Page 30 of The Barbaric Fae's Soul

I released him, but he grabbed my arm the same way I’d grabbed his. “I’m surprised you accepted a bond so easily, given what happened with Naomi.”

“Dakota is nothing like Naomi. And besides, she only offered to take away both of our pain. A broken bond causes a constant ache.”

“You will still yearn for her,” he said, studying me.

My lips curved upward. “I’d yearn for her even without the bond. And if I asked her to break it right now, she would. I am not trapped, brother; I have been freed. She freed me.”

Oren’s voice was solemn as he said, “Should you need someone else to take the bond for your sanity, I am willing.”

Considering the way my bond with Naomi had deteriorated me, he was making a very serious and very generous offer. It was unnecessary, but that didn’t make it any less significant. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad your first bond was broken. You’re more alive than I’ve seen you in decades.”

I laughed, rich and deep. “Ifeelmore alive than I’ve been in decades.”

He released my arm. “Perhaps fate sometimes tests us.”

“Or perhaps it only drew me to Naomi to stop the wars before she was injured. Regardless of the past, it brought us here. And this is a much better situation for all of us.” I gestured toward the forest.

“I suppose so.” Oren looked thoughtful.

“I need someone to practice on. Care to offer yourself up?”

He chuckled. “Only because you’ve learned how to smile again.”

I slugged him in the arm, grinning, and we turned and strode into the forest together.

Nine

Dakota

I wasn’tsure how much time had passed when I sat up, blinking sleep from my eyes. A glance to the side proved that both Blue and Presley were out cold in the other bed—identifiable by Blue’s blue hair and the shimmering reddish-brown tattoos running down Presley’s pale arm.

Paper crinkled next to me, and I lifted it to read the note Summer must’ve left.

Went backto my sex cave. Yell if you need me!

-S

I foldedthe paper and slipped out of bed, padding toward the door. I opened it as quietly as possible and then shut it the same way after I was through, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

When I looked around again, I realized it was early in the morning. The sun hadn’t even started to rise yet, but I could hear a few people up and moving already.

It felt weird to be away from Aev after we’d spent so many hours together.

Had he slept yet?

I started to walk toward his tent without really thinking, and then halted when I realized I could smell him—in the opposite direction I’d been heading.

He smelled… pretty good, actually.

I headed in that direction, curious about where he’d gone and what he’d done while I was asleep.

And also feeling bad that I hadn’t apologized to him for freaking out on him earlier. I needed to at leastsort ofexplain myself. Hopefully he hadn’t already decided that he was done being friends with me or anything.

I finger-combed my hair as I quietly made my way through the forest. I could feel eyes on me—and felt something weird on one of my boobs. When I tugged my tank top off my skin and peered downward, I snorted. There were a few scent-hiding leaves tucked between my breasts.

When I thought about it, I vaguely remembered Summer waking me up long enough to command me to stick the leaves in my clothes at some point while I’d been asleep.

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