*Soren*
I lounged on the cot, propping my head up with my arm. Mila peeled my bandage off and I watched her movents as she unwrapped the bandage.
A small frown forced her lips down as she looked over the leg.
“Soren, it has been three days. Your wounds aren’t healing. Why is that?” Mila asked.
Eros had given that putrid slling poultice three days ago and the bleeding had stopped. The wounds hadn’t scabbed over or begun to heal. Mila was checking every day and whenever that little frown touched her lips, I knew what was on her mind.
Sighing, I shrugged and nudged her with my leg. “Maybe I’m just getting old.”
Mila rolled her eyes. “Stop making it sound like nothing. This isn’t nothing... aren’t you concerned at all?”
“Sure,” I said, shrugging again.
Mila narrowed her eyes at . “Why do I not believe you?”
“Mila, my concern is about you running away again, especially while I’m sick,” I said, sighing.
I was surprised she’d stuck around as long as she had. Why hadn’t she run off yet? The question lingered in my mind. She’d always taken any mont when my guard was down to run off.
Instead, she stayed here with and looked after like a nursemaid.
“You... You’re not gonna take this seriously, are you?” she asked, shaking her head and glaring at .
I chuckled and winked at her. She sounded almost concerned and I wanted to keep hearing that tone in her voice. The only way to do that was to keep teasing her.
“Would you prefer it if I cried about my wounds? There isn’t a whole lot else I can do,” I pointed out.
Mila stared at blankly. She shook her head and scoffed.
I nudged her again with my leg, trying to get her to smile. It was fun teasing her and seeing how she would react. Sotis, it seed like she wasn’t prepared for my teasing, even though she should have been. I had done it enough by this point.
She seed determined to stick with until she was certain I was fully healed. I wouldn’t deny that I liked her playing nurse for and I was happy to have a reason for her not to run off on her own again.
Whenever her eyes flickered with worry and a little frown touched her lips, my heart jumped.
I knew it wasn’t the most productive thought to have, but I hoped that it would take a while for my wounds to heal so that she’d keep looking after . Perhaps, she might develop enough softness to stop running from .
If nothing else, I could enjoy her “special treatnt” a bit longer.
“You’re a piece of work,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. She put a fresh bandage on my leg, even though it wasn’t bleeding anymore.
Since the wounds were still open, it made sense to keep them covered so bacteria couldn’t get inside.
“You need more rest. Stop teasing and playing and focus on getting better,” she chastised.
Mila tossed her hair over her shoulder and left the tent.
Frowning, I watched her go.
Perhaps, I’d over done the teasing a little. I couldn’t always gauge how she was going to react and that was part of what inspired to tease her. I liked her unpredictability.
The tent flap opened and Mila ca back in. She didn’t look at but she brought a bottle of water to the collapsible camping table in my tent. She slamd the bottle down, water sloshing over the side and splashing the table.
I arched an eyebrow. “Mila...?”
She glared at over her shoulder, gripping the edge of the table, her back to . Sighing, she bowed her head and opened her backpack. She pulled sothing out that I couldn’t see and held it close to her chest.
Slowly, Mila turned around and ca to the edge of my cot. Without a word, she dropped the item into my lap.
“What’s this?” I asked, picking up the leather bound journal.
“This book was left behind by my mother or my aunt Helen. I’m not sure which. But it is a spell book that might have information about the plant that poisoned you,” she said, tapping the cover.
“Okay...”
“It is in a language I can’t read but I know you can. Can you take a look and see if there is anything about that plant?” she asked, giving a stern look.
I bounced my eyebrows and grinned. “Do you trust ?
“What do you an?” she asked, creasing her brow.
“You’re not worried I might snatch this and run away or sell it to soone else?” I asked, sticking my tongue out between my teeth.
“Did that poison get to your brain, or did you fall out of the cot and hit your head?” she asked, crossing her arms.
“You know I haven’t fallen out of my cot because you’ve been in it with every night,” I reminded her.
Mila’s cheeks reddened and she turned away quickly.
I smirked triumphantly. Whenever she blushed, it was so sweet and innocent, a pure expression of her emotions. I loved seeing it and it made feel like so conquering hero.
“Honestly, I don’t care about that. Your life is more important than what you might want to do with the book,” she told .
She turned back and absently started fluffing my blankets.
I stared at her, frozen in place from her admission. I’d never expected her to open up like that. It was subtle, but she’d let her guard down and shown a real glimpse of her vulnerability.
The only ti I’d seen that before was when I had her writhing beneath in bed.
Quickly, I shook those thoughts away.
Mila had never trusted anyone in her whole life. She’d rather lick her own wounds than accept help from anyone else. I knew that was how she protected herself. No matter how much I’d done for her, she was always trying to “repay” or thinking she owed a favor.
Not this ti...
Giving the book could have been seen as repaynt for taking poison for her. But saying that she cared about more than the fate of the book... That was genuine and real. It was the first real thing I think she ever said to .
Could she have real feelings for ?
I wasn’t sure I wanted her to. For more than a decade, I’d tried to let go of my past. No matter how many tis I told myself, Payne, and Thomas that I was over it, I wasn’t sure I would ever be.
There was a hidden part of that didn’t know whether I would ever be loved again or that I’d ever be worthy of love again. Was I worthy enough for Mila to love ?
Then there was the matter of what happened in the cave when I slled her wolf for the first ti, and how I’d sensed her when I was trying to find her on Mount Lournet.
Had that been the mate bond? I didn’t think I had a mate and I’d seen nothing to make think that Mila was my mate...
Until recently...
Was it real or was it just false hope that the Moon Goddess cooked up for as my punishnt? Was this just to remind of the mistakes I’d made years ago?
I stared at the leather-bound book in my lap. Thoughts of Mila and her trusting gesture raced through my mind.
If she wasn’t my mate and I pressured her too much or clung too much, would that scare her away?
I lifted my eyes to her and saw the dark shadow of disappointnt lingering. It was like she regretted what she said because I’d taken too long to respond.
Quickly, she pointed to the book. “Look through it. There are all kinds of plants in there and the stinging nettle could be one of them. It might give more information about the poison, or a better antidote to get your wound to heal.”
I squashed all the thoughts running through my head and I flipped the book open.
Mila sat on the edge of the cot, her eyes never leaving my face as I read through the first few pages.
It was a different dialect than I was used to but I could make out the words.
The book was split into sections. The first section was a plant directory that had drawn images of plants, their nas, properties, uses, and adverse effects. It was very detailed.
I ran my thumb over an image of a nettle plant that was similar to the one that stung but the poisonous effects didn’t match my symptoms.
The second section of the book was herbal recipes. A lot of them were healing salves, potions, teas, and the like. But there were several others that were more sinister. Poisons and potions that could do horrible things like blind people or worse...
A lot of the herbs and plants listed in those recipes were common household plants. But when combined in the right way, they’d beco deadly.
I narrowed my eyes at the pages. This book was far too powerful to fall into the wrong hands.
The final section of the book was made up of handwritten spells that could only be used by blood witches. Soone like Mila.
I didn’t read it all but I flipped through enough to get a good understanding of it.
Slowly, I closed the book and pushed it toward Mila.
“Well, did you find anything?” she asked.
“Mila, this book needs to be put away and kept hidden, for safety. It can’t ever fall into the wrong hands,” I told her.
Mila frowned and looked at the book. She picked it up and handed it back to .
“You take it,” she insisted.
I shook my head. “It is sothing left to you by your family. I’m not going to take it. It belongs to you.”
“Soren, I am the wrong hands. having this book is like a three-year-old carrying a sword... I’d be more likely to injure myself wielding it than my enemies,” she said.
It was a compelling argunt but Mila was the only person that would be able to use the book. Anyone else that could use it would be people we didn’t want to et, or didn’t want to know about the book.
I chuckled and chucked her chin. “Most bad guys are cowards, Mila. They are more afraid of you than you think.”
“That’s not true, Soren, and you know it,” she argued, shaking her head.
“Of course, it is. I’ve dealt with a lot of these bad guys. As long as they know you have a powerful weapon, they will be intimidated enough to weigh their options and choose the safer route,” I insisted.
“Really?” Mila asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Really,” I said, chuckling. “The last thing they want is to try and provoke a fight with a powerful opponent and risk getting beaten up or killed.”
“Is that how you intimidate others?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.
I smirked. “What do you think?”
Mila giggled and shook her head. “No,” she answered her own question. “I was wrong. There is no need for you to intimidate anyone because you’re powerful enough to do whatever you want.”
Sighing, I laid back on the pillows.
“No one can do whatever they want... Not even the Moon Goddess,” I said.
“You never answered my question,” Mila said, changing the subject.
“What question?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
“I asked if you found anything in the book,” she reminded .
“I did answer that,” I said, grinning.
“Ugh, no you didn’t!” she said, exasperated. “I asked if you found out anything about the plant.”
“No, you asked if I found anything. And I did, I found that the book was dangerous. If you had sothing more specific in mind, you should have said so,” I teased.
“Then let be clear. Did you find anything in the book about the plant that stung you?” she clarified.
I shrugged.
“Well, maybe you only flipped through the pages too quickly. Maybe you should read the whole book carefully from the beginning,” she suggested.
“That’s not necessary. I’m certain the plant is just a common grass that doesn’t have any magical properties, so it isn’t included in the book,” I said.
Mila sighed and gave a soft, pleading look. “Please... can you just... try?”
I stared at her, trying to keep myself hardened to that sweet look. I couldn’t! The hard shell around my heart cracked a little and her warmth and caring flowed into my body.
“Mila, I’ve already sent word to Lee. He’ll be here soon and he can help,” I assured, nodding.
Mila smiled and I could practically see the relief as an invisible weight lifted off her shoulders.
Smirking, I grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger and pressed my lips to hers.
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