bed. I blinked, and one moment, he was wrapped in blankets, and the next, he stood before me. His gaze roved over me, nearly as hot as his touch, and I waited, trembling for some kind of verdict.
I chewed my lip, knowing he’d see not only the dirt but the scratches and scrapes that still marred my body. My stomach churned with guilt, and my eyes burned. I felt like a prisoner on trial…
“What … who hurt you?” he growled, pulling me into his arms, pressing me to his chest. I melted into him, the warmth of his touch, the softness of his skin over the steel of his muscles. I wanted to cry and beg forgiveness and cling to him—all of it at once. It felt so good for him to hold me. “Was this your grandfather’s doing?” He growled, rubbing one hand up and down my back. “If so, I’ll kill him.”
Oh mage, he had it wrong. All wrong.
I pulled away from him and rose up on my toes. I wanted one kiss, and then I’d explain. But I felt like a thief, and my kiss fell on his neck. Blinking through my tears, I took his face in my hands.
“Oh, Rage,” I whispered, my throat raw as I forcefully swallowed my emotion. Fresh tears pricked my eyes. “He’s … dying.” The tears spilled over, and I buried my face in his chest.
He held me as sobs wracked my body. I tried to tell him what had happened, but the words fell unintelligible and disjointed with my grief. I cried for my grandfather. I cried for Reyna. I cried for Rage, and then finally, I cried for me—because I’d never wanted to leave my mate. And when all of my tears were gone, my body released a hard shudder. I sucked in a deep breath, sniffed, and pulled myself together.
“It’s bad,” I said, wiping the moisture from my cheeks. “I went to help grandpa at your coronation. He told me he needed to formally declare me as his heir before he died. I thought I’d sneak right back after we signed the heir declaration, but then I got thrust into an initiation obstacle course to prove myself worthy.” I blinked, offering him a small smile. “I thought we’d be able to still speak through the bond. I’m so sorry, Rage. I’m so freaking sorry.” My voice broke.
“Heir declaration?” His brow furrowed with confusion. “Obstacle course?”
I wasn’t explaining this right—not at all. I exhaled, long and slow, and thought about what mattered the most. Because the explanations could all wait—and they should. The most important thing right now was our mate bond. I brushed my fingers over his lips. “I-I don’t want to talk about that place right now. Can we put that all on hold, please?” I took another breath. “I really want to talk about … us.”
I wanted to seal our mate bond. Now. Before anyone could take it away from us. My fingers trailed down his neck and then over his chest, my breaths shallower as a mixture of fear and desire coursed through me. Rage. He was … everything.
His fingers dug into my hips, and my entire body trembled.
Rage looked down at me and frowned. “I … I thought you were kidnapped, Nai. You … you left me. On my coronation day.” He swallowed hard. “You did that willingly?”
Willingly? Is that what he thought?
“That hurt,” he growled.
His pain pummeled me, and, despite all my earlier crying, a fresh tear slid down my cheek. I hadn’t explained properly if he really believed that. I was just so tired, emotionally and physically, and terrified the high mages would take him from me.
“Why did it have to be right then?” Rage continued, oblivious to my internal turmoil. “Why couldn’t you tell me? Why … you left without even a thought.”
His accusations … each one wrung my heart. More tears trickled down my face, and I nodded, acknowledging my guilt. More than anything, Rage deserved the truth. All the way down to the cowardice I’d felt and then rationalized as being sufficient reason to flee. “I-I was scared you … wouldn’t let me go,” I whispered. “My grandfather said we had a limited amount of time to record my name in the books—and I had to be there for it. He said if I didn’t inherit his spirit magic, the one that lets him raise the dead, like Honor, it will go to Kian and the other high mage