Page 59 of Bonds of Pain
“At learning to fight or tricking you into not killing each other?”
His smile widens. “Both.”
Chapter Sixteen
MAYA
Ifully expect Poe to drag me to his room and toss me on the nearest flat surface. But he surprises me by stopping at a totally different door and pushing it open with a rueful smile cast over one shoulder.
“I’m covered in Ares’s sweat, and I really need to soak this shoulder before it swells up. You mind?”
With a noncommittal shrug, I follow him into the expansive bathroom that I’d only gotten the briefest look at before. The sunken tub at the center of the room is as impressive as I remember it, large enough to take up the space of a small pool and surrounded by glimmering tile.
Poe moves to fill the tub, obviously favoring his shoulder. “You’re welcome to join me.”
It’s purely a suggestion, his eyebrows raised with earnest hope rather than expectation. I have no idea what to do with this softer side of him. Logan’s domineering attitude naturally invites resistance, Cillian’s lack of knowledge about Omegas is an obvious weakness and Ares has been easy to avoid so far.
But Poe has me disarmed. At least, until I figure out how best to react to this new version of him.
I stare at the tub as Poe strips off his shirt, revealing a broad back marked with scars I’ve never seen before. The slight twitch of muscle is the only evidence that this isn’t of a part of himself that he typically shows other people. Just a hint of vulnerability that I would miss entirely if I wasn’t watching him so closely.
“You can turn around if you want,” he offers, his back still to me. “I don’t expect anything.”
“I’ve seen naked men before,” I reply, though I do turn away as he removes his pants. The splash of water signals he’s entered the tub.
When I look back, Poe sits with his head tilted back against the edge, eyes closed, steam rising around him. His injured shoulder bears a darkening bruise, and he holds it at an awkward cant as he settles back.
“Your shoulder looks dislocated.”
He doesn’t open his eyes. “It might be.”
“Don’t you need to set it before the swelling gets too bad?”
His lips briefly quirk in a smile, eyes still closed. “Probably.”
“Poe.”
That infuriating smile widens. “Maya.”
“You need to get your shoulder looked at.”
He tilts his head back far enough that end of his dark strands curl in the water, face a study in relaxation. “If I go see the medics, then I’ll be gone for at least a few hours. Ares will insist that you spend the night with him if I’m not here.”
“You’re really going to risk permanent injury just to avoid losing your night with me?”
He shrugs, freezing halfway through the movement with a wince of pain. “The palace doctor will still be there in the morning.”
“Oh, for the love of…” I begin hastily stripping out of my dress before I have the chance to think through the wisdom of the decision. Poe’s eyes remain respectfully closed, though I don’t miss the way the skin around his eyes crinkles in amusement. I turn my back anyway as the fabric falls to the floor at my feet. It’s a particular feeling to know you’re being manipulated while having no idea how to stop yourself from falling for it.
I leave my underwear on, even though it’s the flimsiest barrier imaginable. An Alpha can break bones with their bare hands, so thin cotton doesn’t stand much of a chance. But I appreciate the feeling of not being entirely nude, even if it hardly matters at this point.
The water is almost too warm as I slip into the water and wade carefully toward the deceptively harmless Alpha. He reacts so subtly when I gently touch his injured shoulder that I almost miss the movement. He is clearly putting effort into not scaring me away.
I’m just like a fly buzzing around a Venus trap, too focused on the allure to appreciate the danger.
My fingers press against the hot muscle just above the curve of his pectoral muscle and Poe releases an unsteady breath.
Do you even know how to set a dislocated shoulder?” he asks with a pained grunt.
