” Eike said.
His face, that usually held so much warmth and humor, now looked totally lost. As though he really believed everything he said. As though I’d hurt him when I said I didn’t want them.Why in the seven hells did he need to say something like that?
Heat and pressure built in my chest and flew upwards. I drew in a breath and, to my horror, my chest compressed and tears dripped down my face. I brought in a shuddering breath which only made it worse. Sobs wracked my body. The more I fought it, the harder my body fought to let it all out.
My face went hot and red. Tremors wracked my body. Tears and snot streamed down my face and I was surrounded by Alerick’s body, his hands wiping my tears away, his lips on my ear making soothing sounds, his body softened around me to cradle me as though I was soft and precious andwanted.
Eike sat next to Alerick. He touched my knee, my arm, tucked my hair behind my ear when they became wet and stuck to my cheek with my tears. He was so tender and gentle and I hated that he made me want more of that touch. Damn them. Damn them all to hell.
Eventually I had cried all my tears and I was back to total exhaustion. Eike brushed my face with a warm cloth. This was the first time I could remember that anyone had held me with such tenderness and I hated them more for it. Hated them because it made me yearn for more. It was addictive. I was so damn tired, there was nothing I could do about it but lie in Alerick’s arms and accept it.
“Feel better now?” Alerick said, a hint of humour in his voice.
“This isn’t funny,” I said.
“No. It’s not. I don’t find it funny that our mate had been Esoti’s slave and endured more torture in her life than generations of people. I don’t find it funny that our mate can’t accept her mates, or a bond that is gifted to all shifters through fate, or understands any of it because she was basically raised by a psychopath, but I swear to you, Little Mate, that we will do our best to show you, until the day comes that you cannot deny how important and how precious you are to us.”
My greedy soul sucked up his words, parched as the desert, but my mind knew better. All of his lovely words meant nothing when what they really wanted from me was trapped deep within my body. Ancient magic was the greatest motivator to declarations of loyalty and love, but I knew deceit when I saw it.
It was clear I couldn’t do anything now but recover, but I had my own magic now. I didn’t recognize it before, but as I glanced about the room at the balls of golden lights that scattered and flowed along the corners of the room, popping in and out of existence, I knew I had my way out.
I would rid myself of this collar and then I would rid myself of these Alpha wolves.
I would learn to use my magic.
Chapter Nineteen
Jarom took a tray from whomever was on the other side of the door. The aroma of savoury stew filled my nostrils. My stomach roared as loud as Alerick’s growls. Eike chuckled and I glared at him.
Jarom stalked towards me. I stiffened, wondering what he would do, but he shoved the tray into Eike’s hands and went back to leaning against the wall. He crossed his arms and legs, his expression unreadable. Hurt jabbed my heart, but the bond manipulated feelings.
I would use him to get to Alerick and Eike. They would listen to him, as it was clear they weren’t interested in hearing me.
I lacked the strength to lift my arms for the tray of food Eike held. It didn’t stop me from trying, but Alerick caged me in the cradle of his body.
“Let me up,” I said.
“You will learn you can trust your mates. Eike will feed you,” Alerick said.
