Page 88 of All's Fair in Lion and War
He took her hand and led her up the walk and up the stairs. Naomi had disappeared, leaving Col to man the door.
“Vraka.” Saul bowed his head to Col as they passed over the threshold.
“It is good to see you both up and about and healthy. Lorelei looks improved.”
“Her beast is doing its best to help her catch up. She’d lost so much weight, but it’s going to take time. She’s eating well. Thank you for sending the extra food to our cabin.”
Lorelei felt heat rise in her cheeks at the conversation about her health. She was severely underweight still, but no matter how much she ate. She could only gain so much, so fast. Her strength and stamina were improving, but it was going to take some time.
“Hey, sweetie. Come on in and sit with me.” Naomi came up next to her and swiped her hand from Saul. Then pulled her through the entry toward the large open room—they called it a living room. It had chairs and couches and huge windows looking out over the frozen river and the mountain called Denali.
Saul had been working with her on basic terms for this world. Home. Town. Landscape. She was getting there.
“How are you? Can I get you anything to drink? Eat?”
“No, I’m good. I really couldn’t eat anything right now. Are they here?”
Naomi put a hand on her shoulder and then pulled her in for a quick hug. “Almost.”
Like magick, a knock echoed from the front door.
Lorelei’s throat closed. Her heart hammered in her chest so hard it hurt. Her hands were shaking, her breathing turned to panting. She couldn’t get a full breath. Her emotions were spiraling. “I can’t. I can’t.”
Saul was next to her in an instant.
Naomi was still at her side.
“Put your head down. Put your hand on Saul’s chest. Focus on his heart beat and breathe. It’s a panic attack. You’re going to be fine. I promise.”
Lorelei let Naomi position her. Let her move her hand to Saul’s chest. All the things.
“Lorelei. Listen to me.”
Her whole body was vibrating. She could smell them. They were inside the cabin. The scents weren’t familiar.
It wasn’t Rivian.Theyweren’t Rivian.
Rivian was dead. He was gone. He couldn’t hurt her anymore.
These weren’t the warriors who had beaten her every day. Who had laughed and teased and broken bones so that she couldn’t move.
They weren’t the ones that had pulled her joints out of socket over and over when they bound her to keep her from shifting into her lion and trying to kill them all.
“I’m right here. You’re safe.” Saul’s voice caressed her anxious mind.
“We should leave.” An unfamiliar male voice spoke from slightly to her right.
Naomi responded from the seat next to Lorelei on the couch. “Give her a minute. She’s getting there.”
Lorelei shook her head. She wasn’t getting there. Everything was crashing down around her all over again. She could hear the laughing and taunting. Her bones crunching beneath their booted feet. Smell her blood on her skin. Feel her lion giving up and it’s strength abandoning her.
“You did his bidding.” The words came out in a half scream. “You hurt people for that bastard.” She looked to her right—seeking out the unfamiliar face.
He was right there, not five paces away.
They all were. All five of them.
“We are ashamed of our actions, but we did our best not to hurt anyone directly. We took care of the woman in our pod. But you’re right. We took orders from him and we were too cowardly to stand up to him. Others tried. They were all killed. And not just executed. They were—” He hesitated and she knew why.
