Page 36 of Queen of Whispers and Mist

“Motherf—” he cursed as pain exploded up the side of his face. Tears blurred in his eyes, but he blinked them away, stubbornly pushing past the throb to focus on the woman in his arms. “Shadow, are you all right?”

“Ow!” she gasped, collapsing in on herself.

He couldn’t see her face, but he didn’t need any help processing the splash of water on his skin. She was crying, and he knew it wasn’t from the pain. Whatever had plagued her sleep had been terrifying enough to reduce one of the strongest women he’d ever met to tears. He couldn’t begin to imagine what it would take to send her over the edge.

He shifted, pulling her up with him until her face was tucked into his neck, her legs draped across his lap. “Shh, it’s all right, sweetheart. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

“R-Ronan,” she hiccupped, her fingers digging into his skin as she clung to him.

That alone would have told him everything he needed to know. Shadow wasn’t the kind of woman to seek comfort in another. Doing so now only emphasized how deeply distressed she was.

He lifted a hand, cupping her cheek as his fingers tangled in her hair. He brushed a kiss against her forehead, whispering, “I’m here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“He... he told me—” She broke off, struggling to catch her breath.

“It’s all right. Just breathe with me. In...” He sucked in a breath and held it, beyond grateful when she matched his rhythm. “And out... .Good. That’s good, kitten. And again.” He continued breathing with her until she seemed to have gotten herself mostly under control. “Now, start at the beginning. Who was talking to you?”

She pulled away to blink up at him. “I... I don’t remember.”

“Do you remember what he said?”

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she gave him a stilted nod. “I do. He... he said it’s coming.” A shudder racked her body. “For you.”

He stiffened, his body bracing for attack. It took considerable effort to keep his voice even as he asked, “What’s coming?”

“Death.”

Whatever he’d been expecting her to say, it certainly wasn’t that. Now was hardly the time to launch a full-scale investigation, no matter how badly he wanted to pump her for answers. She was in no state for it. Instead, he reeled in the instinctive need to negate the threat and focused on comforting the woman still trembling in his arms.

“Well... that’s hardly a surprise.”

“W-what?” she sniffled, pulling back to look up at him.

He forced a shrug. “Death comes for us all eventually. I accepted that long ago.” She opened and closed her mouth, finally huffing out a disbelieving laugh. Taking that as a good sign, he let instinct guide him as he added, “You know, if you changed your mind about wanting a cuddle, you could have just asked. This all seems a rather extreme way of going about it.”

“I... that’s not what... you—” she sputtered, body squirming against his.

He had to fight a moan at the delicious friction that created, so close to what he’d been fantasizing about only minutes prior. Tightening his arms, he leaned back, pulling her with him until they were both lying down. “I know. Only teasing. But I got you to stop crying.”

She went still, her body stiff against his for a full heartbeat before she melted into him, holding onto him a little tighter and making no move to pull away. “I don’t know what came over me. It felt so real.” Her voice was soft and tinged with embarrassment.

The last thing he wanted was for her to feel a second’s shame. He only wanted her to know with absolute certainty that he would protect her against any foe. “I willalwayshave your back, Shadow. Against monsters real or imaginary.”

A puff of damp air washed over his chest. “Thank you, Ronan.”

“You don’t need to thank me, kitten.”

“But I do. I...” She hesitated, and he held his breath, silently begging her to finish the thought while he gently ran his palm up and down her spine. “I’ve never had someone look out for me before. It feels... nice.”

Nice was a far cry from all the things he wanted her to say, but he’d take it. He’d take it and fucking run with it. “You do now.”

She was quiet for so long, he didn’t think she was going to say anything else until a whispered, “So do you,” reached his ears.

Throat tight, he squeezed his eyes shut and forced out a shuddering breath.

There it was. More proof. Another glimmer.

Hope.

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