Nola remained curled up under the covers, silken hair spread over a pillow. Raindrops had collected in her lashes. Or were those droplets...tears? Clench. Thankfully, her wounds had fully closed. Some of the char had even faded from her flesh. She would make a total recovery. So why was he shaking, his defenses crumbling? Why couldn’t he get over how close he’d come to losing her?

No more waiting, he decided. He wanted her, wanted everything she had to give, so he would fight for her with every weapon in his arsenal. If he could win her away from Vale in the process...even better.

Bane trudged to the couch and emptied his pockets. He traced his fingertip over the photograph of young Nola, his chest constricting once more. Harder. She radiated such joy. Joy he would touch...possess, if only for a little while.

As he read the article she’d written, a half smile made an appearance. Nola’s top three tips for going from enemies to lovers? 1) Focus on the positive, but don’t shy away from discussing about the negative. 2) Exchange insults for praise. 3) End every argument with a kiss.

Thank you for the advice, little dove. I’ll be heeding every word.

Bane was done resisting his desires.

NOLA STRETCHED HER arms overhead, arched her back, straightened her legs and blinked open her eyes. A slight pain in her shoulder made her wince...and unleashed a wealth of memories. The crash. Bane playing the part of Nurse Ratched. Carrying her through the rain. Driving. The RV park.

Heart pounding, she jolted upright and took stock. A bedroom, with a bed and two nightstands, but nothing else. There was a single window, flashes of lightning filtering through a crack in the curtains. The storm hadn’t eased, the air electric.

“Bane?” The bedroom door was open, letting her slide her gaze over the rest of the mobile home. There wasn’t a lot of space, but what was there was clean. No sign of her warrior.

She looked herself over next. She wore the black bra with a broken strap, matching panties and dried blood. Her wound had closed, even the scab gone, thanks to Bane’s ministrations and supernaturally fast healing.

Had he enjoyed his future queen’s pain? He certainly hadn’t hesitated to yank out that pole, or spit fire into her wound. But...

I’m so sorry, dove. Anguish had saturated his voice. No, he hadn’t enjoyed her suffering. The realization hugged her heart. But...if that little bit of his fire had hurt—oh, had it hurt—how much worse would the Blood Rite feel?

Nola tottered from the bed. Her knees shook, but didn’t buckle. She dug in a pack, grabbed an energy bar and ate. Fuel equaled energy. She checked her phone, hoping to see a message from Vale or Zion. Bane, too, even though she hadn’t yet taught him the technological ropes.