Page 94 of The Alpha's Fallen Spell
I don’t let go. Because she’s not backing away.
Fiona’s eyes dart from one of mine to the other. I can see how torn she is. Not from fear, though. This is something else. Conflict. Hunger. Hesitation. She wants to run away and lean in at the same time. I get it.
But then, my gaze drops.
Her shirt clings to her damp skin, and I can see the faint ridges of old wounds beneath the thin cotton. Faded scars across her ribs, jagged lines near her hip. Marks that were never meant to heal cleanly. Marks no one should carry.
My throat goes dry.
She’s here. She’s standing in front of me, trembling and real and brave—but all I can see are the ghosts burned into her skin.
I let go of her wrist and let my hand fall back to my side. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
She makes a sound of disbelief. “I’m not that easily scared.” She turns on the tap and starts filling the sink with water. “Take off your shirt.”
I do as she says and wonder if the small hiss of breath I hear is from the horrific looking wound or because she’s seeing me shirtless.
“This will heal in another half hour,” I tell her.
“Really?” She gives me a doubtful look before dipping a cloth in the warm water and wiping the blood off my stomach.
It’s my turn to stiffen. Her hands on my body make me feel all sorts of things. They’re wreaking havoc on my self-control.
“How did you know he was down there?”
I’m so focused on watching her hands that I nearly miss the question. “What?”
She glances up at me. “Michael. How did you know he was here?”
“I was keeping watch. I know you don’t want to see me during the daytime, so I have other soldiers watching your café. I take over for the night shift. Why wasn’t the back door locked?” I feel a surge of irritation. “You should have locked it.”
She shrugs. “I must’ve forgotten. I’ve been a little distracted lately.”
I grip her by the upper arms, infuriated by the carelessness in her voice. Pulling her to her feet, I glare at her. “What were you going to do if you got captured again? Don’t you have any idea what they plan to do to you, Fiona?”
She stares at me silently for a minute. When she speaks, her voice is soft in a way that makes my blood go cold. “Do you think I’m going to let myself be captured, Erik?”
There’s something about the way she says it that has my wolf feeling a little anxious. “What do you mean?”
She doesn’t pull away from me. Instead, she smiles—a cool, hollow smile. “I spent a long time studying poisons when I was at the palace. There is a pill that you can have inserted inside your tooth. Human spies use it to stop an interrogation. It kills them.”
I stare at her, stunned. “What?”
She shrugs. “I have no intentions of being captured alive. I wanted to prepare for the eventuality that the Silver Ring Organization would come after me again. So, I had a contingency plan put in place. Months ago.”
“A suicide pill?” I’ve heard of them. My wolf claws at me on the inside as it realizes the ramifications of Fiona’s actions. “Have you lost your mind? You were going to kill yourself?!”
She breaks free of my hold, looking annoyed. “Don’t act as if I want to off myself. But I know what they will do to me. Why would I go through that? I plan to live my life. Enjoy it as much as I can till they find me. And when they do, I’ll make sure I’m useless to them.”
Fury surges through me. “You’re taking that pill out!”
“I am not.” She dips the washcloth in the water and squeezes it. “You don’t get to have a say in this, Erik.”
I yank the washcloth from her hand and throw it to the ground. “The hell I don’t! You think I’m going to sit here and watch you kill yourself?”
Fiona rolls her eyes. “Why are you so dramatic? I’m not trying to kill myself. But I’m not willing to be held captive again. I don’t want to return to the palace as a prisoner, and I don’t want to be taken by the Silver Ring or this new organization. This is my way out if and when the time comes. And it’s no one’s business but my own.”
“I’m your fated mate, so it is my business!” I roar, giving her a quick shake. “Did you ever think about me while youwere getting a poison pill planted in your tooth? Was I even an afterthought?”
