“Today you will be where I can see you at all times. You won’t have to worry about being attacked again.”

He took me down into the small valley, looking around in vain for something to attach my chain to.

“Do you swear to stay here if I don’t chain you? I can’t guarantee your safety if I don’t have my eyes on you.”

Normally, this would be a magnificent opportunity to escape, but I felt too horrible to even consider it. I nodded mutely, collapsing to the ground. He frowned deeply and drew his shirt over the top of his head. He rolled it into a ball and offered it to me, not meeting my eyes. I snatched it eagerly, tucking it under my head as my eyes drifted shut. I hadn’t even glanced once at his muscled chest.

The clash of steel and iron floated up to me from where they trained, and I made a mental note to tell Benedict they were well-trained in weaponry. The day passed surprisingly quickly, so I must have slept for most of it. I awoke freezing, despite the sun’s warm rays that danced across my skin. Thad seemed surprised I was exactly where he’d left me, and we walked back towards the fortress in silence. The hike up the stairs usually left me sweating and panting, but today it did nothing to chase the chill from my bones. I struggled to get up just the first flight of steps. I forced myself to keep moving. I practically crawled across the threshold of his room, falling to my knees in front of bed. My legs crumpled under me, my upper body resting on top of the sheets. I felt Thad standing behind me, and then he lifted me and placed me into his bed.

“Sanks,” I murmured, burrowing into the covers and closing my eyes. My body shivered uncontrollably, the cold as painful as the fresh tear in my wing that had yet to show any signs of healing. The bed dipped down next to me.

I stiffened but forced myself to keep my breathing even. My back was to Thad as I shifted to my side, my arms curled in front of me to keep the chains loose. I went still when Thad’s hand touched the flesh of my bare hip, resting gently on the curve of my body. It felt like fire against my cold skin, and I couldn’t help the needy moan that left my throat.

Guess he knew I wasn’t asleep.

His hand moved back and forth over the swell in my hips, caressing my skin in a way that should have been illegal. I could have stopped him, but his hands were so warm, and effective at chasing away the bone-deep chill that had settled into my body.

As his hands moved north, Thad’s finger touched the base of my neck, circling around my mating scars. I jerked at the sudden touch, a bolt of desire shooting straight to my core despite how sick I felt. Then his lips followed his finger. He didn’t kiss my neck; instead, he just ran his lips from my shoulder blades to my hair, his other hand stroking my ribs. I couldn’t help but lean into his touch. I was freezing, and his hands were like sinking into a warm bath. Would he be willing to put his entire body against mine?