Page 112 of Bruised MC Bear
7
Kiera
Kiera awoketo the sound of a crackling fire. The covers and blankets around her were perfect, not too warm and not too stuffy. The bed she stretched out on was so soft and snug, she could probably go right back to sleep. She rolled to her side, breathing in the sweet citrus and pine scent of the pillow below her head.
“Mmmm,” she moaned, nuzzling the side her face into it to get into a comfortable position. Except, how did she get home?
Her eyes snapped open.
Oh my God!
She was not in her room.
This was not the fortress.
She jack-knifed up into a sitting position, and it all came back.
Xander’s cabin.
At least he was not in the bed too. Where was he?
“You are safe,” said a voice.
“Xander?”
“Who else?” he asked, then he sat up from his spot on the bench at the foot of the bed, where he had probably been resting.
Because I am in his bed!
“How did I…” she started. Her heart was pounding again. She turned her head in every direction of the room, then looked down and lifted the covers. All she had on was her tunic and undergarments. “Where are my clothes and shoes? And how did I get from eating supper at the table to sleeping in your bed with barely any clothing?”
“Your robe and cloak are hanging in my wardrobe, and your shoes are at the door. I found you sleeping at the table when I got back from the dining hall with drinks. I did try to wake you, but you were out like a light, so I put you to bed. Relax. Everything is fine. Take a breath.”
“I will do no such thing! What time is it? I must get back to the fortress.”
Xander yawned and stretched out his arms. “It is a few minutes past seven.”
“Oh. Okay. That is not too bad. We got here around six.”
“Seven a.m., Kiera.”
“What? And you didn’t wake me?” She jumped out of the bed and rushed over to the wardrobe for the rest of her things. Nausea hit her. This was not good. The Regent had probably sent his guards to comb the village in search of her by now. The restlessness in her stomach got worse by the second. How on earth was she supposed to explain spending the night outside of the fortress? In a man’s quarters. No, a shifter’s. On their camp. “I must leave now. People will be looking for me.”
“That was my guess. I will get you home.”
“Do you have a way to get me inside the fortress without being seen?” she asked, throwing on her robe, and then the cloak.
“Seriously? You do realize I am a shifter, correct? We do not have access to the fortress. Why do you think our meetings are set up at the Great Hall?”
“Oh. Right. I forgot.” She lifted the hood of the cloak over her head, and picked up her shoes, taking a seat at the kitchen table to put them on. “I guess I will just have to accept the consequences for my poor judgment.”
“Can you ride a horse on your own?”
“I am a bit rusty, but yes.”
He got to his feet and stepped into his boots. “I’ll get two horses.”
“Hurry. Please.”
