Page 42 of The King's Man
“Diadre, wake up!”
My eyes flew open and my pulse banged in my skull.
Jann.
Jann leaning over me, eyes wide, and staring. Breathing hard. His shoulders rising and falling.
“It was a dream,” he breathed. “Just a dream.”
I blinked, my breath coming in sobs as Jann flopped down to the furs next to me, panting. “It was a dream. You’re safe,” he whispered, his voice tight and tormented. “Just breathe.”
Body quivering and eyes stinging, I lay there, staring at the ceiling of the tent, blinking and trying to get my body back under control.
It was a dream. Just a dream.
And that warm, hard length was his body, alongside mine. Because he had to be seen to claim me… and I was too scared to sleep alone.
“You’re safe, Diadre. I promise.” His calloused hand reached for mine and he twined our fingers, mine spread wide because his hands were so big. But I didn’t let go, because it helped. Ithelpedto hold onto him.
“Do you want to tell me?” he asked a minute later, whispering into the dark now that I wasn’t panting anymore.
“You were there,” I said immediately. “He was dragging me away and you were there and you wouldn’t help me—” I broke off because the words were harder to say than I’d expected.
It was just a damn dream. But it felt so real!
Jann cursed and pushed up on his elbow, still laying alongside me, but looking down on me.
“Diadre… look at me.”
It was hard to meet his gaze. That golden gaze that seemed like it shouldn’t be trusted. And yet…
And yet he was the only one who’d protected me.
When I finally made myself look at him, those eyesblazed.
“I killed him. He’s gone.”
“But the r-rest of them—”
“This was a dream,” he said bluntly. “It’snevergoing to happen. I should never have let you storm off like that. I’m sorry I failed you. But I learned. I will tear the head off any man who so much as looks at you sideways. Do you believe me?”
Strangely, I found that I did. I nodded.
“Then you rest with that,” he said with a simple nod, before settling back down again, on his side this time. “You remember that. You could walk naked through this camp at the height of a frenzy andI will protect you.You have my word.”
The tears threatened, but I swallowed them back. I wished he’d hold my hand again, but didn’t know how to ask. So Inodded and breathed my gratitude. Then stared at the ceiling of the tent and blinked away the sting. Because there was no way I would go back to sleep this night.
No. Fucking. Way.
*****
~ JANN ~
I waited, watching her in the dark. She didn’t relax. Her breathing didn’t slow or even out. It stopped hitching, but her eyes weren’t even closed.
She lay on her back, hands on her stomach, staring at the ceiling of the tent. Her body was ramrod straight. She was fully clothed—even wearing her boots. She didn’t want a fur over her and even though she didn’t say it, I knew it was because she wanted the freedom to run, or fight.
Everything about her screamed fear and it was my fucking fault.
